IM ABOUT DONE WITH THIS THING

[MidwestSmoker]

Right now my Traeger probe is reading 268 and my Fire Board probe is at 250 (which is where I want the grill).

if I didn’t have the Fireboard then I would have set the Traeger to 250 and I’d be really cooking at 230 and wondering why the cook is taking too long. There is also a very high probability that my brisket would be under cooked if I also relied on the Traeger meat probe.

I will add that on my Traeger the variation is not constant. If I clean the probe before a cook, it is off by only 5-10 degrees at the beginning. During a long cook it progressively gets worse and can be off by 15-20 degrees by the end. I am not an expert on thermometers, but I would guess that RTD probes are more sensitive to getting coated than the FireBoard thermistor probes are.

 

[RemE]

I will add that on my Traeger the variation is not constant. If I clean the probe before a cook, it is off by only 5-10 degrees at the beginning. During a long cook it progressively gets worse and can be off by 15-20 degrees by the end. I am not an expert on thermometers, but I would guess that RTD probes are more sensitive to getting coated than the FireBoard thermistor probes are.

I just don't buy the theory of any smoke/soot coating causing temp differentials. They may slow response a minute amount, but even that is a stretch. I blame it on poor circuit design.

 

[Slimpicker]

YO ROBOB!!! You gonna throw it away or what????

 

[Arvandor]

I recently got a Silverton 620 that I've been having temp issues with. It runs about 20-40 degrees cooler than the internal sensor says, and my first brisket came out very mediocre because of it (had to be rushed at the end and didn't get up to the temp i wanted, tasted OK, but was pretty tough). Replaced the thermocoupler, and tried another Brisket yesterday. It came out amazing, BUT I had to keep bumping up the temps to get the meat to where I wanted. it spent the last 3-4 hours set to freaking 300 degrees (probably more like 270 actual though, but I need to get a fireboard to confirm). Sensor is garbage and support refuses to acknowledge it's a problem with the grill technology at all. I'm also using Traeger pellets, which it sounds like are pretty bad, so, I need to fix that problem too (unfortunately the wife bought the Traeger for me and got like 5 bags of pellets when she bought it, so... Don't wanna waste 'em =/

Edit: I don't really mind needing to finagle the temp with something like a fireboard... My only real complaint with this methodology, is that the Traeger won't allow the super smoke function above 225 (so, with its stupidity, this means an effective 180-200 or so, which limits what you can super smoke, and extends timing and whatnot).

 

[RayClem]

I recently got a Silverton 620 that I've been having temp issues with. It runs about 20-40 degrees cooler than the internal sensor says, and my first brisket came out very mediocre because of it (had to be rushed at the end and didn't get up to the temp i wanted, tasted OK, but was pretty tough). Replaced the thermocoupler, and tried another Brisket yesterday. It came out amazing, BUT I had to keep bumping up the temps to get the meat to where I wanted. it spent the last 3-4 hours set to freaking 300 degrees (probably more like 270 actual though, but I need to get a fireboard to confirm). Sensor is garbage and support refuses to acknowledge it's a problem with the grill technology at all. I'm also using Traeger pellets, which it sounds like are pretty bad, so, I need to fix that problem too (unfortunately the wife bought the Traeger for me and got like 5 bags of pellets when she bought it, so... Don't wanna waste 'em =/

Edit: I don't really mind needing to finagle the temp with something like a fireboard... My only real complaint with this methodology, is that the Traeger won't allow the super smoke function above 225 (so, with its stupidity, this means an effective 180-200 or so, which limits what you can super smoke, and extends timing and whatnot).

You do not NEED to get an expensive thermometer like a Fireboard (but you can if it fits your budget). What you NEED is thermometers than read the temperature accurately. Nearly every member of this forum will tell you that the Traeger thermometers are not accurate.

Your actual pit temperature will read either higher or lower than the controller temperature. I place a digital thermometer probe just above the grate upon which my meat is cooking got get an accurate temperature. Every grill will be different, but on my grill, I set the controller at 230F to achieve a grate temp of 225F. I need to set the controller to 325F to get a grate temp of 300F. To get to 400F, I need to set the controller to 450F, a full 50 degrees higher than the cook temperature. Without the external thermometer, I would never know cook temperature was off.

You can compensate for inaccurate cook temperatures by increasing or decreasing cook time. On the other hand, inaccurate internal temperature readings can either leave your protein overcooked, tough and dry, or perhaps even leave it undercooked and unsafe to eat. I used the Traeger internal meat probe for my first cook, but then decided to purchase 3rd party thermometers. Now, my Traeger probe remains in its storage spot in the hopper, never to be plugged in.

For cooking briskets, roasts, etc. an internal meat probe is ideal as you can monitor the progress of the cook.

For fish, chicken breasts, and steaks, an accurate instant read thermometer is ideal. Be aware that there is no concensus on the meaning of "instant". Some such thermometers read in 1-3 seconds, which is wonderful. Others can take 10 seconds or longer, which can be frustrating when the the lid of the grill is open allowing heat to escape. Be sure to get one that will provide results in less than 3 seconds, or certainly no more than 5 seconds.

 

[Tommy]

I have had it with this damn grill.
I can not get the temp to be consistent nor get to the setting it is meant to be at.
it’s July 4th and I was supposed to cook a brisket. Well looks like the oven will have to cook it because this damn thing won’t get it right.
I have owned it since 2014 and every dang time I need it for an occasion it screws me.
I have replaced the controller and temp sensor and still not worth a crap.
I have new pelleted I orders from Treager. Still not right.
the new controller doesn’t have a P adjustable button so I can not set the rate anymore I guess.
If you can lend an idea great. If not it goes to the trash and I get a PIT BOSS like my neighbor that never has an issue.
thanks.

Walmart has the 575 Pro on sale for $497.00 (online only). Sounds like you need a solution, and in my opinion, this is it.

 

[RayClem]

Walmart has the 575 Pro on sale for $497.00 (online only). Sounds like you need a solution, and in my opinion, this is it.

Even if the OP purchases a brand new grill, there is still the issue of temperature inaccuracies.

Unless you get one of the Timberline XL grills with Meater thermometers, you still have to contend with the thermometers from Traeger. Since Traeger now owns Meater, two things could happen. Hopefully, Meater will improve the design of the Traeger thermometers and we will all be able to obtain functional units. The downside is that Traeger could ruin the Meater thermometers in an effort to reduce cost. Only time will tell which happens.

 

[Lbeberdick]

I have had it with this damn grill.
I can not get the temp to be consistent nor get to the setting it is meant to be at.
it’s July 4th and I was supposed to cook a brisket. Well looks like the oven will have to cook it because this damn thing won’t get it right.
I have owned it since 2014 and every dang time I need it for an occasion it screws me.
I have replaced the controller and temp sensor and still not worth a crap.
I have new pelleted I orders from Treager. Still not right.
the new controller doesn’t have a P adjustable button so I can not set the rate anymore I guess.
If you can lend an idea great. If not it goes to the trash and I get a PIT BOSS like my neighbor that never has an issue.
thanks.

Look into Camp chef, and they have easy clean fire box.

 

[Arvandor]

You do not NEED to get an expensive thermometer like a Fireboard (but you can if it fits your budget). What you NEED is thermometers than read the temperature accurately. Nearly every member of this forum will tell you that the Traeger thermometers are not accurate.

Your actual pit temperature will read either higher or lower than the controller temperature. I place a digital thermometer probe just above the grate upon which my meat is cooking got get an accurate temperature. Every grill will be different, but on my grill, I set the controller at 230F to achieve a grate temp of 225F. I need to set the controller to 325F to get a grate temp of 300F. To get to 400F, I need to set the controller to 450F, a full 50 degrees higher than the cook temperature. Without the external thermometer, I would never know cook temperature was off.

You can compensate for inaccurate cook temperatures by increasing or decreasing cook time. On the other hand, inaccurate internal temperature readings can either leave your protein overcooked, tough and dry, or perhaps even leave it undercooked and unsafe to eat. I used the Traeger internal meat probe for my first cook, but then decided to purchase 3rd party thermometers. Now, my Traeger probe remains in its storage spot in the hopper, never to be plugged in.

For cooking briskets, roasts, etc. an internal meat probe is ideal as you can monitor the progress of the cook.

For fish, chicken breasts, and steaks, an accurate instant read thermometer is ideal. Be aware that there is no concensus on the meaning of "instant". Some such thermometers read in 1-3 seconds, which is wonderful. Others can take 10 seconds or longer, which can be frustrating when the the lid of the grill is open allowing heat to escape. Be sure to get one that will provide results in less than 3 seconds, or certainly no more than 5 seconds.

My only issue has been with the controller temp reading. The internal probe, the meater I got, as well as an instant read, ALL read within like 2-3 degrees of each other. It's only the grill's ambient temperature that is way off of the setpoint.

 

[RayClem]

My only issue has been with the controller temp reading. The internal probe, the meater I got, as well as an instant read, ALL read within like 2-3 degrees of each other. It's only the grill's ambient temperature that is way off of the setpoint.

I have not heard anyone state that the RTD thermocouple attached to the controller provides an accurate cook temperature reading. I suspect much of that inaccuracy has to do with the location of the probe inside the cook chamber. I prefer to measure temperature just above the grate where I am cooking. If you were to check temperatures at various positions within the cook chamber, I suspect you will find significant variations. That is why cook time depends upon the exact placement of the items within the chamber. Sometimes you need to move items around to insure uniform cooking.

I am getting ready to bake a frozen pizza for lunch. I cook it on a steel pizza pan on the top rack of my IW885 at a cook temperature of 400F, but to achieve that temp, I set my controller to 450F. You just have to learn the idiosyncrasies of your specific grill.

This afternoon, I will smoke a couple of homemade meat loafs and then roast some squash, zucchini, and onions to go with the meat loaf. Thus, my grill will get a good workout today.