Stampede Does your smoker hold temp?

[Nerdygrrl]

I’m not sure why discussions of issues encountered, problems solved and problems yet unsolved generate so much heat and so little light. Exact temperature control seems to be at the forefront of the subjects that gets folks riled up.

Now, as for “older,” I guess I fit that category since I have been smoking various types of protein since before many folks here were born—truly. I’ve used charcoal grills, stick-burner smokers, pellet smokers, electric smokers, gas grills and a whole lot more stuff. I don’t claim to be an authority on any of them, just an experienced user who has had his fair share of successes and failures over the years.

My theory, as I have noted in previous threads, is that you just need to get to know your cooking appliances and tools, and adapt to their idiosyncrasies. My grandmother was an accomplished cook and baker who did not own a thermometer or any other heat-measuring device, yet, she never burned a pie or overcooked a turkey as far as I know. She may have in her early days, but that was just part of her “learning experience.” Grandma knew her stove and the items she was cooking based on her extensive experience with them.

The point is simply that cooking is more than following recipe directions. It is a lifelong learning experience where you learn how to use your tools, adjust to anomalies and try new things based on your level of experience. And, when discussing your experiences with cooking appliances and tools, it is normal to talk about things you think could work better in your opinion.

This is spot on which is part of the reason I mentioned identifying hot spots. If you read enough comments here folks will tell you that it's a convection oven and rotation is not needed. Simply not true.

Back when I was cooking/baking any time we got in a new stove, etc the first thing that we did was check for hot spots. I do it with every grill, smoker, etc I take in.

If cooking was as simple as following a recipe we would all be master chefs. We are not. There is a ton of science and a heck of a lot of "intuition" for lack of a better word.

I thought this thread was pretty tame and mellow. It's good to bust myths. Far too many folks out there resting incorrect info and far to many taking it as fact. Eduction, learning, adapting, evolving all good things.

This forum really is one of the best I have been a part of.

 

[Motodad1776]

People are here for many reasons and I fully understand that, my point was that most forums regardless of the subject matter for the forum, tends all too often going the opposite direction of mind over matter. I reckon I am in the criteria of "older folks" as I am 52 physically going on 32 mentally......but I am very much young at heart and still full of piss and vinegar. Heading out for a wonderful twisty road adventures on my sport bike, gonna fire up the POS 590 upon my return.

 

[Bobbyc]

I hav e a 590 and 380 both hold temp with in 3 degrees over a 3 hr cook, while keeping lid closed, if the lid is opened it become erratic trying to compensate, which takes about 20 minute, depending on set temp

 

[Nerdygrrl]

People are here for many reasons and I fully understand that, my point was that most forums regardless of the subject matter for the forum, tends all too often going the opposite direction of mind over matter. I reckon I am in the criteria of "older folks" as I am 52 physically going on 32 mentally......but I am very much young at heart and still full of piss and vinegar. Heading out for a wonderful twisty road adventures on my sport bike, gonna fire up the POS 590 upon my return.

how high are you

 

[Greg Jones]

I hav e a 590 and 380 both hold temp with in 3 degrees over a 3 hr cook, while keeping lid closed,

Confirmed by what, the recteq controller?

 

[Bobbyc]

Harbor freight thermometer

 

[Greg Jones]

Harbor freight thermometer

Tell us, and show us (the digital graphs) more. Don’t see that harbor freight sells a grill thermometer?

 

[Motodad1776]

how high are you

Wasn't when I wrote that........sure am now though. Ended up riding up to Lake Erie "Marblehead", what a perfect day to ride and the lake was beautiful, got home in time to fire up the 590 and make some grilled buffalo chicken chunks.

 

[Threadcutter]

Thanks for the reminder, @Threadcutter; I had a message on my Signals that I needed to update my firmware. Just did it; piece of cake.

I just wish I could get the RT app to work. One of these days when I get motivated, I may go through the troubleshooting process again. Other than remote on/off and temp changing, I can’t see where the RT app could be of much use when I’m using the Signals.

Hi Jim,

Sounds like you've already done the T-Works update, but here's notification;

http://enews.thermoworks.com/q/2VXvN8rbAbnebVpd3LnRGwhk5GJfT9TKgf_skxfH8M2B7h6Q2bSCJkYtP

 

[Jim6820]

Hi Jim,

Sounds like you've already done the T-Works update, but here's notification;

http://enews.thermoworks.com/q/2VXvN8rbAbnebVpd3LnRGwhk5GJfT9TKgf_skxfH8M2B7h6Q2bSCJkYtP

Thanks, TC. I did my firmware update 4-5 days ago, just before the notification came out. When I get a chance, I’ll go in and see if that was the latest update. I suspect it was.

 

[Threadcutter]

Thanks, TC. I did my firmware update 4-5 days ago, just before the notification came out. When I get a chance, I’ll go in and see if that was the latest update. I suspect it was.

Although I don't know for sure if they planned it this way, I turned my Signals unit on and I got an error message that I had no WiFi connection. On the one hand, I was a little freaked out (because of my experiences with RT WiFi). On the other hand, I wasn't too worried about it because I had never had connectivity problems with the Signals unit before.

Like I said before, I did the update and everything was tickety boo.......

Anyway, no, the more I think about it, T/W couldn't have forced people to update by turfing their WiFi connection on existing (one Gen old) firmware/software. It was an interesting co-inky dink though.....

I keep hoping that T/W will add predictive "Time of cook remaining" code to a new release.