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Warning: Don't overstoke your Stoker

Village Idiot
Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I thought I'd use the Stoker for a 500° cook, so I did the usual placing of the probe on the grid. Bad move. I fried my sensor cord. It's still working but I need to replace it. Apparently, the cord is good until 450°.

probe2.jpg
__________________________________________

Dripping Springs, Texas.
Just west of Austintatious


Comments

  • not trying to be an idiot myself, but why would you need a controller to control a 500 degree cook?
    are people using these tings for anything other than long oivernight cooks?

    serious question without any criticism intended: but why would you need a device to hold 500 degrees for what couldn't have been a very long cook to begin with?
  • JBUG99999
    JBUG99999 Posts: 263
    Wow, that sucks! Sorry to see your fried your cord. We apparently messed up the cord on the probe for our BGE remote thermometer. Unfortunately, we are two weeks past the manufacturers 90 day warranty on the product. Luckily, it is the probe for the temperature of the BGE, not the food probe. So, we can still use it for the food, but still have to run out to check the temperature of the BGE.

    Hope you are able to get a replacement!

    Julie
  • gsgentry
    gsgentry Posts: 128
    Sorry to hear that Gary!!! Thanks for the heads up though!!!
  • Village Idiot
    Village Idiot Posts: 6,959
    Stripsteak,

    I guess I was so impressed with my first few cooks at 250° - 350°, that I thought I'd use it for other cooks too. I didn't want my 500° cooks to run away to 700° or beyond, so I hooked up the Stoker.

    Yeah. Lesson learned. I guess I lived up to my handle. :P
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • glousteau
    glousteau Posts: 124
    Yep, I had some flare-ups when trying to finish off some butts (was running out of time). Some fat buildup flared and caught one of mine before I realized it.

    2010-01-01-22_034.jpg

    Rocks was able to re-use the probe by putting a new wire on it for me.
  • Avocados
    Avocados Posts: 465
    They used to sell a special high temp probe for the stoker that was rated up to 1000 degrees.

    Now they have an adapter that allows you to use standard K-type temp probes and there are may of those made for very high temps.

    - Barry
  • GoonSlapper
    GoonSlapper Posts: 106
    Sorry to hear that Gary. But, thanks for the heads up.

    Does anyone know if these stoker probes would work at 500 degrees if you wrapped it in foil or will the same thing happen? I guess i'm like Gary, I'm impressed with the temperature control that I wouldn't mind using it for some other higher temperature cooks.
  • I've wondered if it might be possible to use it for pizza cooks to keep the temp up, but worried about just what happened to you. I haven't tried it yet, but I tested clipping the pit sensor to the daisy wheel handle and hanging the metal part of the sensor only into the stream of heat coming out of the top, and got fairly steady readings. I wonder if this wouldn't be a way to do the same thing.

    I'm not sure what the temp difference from pizza area of the Egg would be (probably not the standard 25 degree's the dome is off from the grid) but it might be possible if you knew that adjustment.
  • I have my Stoker for the long burns.

    I do used the Stoker to supply air for high heat. I just plug in the fan and plug in the pit probe but just leave the pit probe out of the Egg.

    The fan will stay on until I shut off the Stoker because the temp will never reach my set temp of 225 and I just watch the temp gauge supplied with the Egg
  • Every cook is a good lesson Gary, just keep cooking ;)

    Ross
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Shotgun Fred at the BBQ Guru has always indicated that wrapping the probe wires in foil will make things worse. He recommends that if you need to shield the wires, place a piece of foil beneath the wire, but do not enclose them in foil.
    The Naked Whiz
  • that's a bummer.

    sometimes we get a little over-enthused about our toys :lol:

    i have some sad stories about (now) junk that i ruined within moments of getting it. hahaha
  • GoonSlapper
    GoonSlapper Posts: 106
    Thanks for the info on that. I'm glad I didn't try wrapping it in foil.
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    I agree with stripsteak. See his first post above. A stoker for a pizza? Pizzas take from 2-10 minutes. Why would you need a stoker for that?

    [Or for anything else for that matter. :lol: But that's a whole 'nother discussion. :evil: ]

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

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut