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Probe wires and gasket wear

I've had my XL BGE for around 7 months now and today I had a very frustrating start to cooking a brisket. I attached my ThermoWorks probes and closed the lid but I saw a good amount of smoke coming out from the gasket. This has happened before so I tried to rearrange the probe wires towards the back but it only got worse. My temps got out of control before I finally found a way to arrange the cords and not see tons of smoke. Hopefully the temps will go down now.

Is this a sign of a worn gasket? Seems like plenty of people use a probe of some kind so I can't figure out why I'm struggling. The only other odd thing is the lid seems to be slightly offset. I don't recall this when I got the egg but the back gasket has a tiny edge that is not compressed, meaning the lid is either slightly forward or backward. Without a probe I don't see any leakage so I assume this isn't the issue.

Is it time for a new gasket or do I need to do something different with the probe wires.
XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 

Comments

  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,354
    Can you post a picture of the set up?
    Jacksonville FL
  • pretzelb
    pretzelb Posts: 158
    edited September 2014
    Here you go. The probes are now on either side and I think it is working. They are probably at 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock. Normally they would both be at 2 o'clock and in the past it worked without letting smoke out. The second picture shows the slight under bite.
    XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 
  • Dobie
    Dobie Posts: 3,354
    The bite doesn't look too bad. The wires look pretty thick. My Guru wires are very thin. Glad you got it worked out.
    Jacksonville FL
  • The meat probe is thick. I think it is the SMOKE HOUSE PENETRATION PROBE - STAINLESS ARMOR Model: 113-178. One thing that did concern me is I hope to one day get a controller and wondered if the problem would persist with those probes as well. 

    Could the gasket need replacing after only 7 months of moderate use?
    XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    I run my probes thru the top opening fwiw. My gasket is still good after a year
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • grege345 said:
    I run my probes thru the top opening fwiw. My gasket is still good after a year
    Interesting. I like that idea but I would worry a bit about the meat probe getting pulled when I open the dome. My top vents are nearly closed for my brisket cook. Do you have issues closing the top vents enough to get a low temp?
    XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    No. Never. I actually run my maverick probes thru the top then put the daisy wheel on. I don't know how long your probes are but I've never had a problem with the probe pulling out. I do cook most things pretty high tho
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    grege345 said:
    I run my probes thru the top opening fwiw. My gasket is still good after a year
    Only caution is the heat exiting the dome is very intense and most every probe wire on the market will fry at 396 degrees. Any decent gasket will seal around a cable stretched across it and the minute leakage surrounding it is immaterial. Besides the BGE is known as a smoker! LOL
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Good news is the Thermoworks probe cables will last a long time, the bad news is they are huge compared to many other probe cables. When your gasket was new it had some give and the gasket actually formed around the cables. Over a short time the gasket hardens up and does not form around the cables as much, hence your notice of smoke. 
    Using a setter with the legs at the 12:00/4:00/8:00 o'clock positions, try and run your cables out using the 4:00/8:00 positions.Avoid using the back by the hinge. Always put the pit probe over a setter leg or other deflector to block direct IR from the lump. Only use the pit probe for indirect cooks. 
    A felt gasket will last weeks not months with moderate use, a high temp gasket will last at least a couple of years and some who use wood stove gaskets pretty much get forever. 
    If you run the probe cables out the same spot all the time the heat will harden the gasket more at that spot making the issue more of a concern. Vary the position as much as you can. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
    @RRP‌ on a low and slow with dome temp at 250° what would the exhaust temp be? Certainly couldn't be twice the dome temp. Could it?
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    grege345 said:
    @RRP‌ on a low and slow with dome temp at 250° what would the exhaust temp be? Certainly couldn't be twice the dome temp. Could it?
    no, but I really posted that as a point to remember for other eggers. You know like when you are egging a turkey at 325 dome then a sudden spike from a wood chunk bursting into flame can easily cause a quick rise to 396. I'm going from experience and have fried many probes over the years myself.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I don't worry about smoke leakage. If mine leaked (it doesn't) I'd just make more. :) As for temp control, airflow is airflow. If the gasket leaks, just close the vents a bit. Doesn't matter where the air comes from, just that you have the right amount.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
    The probes wires do look thicker but, agree w/ what @Carolina Q‌ ^^^^^ said. My Stoker probe wires are thin and flat. Not to mention with the Rutland there is a nice cushion that takes care of miniscule gaps like this. Wouldn't be to concerned about it personally. Egg on B-)
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
    Way true: the good old Rutland gasket gives you a great cushion for probe wires!
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
  • I don't worry about smoke leakage. If mine leaked (it doesn't) I'd just make more. :) As for temp control, airflow is airflow. If the gasket leaks, just close the vents a bit. Doesn't matter where the air comes from, just that you have the right amount.
    Well, that's the big concern. The brisket before this one, I wrapped in foil at around 160 and went and got distracted. When I got back, the smoke was leaking out and the temp had run too high. I think the issue was I didn't put the probes back the same way. 

    So this time I was ready and paying attention. I suppose I could try to dial down the top and bottom to compensate but it seemed like the air leakage was enough to throw it all out of whack. 
    XL egg owner, home brewer, jogger, coffee roaster, gamer 
  • I'm with pretzelb on this one, don't worry about the air and where it comes from. Granted you don't want to mess up your seal on a 7 month old grill and the only way I see you doing that is if you start your BGE with the lid open. The smoke and heat with the open lid will cause your seal to fail quickly.

    Also, there is that little known fact that briskets take about 1.5 hours per pound at roughly 225deg. Just set that baby up and let it do it's thing until about 2 hours before you want to pull it.

    Have fun and thanks for sharing!
  • Zmokin
    Zmokin Posts: 1,938
    Good news is the Thermoworks probe cables will last a long time, the bad news is they are huge compared to many other probe cables. When your gasket was new it had some give and the gasket actually formed around the cables. Over a short time the gasket hardens up and does not form around the cables as much, hence your notice of smoke. 
    Using a setter with the legs at the 12:00/4:00/8:00 o'clock positions, try and run your cables out using the 4:00/8:00 positions.Avoid using the back by the hinge. Always put the pit probe over a setter leg or other deflector to block direct IR from the lump. Only use the pit probe for indirect cooks. 
    A felt gasket will last weeks not months with moderate use, a high temp gasket will last at least a couple of years and some who use wood stove gaskets pretty much get forever. 
    If you run the probe cables out the same spot all the time the heat will harden the gasket more at that spot making the issue more of a concern. Vary the position as much as you can. 
    I would like to know what you consider moderate use.  I know I am a light user, but my gasket is probably 3 years old now and still working good.  I find it hard to believe that moderate use will kill a felt gasket in only "weeks", not months.
    Large BGE in a Sole' Gourmet Table
    Using the Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter,
     and a BBQ Guru temp controller.

    Medium BGE in custom modified off-road nest.
    Black Cast Iron grill, Plate Setter, and a Party-Q temp controller.

    Location: somewhere West of the Mason-Dixon Line
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    edited September 2014
    @Zmokin - If you have an original BGE felt that is three years old and your moderate use is 2 or 3 cooks a week, varying from low and slows to baking to grilling to pizza, you are doing something very well that few of us have been able to duplicate. My OME felt gasket lasted exactly 8 weeks. The BGE high temp replacement provided free by my dealer (1st generation) lasted about 5 months. My High-Que high temp Nomex is now three years old and still doing just fine. Have a Cotronics ready to go on when the High-Que gives up. 
    The biggest gasket killer I know is a misaligned dome and base. If the gasket overhangs or is exposed to the interior of the egg, the lifespan will be much shorter. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!