First Smoker, Help!

[Wolfsoul]

Hello all,

After years of wanting one I received a Pit Boss series 2 for my birthday this year. So far I've smoked on it twice. The first time I went by the onboard controllers temp probes. The second time I purchased an inkbird IBT-6XS for more probes and a second check on cabinet temperature. Here's my problems:

The built in temperature probe in the cabinet is reading over 100 degrees different. I have it set for 400 degrees, the maximum. The cabinet thermometer that's built in says 395, while my inkbird, which is suspended in the middle of the cabinet, is reading 255. I know built in probes are notoriously bad, but THAT bad? The element turns off and the maximum temperature I've reached is the 255 during the second smoke.

Any suggestions??? How can I test the inkbird cabinet probe?

 

[Kevin DeShazo]

Test ur probes in either boiling water or ice water

 

[Wolfsoul]

Test ur probes in either boiling water or ice water

How would I go about doing that to the built in one?

 

[dr k]

I'm not familiar with the pit boss series but if the sensor is fixed on the back wall and the built in therm is correct then that would be the go to rack and the other three will be different. The top rack near the vent is hottest on my Mes 40. Put all probes in the empty smoker at the smoker sensor and check. With a hunk of meat, a sensor over it will be cooler next to it will be best and under probably hotter. Once you confirm that the inkbird is accurate in boiling water at your elevation then set the probe near your food and set the smoker accordingly to keep the temp you want at food level.

 

[Wolfsoul]

I'm not familiar with the pit boss series but if the sensor is fixed on the back wall and the built in therm is correct then that would be the go to rack and the other three will be different. The top rack near the vent is hottest on my Mes 40. Put all probes in the empty smoker at the smoker sensor and check. With a hunk of meat, a sensor over it will be cooler next to it will be best and under probably hotter. Once you confirm that the inkbird is accurate in boiling water at your elevation then set the probe near your food and set the smoker accordingly to keep the temp you want at food level.

Thanks for your reply. I just tested the inkbird and it was 210 on the nose in boiling water. The problem I'm having is the sensor on the pit boss is reading the temp at its MAX (395-400) and the element shuts off. But the temp at the rack with my food is 250. I managed to get it to 270 by shutting the vents almost completely. So, logically, smoking a chicken at 275 is near impossible I'm finding.

The temp sensor for the cabinet on the pit boss is near the bottom behind the water pan. I wonder if I could simply hang it from a rack instead, it is only held in by 2 screws..

 

[fivetricks]

I think the point that he was making was to try putting your inkbird probe directly next to your built-in probe, rather than right next to your meat.

Test the differences then. The cooler meat in your hot smoker will put off cooler air as the meat and the cabinet temperature attempt to equalize.

 

[Wolfsoul]

I think the point that he was making was to try putting your inkbird probe directly next to your built-in probe, rather than right next to your meat.

Test the differences then. The cooler meat in your hot smoker will put off cooler air as the meat and the cabinet temperature attempt to equalize.

Gotcha, will try that today and see what happens!

 

[Wolfsoul]

I think the point that he was making was to try putting your inkbird probe directly next to your built-in probe, rather than right next to your meat.

Test the differences then. The cooler meat in your hot smoker will put off cooler air as the meat and the cabinet temperature attempt to equalize.

So I tried this. The results were not what I was expecting! I have the two probes within 1/2 inch of each other and the inkbird is now reading 20 degrees higher than the pit boss probe!

My next question is this. Where should I be taking the temperature? Should I be trying to get the grate temperature to where I want it, or go by the cabinet temp at the bottom?

 

[fivetricks]

I try to think of it like this.

I want to take the temperature of the air that is "hitting the meat".

So, if that's 6" below your meat or whatever works best in your unit so be it. but taking the temperature right next to the meat or right next to the heating element is obviously going to give you an abnormally low or high reading. so I like to position it wherever is going to get a relatively decent reading of the air that is going to hit my meat.