1st Brisket on a pellet grill, comparison to BGE XL

[takeityeezy]

I purchased a GMG Boone Prime wifi last week and just smoked my first brisket. The brisket was a prime cut 15 pounder. I have done several briskets on my Big Green Egg over the years but I'm brand new to pellet smokers, thanks to a vacation rental that introduced me.

I used a Flame Boss wifi thermometer to track the temperature of the grill and brisket. What I noticed with the GMG is that temp fluctuates quite a bit. I would see spike/dips above/below my set temperature. Average cycle was about 12 minutes between high and low before the grill would come up again (pic here). Throughout the process the temperature reading on the grill was within 5-8 degrees of the set temp, but the grill would most display the desired set temp of 225. I was using GMG Texas blend pellets, ambient temp was 85 degrees, and the grill was out of the wind. My BGE barely fluctuates during long smokes, if it goes beyond 5 degrees either way its a surprise. I used the same probe to monitor the GMG and BGE and placed it in a similar spot (middle, just behind brisket). See pic from last BGE brisket, done at 45 degrees ambient temp with 50/50 hickory lump charcoal and hickory chunks.

Has anyone else monitored their GMG during a long smoke and if so, did you see major temp fluctuations? I'm looking for someone that used a 3rd party probe as the GMG display was not accurate.

Despite the question, I must say this is the best brisket I have made, ever. It was cooked perfectly, with a beautiful ring, and most importantly...best flavor yet! Overall I'm extremely pleased with the GMG, just wondering if temp fluctuations during long smokes are normal. If you look at the pics:

• Blue = Grill set temp
• Red = Grill actual temp
• Green = Fan Power % (n/a for GMG brisket)
• Yellow = Brisket temp

Thanks!

 

[jac63]

I can't speak specifically to GMG but my pit boss 820 has temp swings as well. The higher temp I set it at the less the temp over/under shoots. But the food that comes off of it is always great so I have mostly quit obsessing over it for now. I suspect there is a Savannah Stoker PID controller in my future but I'm convinced it really isn't necessary. I want one mostly because I like the idea of programming the controller to do multiple stages based on meat temp. My pit boss has a simple controller and only 1 function/setting.

 

[motocrash]

I don't own one but I believe they are meant to swing to give you more smoke.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

My RecTec doesn’t fluctuate more than about 5 degrees +/-, but if I put the grate probe dead center of the rack, it reads around 15 to 20 degrees higher than the built in probe. Like jac63, I don’t worry about it. Food always comes out perfect.

 

[bregent]

All pellet grills fluctuate as fuel is delivered and burned, but yours does seem to be excessive with spikes more than 100F over set point. I'd give them a call, they may have a software update that will fix that.

 

[retfr8flyr]

Try a cook with your probe as close as you can get it to the grill probe. I think you will find the temps will be very close. Your grill is measuring the temps nearest the probe and the probe is in the spot that will give the best average temps for that grill. I wouldn't worry about temp swings from your probe, as long as the grill temps are showing correctly.

 

[takeityeezy]

Thank you for all the input. retfr8flyr , I did have my 3rd party probe next to grill probe until about 5am. The fluctuations were exactly the same. The drastic dip in the red line around 5am was me opening the grill to move the probe to the center of the grill just behind the brisket.

GMG said they are pushing a software update this week to support dual meat probes in the app among other fixes. Hopefully that will resolve the issue. Either way, my family and I were all very pleased with the final product! Thanks again for the input here.

 

[Jabiru]

What Earl said is a good plan.

You may need the firmware update for the Grill itself, another lad on the forum had the same issue, updated firmware = fixed. The APP update wont fix this. Speak to GMG mate.

I have a Jim Bowie and have minor fluctuations I havent updated the firmware on mine. If i put a probe in the center on the grill it is exact to what grill is set at for me and pretty constant.