Best way to monitor Smoker temp?

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JMCFAN

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Original poster
Dec 12, 2024
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2
Have a Green Mt JB and trying to figure best way to monitor actual smoker temp. Did a prime rib yesterday. Have 2 Insta read freestanding oven thermometers I used to calibrate the smoker temp. One on each side of the grill Set Smoker to 300. Both measured 300 on the dot. I also have a 4 probe ThemPro TP8298. I used one probe on the grill with the grill clamp thing... and it was reading over 400.... no way that thing 400. Is there a better was to use the probes on the Thermpro... that way I can monitor indoors etc.....
 

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The manual for that probe unit says you can use one of the probes for the cooking temperature Hi/Lo alarm range. If you followed the instructions, clipping it on the grate near the food and you are getting questionable temps, I'm not sure what to say. Those old style oven thermometers can be very inaccurate, but not 100 degrees inaccurate, usually.

I dont see anything in the manual about calibrating that unit. They must feel their products are accurate out of the box. I dont see a hot/cold water test procedure. For some reason they didn't bother to set those .pdf manuals up as searchable but I scanned it by eye and didn't see anything. Why they wouldn't have a video for use of each product is beyond me. There is a customer service number though. They may be of some help.
 
The manual for that probe unit says you can use one of the probes for the cooking temperature Hi/Lo alarm range. If you followed the instructions, clipping it on the grate near the food and you are getting questionable temps, I'm not sure what to say. Those old style oven thermometers can be very inaccurate, but not 100 degrees inaccurate, usually.

I dont see anything in the manual about calibrating that unit. They must feel their products are accurate out of the box. I dont see a hot/cold water test procedure. For some reason they didn't bother to set those .pdf manuals up as searchable but I scanned it by eye and didn't see anything. Why they wouldn't have a video for use of each product is beyond me. There is a customer service number though. They may be uof some help.
Wo
The manual for that probe unit says you can use one of the probes for the cooking temperature Hi/Lo alarm range. If you followed the instructions, clipping it on the grate near the food and you are getting questionable temps, I'm not sure what to say. Those old style oven thermometers can be very inaccurate, but not 100 degrees inaccurate, usually.

I dont see anything in the manual about calibrating that unit. They must feel their products are accurate out of the box. I dont see a hot/cold water test procedure. For some reason they didn't bother to set those .pdf manuals up as searchable but I scanned it by eye and didn't see anything. Why they wouldn't have a video for use of each product is beyond me. There is a customer service number though. They may be of some help.
Can that metal grill clip transfer higher grill temps?
 
Can that metal grill clip transfer higher temps from the grill?
 
I have an older Green Mtn and also the same Thermpro unit. Smoker temp is usually off so I go by the Thermpro. Did you happen to place probe directly over fire pot? If so, that might explain high reading. I'd do the cold/hot water test to check as suggested above.
 
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This one is pretty high raated... ordered one to validate all I have... can always return it...lol

And its on sale....
 

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There is no way I would trust those free standing oven thermometers. They may be your problem.
I have one that I use my smokers. In fact that and an insta-read are all the thermometers I use.

Chris
 
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Really? Both are dead on... and used them to calibrate the GMG with the app.
I have two of them and they are the most inaccurate thermometer I have ever used. Both in an oven and in a refrigerator. And maybe it just happened that the first two I bought were fluke's but I'm not going to shell out the money for a third one.
 
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