Electric smoker question

[Roger Meyer]

I'm new here. I've smoked before, but recently bought an electric smoker for the first time. It has a built in cabinet temp probe that reads out on the control console as well as a meat probe that can be displayed too. I ran an ice water calibration on the meat probe and on an additional digital thermometer I previously owned. Both read correctly. The cabinet probe is not easily accessible for me to run the calibration.

Here's the question/problem(?): I ran a heat test by setting the cabinet temp to 250 degf and waited for it to stabilize. It hovered around 250 as read on the cabinet temp readout on the control console, but the meat probe and the auxiliary probe I hung inside in free air both read in the high 300's. Is this normal? I called the manufacturer, and while not sounding convincing to me, they said that was normal. I don't have any experience with electric smokers, only propane and charcoal. I always monitored free air temp in them and controlled temp accordingly. Any help is appreciated.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I'd trust the calibrated therms all day long over a non-calibrated therm. That's a big temp difference.

 

[campfire218]

If it's a Masterbuilt, make sure there's not anything touching or right next to the two sensors in the back wall of your smoker, and that those sensors are clean. I'm guessing it's probably going to have something similar in other brands as well.

 

[GaryHibbert]

In my experience, you're always to trust the digital remote thermometer (boil tested, of course) over the factory therm. You didn't say what brand of smoker, but if it's a MES they're notorious for being inaccurate.
Gary