We all have our favorite cooking tools, I have a stainless serving spatula that is perfect for so many uses, none of which it was intended for. Favorite BBQ apron, bbq mitt, and an assortment of cooking related gadgets that just make the job easier. The Maverick ET-732 (purchased from Todd at A-Maze-N-Smoker) is on the top of that list, I LUV the Maverick, it has really made it easier to keep tabs on the MES and whatever I'm smoking. I keep notes on temps especially during the first 3 hours of a smoke, writing down temps every 15 min in the first hour then every 30 minutes the next 2 or 3 hours, that used to mean stop whatever I was doing and go to my MES and read the Taylor temp digital probes. NO MORE, I don't have to get up or stop whatever I am doing any more, the wireless Maverick allows me to monitor those temps remotely.
After smoking ribs for a Labor Day bash, I couldn't find the sending unit half of the Maverick, dang. I looked everywhere, my wife likes to pickup after me and puts things away or she thinks she is putting them away. And two days later when she is asked about that item she can't remember where she put that thing. So I was blaming my sweet wifey for losing the Maverick sender. I got a good deal on some pork butt and planned on smoking one last weekend, but was upset because my smoking pal the Mav was still missing. Dude, I didn't want to walk every 15 or 30 minutes or get up while watching football, or stop working in the garage to check smoke temps. My Mav buddy did all that work for me, and had spoiled me. The Maverick was a true advancement for a confirmed couch potato, or in my case "internet junkie". But the Mav was MISSING, and I was fretting the up coming smoke.
Smoke day arrived, I can't tell you how heavy my heart was thinking about doing a smoke without my Mav buddy. I had considered earlier in the week calling Todd who always has excellent FAST service and buying another Maverick. Yeah I had looked for the 5th time through all the drawers and nooks & crannies for the Mav, but no joy. I knew my loving wife wouldn't be so loving if I spend money twice for something that would turn up, so I didn't call Todd. Out came the butt, low on pork rub I pulled out another favorite gadget the "magic bullet" and mixed a batch of spices for my butt rub, applied the rub and put the butt back in the fridge for a few hours. Where are you Mav buddy, I did another search?
The time approached to start preheating the MES, my MES lives in open (gazebo like) covered cooking structure, along side my Weber Genesis BBQ grill. Did I mention I did one more search for my Mav buddy? Like what the heck am I going to do with HALF a Maverick, it is good for NOTHING without the sender! I pulled the cover off the MES with those thoughts running through my head. I couldn't remember as I opened the MES door if I had cleaned up properly or NOT, would I have to scrub the grate shelfs and put them in the dishwasher or not? Don't you love the smell when you open the MES (not during a cook, I mean cold not in use), everyone that has been near me when I open that MES door is blown away by that fantastic smoke smell. I love it too, open the door and there are 4 shinning CLEAN grates, that is a good start, and below those shelves is a shiny clean water pan, I had done a proper cleanup after my last smoke, over 60 I couldn't remember doing the cleanup. I also couldn't remember that I cleaned the Maverick probes and placed the cleaned probes inside the water pan with the Maverick sending unit! MY MAV BUDDY, was laying in the water pan! Love, Joy, Mav Buddy was FOUND! YEA! Joy for at least a few seconds, then; UGgghh! Embarrassment! Who was the one getting old and forgetting? I had blamed the wife, but I wasn't going to tell her I found it, she wouldn't even notice, while I sat at my desktop PC the little white Mav receiver, kept me updated on temps. So I happily got the MES ready, my Mav burden had been lifted. 90 min a pound a 13+ hour smoke, did some work in the garage, surfed the net, watched a football game GO 9ners, and my Mav buddy kept me up dated on temp of the MES and the pork butt. Once an hour I checked on the smoke making sure the AMNPS was working properly, it was.
The Butt was finished well after dinner time, so the plan was to pull it and bag into separate meals. After letting it cool an hour, I pulled it, the wife joins me in the kitchen with a box of zip lock bags. Without asking she offers to hold the zip locks while I put the wonderful tasting Q in the bags. When we're done, she smiles at me, "I noticed you were monitoring smoker temps remotely again?" she said with a whimsical tone. "aah yeah" Dang she noticed! "So where did you leave your digital thing? This time the tone was the Wife tone, as in confirmed better half of this marriage, yet still sweet and lovey. I was looking for the nearest exit, the back yard door is 1 1/2 steps, I move open the door, and reply, "it was in the smoker". I exit, close the door and escape. She had me, I had blamed her, but the error was mine, I would have to do some "make wifey happy" thing. Well at least the pork butt Q tasted awesome, and my Mav buddy was safe.
After smoking ribs for a Labor Day bash, I couldn't find the sending unit half of the Maverick, dang. I looked everywhere, my wife likes to pickup after me and puts things away or she thinks she is putting them away. And two days later when she is asked about that item she can't remember where she put that thing. So I was blaming my sweet wifey for losing the Maverick sender. I got a good deal on some pork butt and planned on smoking one last weekend, but was upset because my smoking pal the Mav was still missing. Dude, I didn't want to walk every 15 or 30 minutes or get up while watching football, or stop working in the garage to check smoke temps. My Mav buddy did all that work for me, and had spoiled me. The Maverick was a true advancement for a confirmed couch potato, or in my case "internet junkie". But the Mav was MISSING, and I was fretting the up coming smoke.
Smoke day arrived, I can't tell you how heavy my heart was thinking about doing a smoke without my Mav buddy. I had considered earlier in the week calling Todd who always has excellent FAST service and buying another Maverick. Yeah I had looked for the 5th time through all the drawers and nooks & crannies for the Mav, but no joy. I knew my loving wife wouldn't be so loving if I spend money twice for something that would turn up, so I didn't call Todd. Out came the butt, low on pork rub I pulled out another favorite gadget the "magic bullet" and mixed a batch of spices for my butt rub, applied the rub and put the butt back in the fridge for a few hours. Where are you Mav buddy, I did another search?
The time approached to start preheating the MES, my MES lives in open (gazebo like) covered cooking structure, along side my Weber Genesis BBQ grill. Did I mention I did one more search for my Mav buddy? Like what the heck am I going to do with HALF a Maverick, it is good for NOTHING without the sender! I pulled the cover off the MES with those thoughts running through my head. I couldn't remember as I opened the MES door if I had cleaned up properly or NOT, would I have to scrub the grate shelfs and put them in the dishwasher or not? Don't you love the smell when you open the MES (not during a cook, I mean cold not in use), everyone that has been near me when I open that MES door is blown away by that fantastic smoke smell. I love it too, open the door and there are 4 shinning CLEAN grates, that is a good start, and below those shelves is a shiny clean water pan, I had done a proper cleanup after my last smoke, over 60 I couldn't remember doing the cleanup. I also couldn't remember that I cleaned the Maverick probes and placed the cleaned probes inside the water pan with the Maverick sending unit! MY MAV BUDDY, was laying in the water pan! Love, Joy, Mav Buddy was FOUND! YEA! Joy for at least a few seconds, then; UGgghh! Embarrassment! Who was the one getting old and forgetting? I had blamed the wife, but I wasn't going to tell her I found it, she wouldn't even notice, while I sat at my desktop PC the little white Mav receiver, kept me updated on temps. So I happily got the MES ready, my Mav burden had been lifted. 90 min a pound a 13+ hour smoke, did some work in the garage, surfed the net, watched a football game GO 9ners, and my Mav buddy kept me up dated on temp of the MES and the pork butt. Once an hour I checked on the smoke making sure the AMNPS was working properly, it was.
The Butt was finished well after dinner time, so the plan was to pull it and bag into separate meals. After letting it cool an hour, I pulled it, the wife joins me in the kitchen with a box of zip lock bags. Without asking she offers to hold the zip locks while I put the wonderful tasting Q in the bags. When we're done, she smiles at me, "I noticed you were monitoring smoker temps remotely again?" she said with a whimsical tone. "aah yeah" Dang she noticed! "So where did you leave your digital thing? This time the tone was the Wife tone, as in confirmed better half of this marriage, yet still sweet and lovey. I was looking for the nearest exit, the back yard door is 1 1/2 steps, I move open the door, and reply, "it was in the smoker". I exit, close the door and escape. She had me, I had blamed her, but the error was mine, I would have to do some "make wifey happy" thing. Well at least the pork butt Q tasted awesome, and my Mav buddy was safe.
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