Stampede Constant Temperature??

[DesertRat]

So I haven’t smoked for a little while and now I find that no matter where I set my 590s temperature, the app and the controls on the unit both go to the temperature and stay there. If I set it at 225, in a few minutes it’s 225. Three hours later it’s still 225 and hasn’t gone up or down 1°. I also find the true temperature is several degrees higher, in the neighborhood of 15 to 20°. Anyone Else experiencing this problem? Any ideas as to what is going on before I contact support?

 

[1MoreFord]

You probably have a problem with your air temp prob. First thing I'd do is clean it with some scotch brite or similar. Then call support if that doesn't work.

Also check your other therm with the cold water and boiling water test.

 

[IPlayWithMeat]

So I haven’t smoked for a little while and now I find that no matter where I set my 590s temperature, the app and the controls on the unit both go to the temperature and stay there. If I set it at 225, in a few minutes it’s 225. Three hours later it’s still 225 and hasn’t gone up or down 1°. I also find the true temperature is several degrees higher, in the neighborhood of 15 to 20°. Anyone Else experiencing this problem? Any ideas as to what is going on before I contact support?

I had that problem shortly after the last app update. I restarted my phone, and it eventually went back to normal on its own. I had to set the grill the old fashioned way for a few days. Close out the app, and if it’s still doing it, try removing the app.

 

[chadinsc]

you can calibrate the grill using the offset feature. sounds like you need to be around +8-9% my grill ran a bit hot also and i have it set to plus 8

 

[Greg Jones]

So I haven’t smoked for a little while and now I find that no matter where I set my 590s temperature, the app and the controls on the unit both go to the temperature and stay there. If I set it at 225, in a few minutes it’s 225. Three hours later it’s still 225 and hasn’t gone up or down 1°. I also find the true temperature is several degrees higher, in the neighborhood of 15 to 20°. Anyone Else experiencing this problem? Any ideas as to what is going on before I contact support?

There are 2 things a play here:
1) the recteq controller doesn’t display the actual temperature recorded on the RTD probe. The controller has an algorithm to constantly make adjustments to raise/lower temps, and as long as the controller calculates that the adjustments are in range, the set temp and the ‘actual’ temp on the display will be the same. See the image below which shows the measured variations over time of the actual temp in the grill.

2) It does sound as if your grill is running hotter and you can change the offset as @chadinsc mentioned, but frankly 15-20° off is not a great error on a pellet grill. If you do decide to change the offset, I believe that it’s important to have several readings and get an average temp to adjust the offset to. On the image below, if you were to base the offset on a peak temp, you may end up dialing in more offset than needed, which would make the grill now run cooler that the set temp.

BTW, the image shows just how much the grill can overshoot the set temp at startup and the extreme dip at one point was when the lid was opened.

 

[IPlayWithMeat]

I think there may be two issues going on here.
1. The app hijacking the grill
2. The temperature difference.

If I’m understanding @DesertRat correctly, the app will only allow you to set the temp to 225 in the app, no matter what you do to the slide bar. The app then hijacks the controller so that it can only be set to 225. If you try to change the set point, the app just changes it back. Closing out of the app snd restarting your phone is the first step, followed by reinstalling the app if that doesn’t work (at least in my experience).

For the temperature difference, @chadinsc and @Greg Jones make good points.

 

[DesertRat]

I appreciate all the responses and advice. I have not been happy with the new app. The old one works just fine. It didn’t need fixing IMHO. But I’ll chase this thing around and get it straightened out. Thanks again.

 

[Pops]

My 590 is pretty stable. I did notice the app changed recently to allow you to set temp in 5 degree increments. I checked my 590 early on and it was within a few degrees. There are ways to check and calibrate.
I did have a similar issue with my Bullseye, but when I call RT, I always get an unclear answer on where my other probe is or should be. I am curious as to what you find out.
That being said, I always, with the exception of ribs, cook to temp so no issue yet.

 

[Wslayer]

I use my inkbird inside cook chamber and adjust according to what "it" reads, not the RTprobe

 

[Bytor]

Well, I really do like my RT, however I also believe their claim to hold constant temperature is severely overrated. I've noticed for some time now that the pit probe and either my Inbirds, or Thermoworks rarely coincide with each other. Here's an example of my 340 running with a SP of 250. So much variation from within the pit. Reading 1 is next to the pit probe, 2 is center grill and 3 is right side of the grill.

 

[pungo]

Well, I really do like my RT, however I also believe their claim to hold constant temperature is severely overrated. I've noticed for some time now that the pit probe and either my Inbirds, or Thermoworks rarely coincide with each other. Here's an example of my 340 running with a SP of 250. So much variation from within the pit. Reading 1 is next to the pit probe, 2 is center grill and 3 is right side of the grill.

That's a pretty large variation within the grill. On my 590, I see ~15-20F max difference within the grill, with the right side being the hottest. Sure, the RT controller is doing a lot of averaging/buffering of the temps swings, otherwise RT would have a ton of calls with people complaining about temp swings, this is common across many grills with controllers. My testing has shown the real temp stays within ~5-10F of the set temp with the exception of when the lid is opened, which is more than close enough for grill cooking.

 

[C. Keeper]

@Bytor have you done any mods to the grill?

 

[Bytor]

I really haven't done any pit mods. I have adjusted the pit probe and that seems to compensate a little, as compared to the photos in my earlier post. I have also noticed that in the blaring sun in the summer, I need to lower the auger feed rate to adjust for the solar bake on the grill.

I also tried a baffle next to the fire pot, to try to diffuse the air flow some, but I really don't think it did much, if anything. I get that temp variation is going to happen, I have it in my new range, to some extent. At the end of the day, these swings aren't too big of an issue for the most part. Heck in my old stick burning side firebox Chargriller that I started out with, these fluctuations would be trivial.

 

[Maule Guy]

While I would love to have my RT-590 be 225 +/- 5F I know it is just not going to happen.

I am in the trust but verify camp on these things. I normally put a probe about 1"-2" above the cooking surface and watch what is reported at the cooking surface vs the temp display on the grill.

On a dead calm day 60-70F, empty grill the probes and the display agree pretty well; however, when you throw in the environment things get "interesting".

I happened to read this while smoking a pork butt at 225F. Observations:

1. Just forget about the display and the ThermPro probe agreeing for the first 30 minutes with the 590 "at temp". There is a lot of metal that has to equilibrate before the grill settles in.

2. The onboard temp sensor are about is about 6"-8" above the cooking grate and all the way to the left end of the chamber. I try to put my ThermPro probe about 1"-2" above the grate in the middle front to back and on the left side of what's being smoked or between the items. This means that I am measuring a different "layer" than the RecTec probe; therefore, I am expecting some differences in the real world.

3. Wind and Outside Air Temp. have a real influence sometimes bass akwards from what one might expect.
Today is about 41F OAT with a 6-8 mph breeze blowing into the right rear of the grill (rest of grill behind a windbreak). I have the add-on wind baffles (rain guards?) on the 590. What I am seeing is the grill displaying a constant 225F from 6AM onwards. The probe just above the cooking surface in the middle about 7" from the left side. The ThermPro was a pretty constant 233F until the wind came up and then ranged from 249-236F.

My guess is the cold air mixes at the higher levels w/ the hot air from the firepot than with the air at the cooking surface and the grill is maintaining ~225F in this upper layer. Unfortunately the swings are big enough that it would be next to impossible to "chase" with setting adjustments.

Cooking on these grills is certainly not an exact science.

 

[DesertRat]

Y’all have done quite a bit of work and I think I’m going to benefit from some of those ladder posts. as for my original problem, I deleted the app about the time I made the post and drop your first responses. Only today did I reinstall the app. And it’s working to my satisfaction.

I smoked a few country style ribs today. Interestingly, recipes were talking about smoking at 250° for approximately four hours or until the meat hit 165°F, at which time they would put it in a pan with some onions and apple juice, seal it up and put it back on for a couple hours until it hit 200. Well I got them to 205 in a bit over three hours running 230°. I then put them in an iron skillet, sealed it up with the apple juice and onions and reached 205 in roughly another hour. They were pretty tasty.

I snapped this picture when there were still a couple left in the pan.