Temp off on the Bullseye?

Phatkat

Member
Messages
6
Location
Michigan
Grill(s) owned
  1. Bull
  2. Bullseye
  3. Matador
I recently received my Bullseye, after buying the Bull last year, and was excited to see what it could do after reading all the threads on here. It arrived damaged, and after sending pics to Recteq, they believed it was just cosmetic and put some replacement parts in shipping. After knowing this, I put the Bullseye together and did the burn in. The Recteq meat thermometer consistently read 120-125 degrees hotter than the set temp or the built in probe. That was with moving the probe to the middle and the sides. The next day, I cooked some food and again used the meat probe to check temps as well as 2 other probes from a wireless system I use. All 3 of the probes were consistently at least 100 degrees hotter than the set temp or the built in probe.
Is this normal? I'm concerned that my electronics were damaged in shipping. On the Bull, you have a way to adjust temps so they are accurate, but I don't see that anywhere on the Bullseye. Any thoughts? I can remember it's off, but this seems like a LOT to be off and not nearly up to the quality I'm experiencing with the Bull. Thanks for any ideas.
 
Call RT customer service, that's extreme.
 
Call RT customer service, that's extreme.
Thanks Chris, I actually let the guy who helped with the damaged parts know, but it was a weekend, still waiting to hear back. I thought it was pretty extreme but needed some validation! lol
 
Thanks Chris, I actually let the guy who helped with the damaged parts know, but it was a weekend, still waiting to hear back. I thought it was pretty extreme but needed some validation! lol
20 or so degrees isn't unheard of and probably don't make that much of a difference. Hopefully the temp probe didn't get broke in shipping.
 
I'm not sure what everyone else has experienced, but I bought the bull partly because of the highly acclaimed customer service and stated quality of Recteq. I love the Bull, it works as advertised. I had to adjust my set temp, but big deal. . .all smokers need tweaks.
This experience with the Bullseye has been HORRIBLE!!! Customer service has been condescending and not very helpful. When I told them the temp was off by over 100 degrees, and this with using 3 different probes placed 1" above the grate in different areas they said they couldn't trust that and asked if food was getting done correctly. First, they said they don't know what I mean when I say 1" above the grate. . .what???? Then, they said I had to go buy a pizza and cook it according to temp to prove the problem, then send pictures. . .again. I know there are some people who call in with wild stories, but I was giving hard data of times/temps/locations of probes, etc. I even had a probe directly above the built in probe. . .and it was off by 100 degrees. How is hard data not better than "show me a burnt pizza" and then they'll believe you?
So very disappointed, I sure hope to find something better soon. . .
 

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I'm not sure what everyone else has experienced, but I bought the bull partly because of the highly acclaimed customer service and stated quality of Recteq. I love the Bull, it works as advertised. I had to adjust my set temp, but big deal. . .all smokers need tweaks.
This experience with the Bullseye has been HORRIBLE!!! Customer service has been condescending and not very helpful. When I told them the temp was off by over 100 degrees, and this with using 3 different probes placed 1" above the grate in different areas they said they couldn't trust that and asked if food was getting done correctly. First, they said they don't know what I mean when I say 1" above the grate. . .what???? Then, they said I had to go buy a pizza and cook it according to temp to prove the problem, then send pictures. . .again. I know there are some people who call in with wild stories, but I was giving hard data of times/temps/locations of probes, etc. I even had a probe directly above the built in probe. . .and it was off by 100 degrees. How is hard data not better than "show me a burnt pizza" and then they'll believe you?
So very disappointed, I sure hope to find something better soon. . .
I'm sorry that you're having issues with the Bullseye. I had a similar issue and not sure if the problem has truly been resolved.

What I have learned about Recteq is your satisfaction will be based on what customer rep you work with. I had one guy jerking my chain, asking for pics and informing me that I don't work for a lab and temperature isn't that critical. Call back and hopefully get another customer rep or escalate you call. I think you are still within your 30 day return period so that's a option if you can't get the thing working to your satisfaction.

Good luck!

Chris
 
I'm sorry that you're having issues with the Bullseye. I had a similar issue and not sure if the problem has truly been resolved.

What I have learned about Recteq is your satisfaction will be based on what customer rep you work with. I had one guy jerking my chain, asking for pics and informing me that I don't work for a lab and temperature isn't that critical. Call back and hopefully get another customer rep or escalate you call. I think you are still within your 30 day return period so that's a option if you can't get the thing working to your satisfaction.

Good luck!

Chris
Thanks, Chris. I did have a different rep call me today and they had already determined that things got a little unpleasant. He was INCREDIBLY nice to work with and I feel so much better working with him now. I'm sure we'll figure it out, and I told him this definitely restored my hope in the acclaimed customer service.
 
Thanks, Chris. I did have a different rep call me today and they had already determined that things got a little unpleasant. He was INCREDIBLY nice to work with and I feel so much better working with him now. I'm sure we'll figure it out, and I told him this definitely restored my hope in the acclaimed customer service.
@Phatkat that's great news, glad you stuck it out (y)
 
I recently received my Bullseye, after buying the Bull last year, and was excited to see what it could do after reading all the threads on here. It arrived damaged, and after sending pics to Recteq, they believed it was just cosmetic and put some replacement parts in shipping. After knowing this, I put the Bullseye together and did the burn in. The Recteq meat thermometer consistently read 120-125 degrees hotter than the set temp or the built in probe. That was with moving the probe to the middle and the sides. The next day, I cooked some food and again used the meat probe to check temps as well as 2 other probes from a wireless system I use. All 3 of the probes were consistently at least 100 degrees hotter than the set temp or the built in probe.
Is this normal? I'm concerned that my electronics were damaged in shipping. On the Bull, you have a way to adjust temps so they are accurate, but I don't see that anywhere on the Bullseye. Any thoughts? I can remember it's off, but this seems like a LOT to be off and not nearly up to the quality I'm experiencing with the Bull. Thanks for any ideas.
Yes there is a way to adjust the temp. You need to download the manual from their website. There is a page that has the methods of adjustment. You can adjust the "Offset" In doing so, most of us have found that the best we can do is with the "Offset" set to PLUS 17 or Plus 18. The numbers are supposed to represent percentage. Be sure to use + (plus) numbers, as you are telling the control that you are setting the Actual Temp reading upwards to match the real true temp. Now having said all that, I still think that the B380 controller is erratic much of the time and not truly accurate. However, you can do low slow, but have to have an accurate ambient temp probe to put inside near the grates, so you can adjust the set temp lower or higher if you need to during the cook. Since I have adjusted the "Offset" to +18, it has been more accurate, but still bounces up and down when set at 225* or 250*.
At high temp for steaks and chops, it is a bit closer to set temps AFTER you make the above "offset" adjustment. But you have to be able to spot check your meat with instant temp probes as you go to get the degree of doneness you desire. I use my B380 for hot cooks and sears, and my 590 for low /slows.
I love their factory service people, but they appear to have been told not to admit to the control inaccuracy. I think you will be fine with using the Manual instructions for adjusting the "offset".

PS, I would not use their meat probe to check ambient temps as it was designed to check meat temps up to 212* as I recall. So the higher temps you get may not be accurate.
IMO, I think they need to either redo their algorithms for the current control, or install a more accurate control. Their controls on their other models are super accurate and rarely need any adjustment from factory settings.
 
Yes there is a way to adjust the temp. You need to download the manual from their website. There is a page that has the methods of adjustment. You can adjust the "Offset" In doing so, most of us have found that the best we can do is with the "Offset" set to PLUS 17 or Plus 18. The numbers are supposed to represent percentage. Be sure to use + (plus) numbers, as you are telling the control that you are setting the Actual Temp reading upwards to match the real true temp. Now having said all that, I still think that the B380 controller is erratic much of the time and not truly accurate. However, you can do low slow, but have to have an accurate ambient temp probe to put inside near the grates, so you can adjust the set temp lower or higher if you need to during the cook. Since I have adjusted the "Offset" to +18, it has been more accurate, but still bounces up and down when set at 225* or 250*.
At high temp for steaks and chops, it is a bit closer to set temps AFTER you make the above "offset" adjustment. But you have to be able to spot check your meat with instant temp probes as you go to get the degree of doneness you desire. I use my B380 for hot cooks and sears, and my 590 for low /slows.
I love their factory service people, but they appear to have been told not to admit to the control inaccuracy. I think you will be fine with using the Manual instructions for adjusting the "offset".

PS, I would not use their meat probe to check ambient temps as it was designed to check meat temps up to 212* as I recall. So the higher temps you get may not be accurate.
IMO, I think they need to either redo their algorithms for the current control, or install a more accurate control. Their controls on their other models are super accurate and rarely need any adjustment from factory settings.
Thanks for all the good info here. I had read that the offset needed to be adjusted and that is what I did on mine after the first two running sessions I did without cooking. Mine was also very high above set point. Now it is a lot closer but I still do not like how loose the program is after stabilizing. They can certainly do a better job of tuning the algorithm. I have worked with high quality temp controls all my adult life and this one strikes me as having something similar to a default tune on it. Every controller/probe combination has a different setup when you get down to real numbers, but mass production dictates how much of this they can do. It certainly seems that quality control is not what it should be on these judging by the number of people that have noted either damage, or other issues running the grill in the beginning.
 

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