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what's up with Green Egg thermometers

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rocdoc1
rocdoc1 Posts: 1
in EggHead Forum
I've had my XL Egg for 7 or 8 years now, and I'm about to throw my 3rd thermometer in the trash.  For some reason they read significantly lower than actual temp.  Yesterday I inserted the probe from The Meater into the thickest part of a rack of baby back ribs.  The Meater showed ambient temp in the egg at 280F, the Egg thermometer was reading 180F. I bought the Meater system because my food was consistently overcooked, now I know why.  The thermometer that came with the Egg did the same thing within a year, so I replaced it, and then the replacement went into the trash 3 years ago.
Is  there something I need to do to keep the thermometer accurate.  I routinely scrape and scrub the probe, but it makes no difference.
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
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    You can calibrate them
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • Dondgc
    Dondgc Posts: 709
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    Have you calibrated your Egg thermometer in boiling water and confirmed that it is reading in error for your altitude? 

    Next, have you confirmed the calibration of your Meater?

    Also, I’m not clear I understand where you were measuring ambient temp. Temps can vary widely within the egg. 
    New Orleans LA
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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
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    Keep them adjusted using boiling water to test, but also know that the temp varies quite a but between grate level, dome temp, and right above/around the meat.
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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,385
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    On a different note welcome to the forum.  This place contains a wealth of information across the spectrum.  The range is far and wide along with all the BGE material.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
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    If it's reading to your liking, do you all clean the stick part of the thermometer as it eventually gets build up on it?
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  • danhoo
    danhoo Posts: 684
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    I don't think I have ever cleaned mine, except when I make pizza 
    current: | Large BGE |  Genesis 1000 | Genesis E330 | 22 inch Kettle | Weber Summit Kamado
    sold:| PitBoss pro 820 |  WSM 22 | 
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  • 4TheGrillOfIt
    4TheGrillOfIt Posts: 741
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    Just to add the Tel-Tru analog thermometers that come with the Egg are about the best in the business. But they are not indestructible.
    XL BGE, Large BGE, Small BGE, Weber Summit NG                                                                                               
    Memphis  
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  • Mark_B_Good
    Mark_B_Good Posts: 1,521
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    That's crazy off 100F ... calibrate and try again. It's not difficult to calibrate the egg thermometer with boiling water.
    Napoleon Prestige Pro 665, XL BGE, Lots of time for BBQ!
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  • OhioEgger
    OhioEgger Posts: 903
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    rocdoc1 said:
      I routinely scrape and scrub the probe, but it makes no difference.
    I'm wondering if somehow you're un-calibrating it when you're scraping and scrubbing it. That shouldn't be necessary at all, so do as suggested above: calibrate it in boiling water and then just learn its usage (recognizing how temps vary in different places inside the dome) until you're comfortable. 
    Cincinnati, Ohio. Large BGE since 2011. Still learning.
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
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    RRP said:
    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    Also, if you remove that retainer clip like Ron said, you have a handy weapon holstered if you are invaded/attacked by miscreants, like antifa, the proud boys or whatever. 

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • PigBeanUs
    PigBeanUs Posts: 932
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    At a certain point you really don’t need a dome thermometer. 
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    PigBeanUs said:
    At a certain point you really don’t need a dome thermometer. 
    “At a certain point you really don’t need a dome thermometer, Grasshopper” said the kind old wise one.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • lightningque
    lightningque Posts: 68
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    RRP said:
    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    agreed!  this advice solved my temp issues all together a couple years ago thanks to @RRP .  Tossed that clip and no more problems.  every time I wiped down the egg I was bumping the thermo and knocking it out of calibration. 
    1 large in challenger cart and 1 mini-max , too many dang accessories  

    Baton Rouge LA 

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  • dbCooper
    dbCooper Posts: 2,081
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    That is good advice from @RRP about not using the clip on the BGE.
    I believe the intended use for those clips is to attach the thermometer to the side of a pan.  That can be useful when calibrating in boiling water.  So you may want to hang on to them.
    LBGE, LBGE-PTR, 22" Weber, Coleman 413G
    Great Plains, USA
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  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,767
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    I only have used the clip on the exterior of the egg when I have large protein in the egg to keep the probe from going all the way in the dome and touching the protein ......
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,528
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    Welcome. Lots of good advice ^^^^. I have been sharing one dome therm between two eggs, if you still want to throw one away please toss it my way  ;)
    canuckland
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  • fishepa
    fishepa Posts: 211
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    RRP said:
    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    Why does someone always flag every one of your posts as a troll?  Did you piss someone off or something?  :)
    War Damn Eagle!
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    fishepa said:
    RRP said:
    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    Why does someone always flag every one of your posts as a troll?  Did you piss someone off or something?  :)
    I have no idea, but he/she/it must get their jollies off that way!

    OTOH once I was told that a flag can happen when someone uses a cell phone to view posts and the way they click causes this forum to register a flag. I'm not the only one here who gets flagged frequently! BTW it's always adding up to my "troll" count and I didn't know I was a troll...20 year active troll besides, LOL!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    RRP said:
    fishepa said:
    RRP said:
    The one thing that no one else has mentioned is that retainer clip inside the dome can cause your thermometer to go out of whack if you are to turn it or accidentally bump it. Reason is that clip grabs the probe! Besides that clip is not even necessary and many of us throw that clip in the trash! Gravity will keep your thermometer from falling out. Also you will find it handy to be able to pull out the thermometer so as to not impale a turkey for instance.
    Why does someone always flag every one of your posts as a troll?  Did you piss someone off or something?  :)
    I have no idea, but he/she/it must get their jollies off that way!

    OTOH once I was told that a flag can happen when someone uses a cell phone to view posts and the way they click causes this forum to register a flag. I'm not the only one here who gets flagged frequently! BTW it's always adding up to my "troll" count and I didn't know I was a troll...20 year active troll besides, LOL!
    It’s real easy to flag a comment without realizing it. I’m currently reading the comments here on a mobile device. Scrolling the comments with my left thumb and it gets real close to the flag label. 

    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,897
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    jtcBoynton said

    OTOH once I was told that a flag can happen when someone uses a cell phone to view posts and the way they click causes this forum to register a flag. I'm not the only one here who gets flagged frequently! BTW it's always adding up to my "troll" count and I didn't know I was a troll...20 year active troll besides, LOL!
    It’s real easy to flag a comment without realizing it. I’m currently reading the comments here on a mobile device. Scrolling the comments with my left thumb and it gets real close to the flag label. 

    Thanks for your feedback! The “flying thumb action” has always made me think MOST of those nasty flags to MANY of us here were accidental. 

    I also wonder if people even know that if they flag or slam anybody with a disagree etc accidentally all they need to do is hit again and it will be removed!  

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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