Bull Temperture Swings 8 hours into my cook, what happened?

[dixonduke]

I started up my Bull around 16:00 yesterday and set it to 225, then around 01:30 this morning, my alarm notifications started going off and the actual temp was 245 and climbing. I get out of bed and go out and open the lid to let some heat out and everything settled down and normalized back to my set temp. Then 30 min later its back up over 250 again. So I pulled my brisket off and just put it in my oven in the house to finish off.

Owned it since Sept 2019 and never seen this before.
Using RecTec Ultimate Blend pellets
Cleaned out the unit prior to the cook (vacuum & scrapped out)
Had rained earlier in the day but was clear/cool after the sun went down.
I would share the temp chart, but yeah... that still doesn't work on long cooks! (come on one day right?)

What say you? Why did my Bull ramp up temps uncontrolled 8 hours into a cook? Thanks!

 

[Mastertech59]

I started up my Bull around 16:00 yesterday and set it to 225, then around 01:30 this morning, my alarm notifications started going off and the actual temp was 245 and climbing. I get out of bed and go out and open the lid to let some heat out and everything settled down and normalized back to my set temp. Then 30 min later its back up over 250 again. So I pulled my brisket off and just put it in my oven in the house to finish off.

Owned it since Sept 2019 and never seen this before.
Using RecTec Competition Blend pellets
Cleaned out the unit prior to the cook (vacuum & scrapped out)
Had rained earlier in the day but was clear/cool after the sun went down.
I would share the temp chart, but yeah... that still doesn't work on long cooks! (come on one day right?)

What say you? Why did my Bull ramp up temps uncontrolled 8 hours into a cook? Thanks!

Make sure the minimum feed rate is set to 30 or 3.0, this is essential in the warmer climates to maintain the lower cooking temps. The other thing that will cause spikes like this is when you open the lid to peek.
(15) Wi-Pellet WiFi Controller • Minimum Feed Rate | REC TEC Grills - YouTube

 

[dixonduke]

Make sure the minimum feed rate is set to 30 or 3.0, this is essential in the warmer climates. The other thing that will cause spikes like this is when you open the lid to peek.
(15) Wi-Pellet WiFi Controller • Minimum Feed Rate | REC TEC Grills - YouTube

Thanks, for a couple of points of clarity though.

It was in the mid 60s/50s yesterday/last night, That is WARM climate?

Feed rate has never been adjusted by me since I bought it. Never has there been temp swings before.

I also was in bed since 10pm and hadn't peeked in it. Totally understand the temp changes when the lid opens, but it had been uninterpreted (no lid opening) cooking for over 3 hours when I got the first alarm. did open the lid to let heat out at that time and watched it settle back down to my set temp of 225. Then 30 min later 2am its back over 250 (see screen shot).

 

[Mastertech59]

Thanks, for a couple of points of clarity though.

It was in the mid 60s/50s yesterday/last night, That is WARM climate?

Feed rate has never been adjusted by me since I bought it. Never has there been temp swings before.

I also was in bed since 10pm and hadn't peeked in it. Totally understand the temp changes when the lid opens, but it had been uninterpreted (no lid opening) cooking for over 3 hours when I got the first alarm. did open the lid to let heat out at that time and watched it settle back down to my set temp of 225. Then 30 min later 2am its back over 250 (see screen shot).

I would still check the minimum feed rate setting and set it to 30 or 3.5. Depending on when the grill was produced the original factory minimum feed rate setting was 65 or 6.5 and lately recteq has been shipping them set at the lower setting. It might be a pellet issue too.
Temps in the 60s this time of year for us I would be in just short, in Connecticut today it's 25F degrees out and snowing.

 

[dixonduke]

LOL, and yes, I am also in Shorts!

Feed Rate was 6.50% per the app. So I changed it to 3.0% as suggested. But, and just saying for argument sake, the feedrate has never been adjusted by me since I took delivery in Sept 2019. Never been a temp control issue before this. VERY WEIRD that this happened in the middle of the night for me.

I just went and turned it on rand cranked it to 450 and am going to let it burn for little while.

 

[C. Keeper]

I started up my Bull around 16:00 yesterday and set it to 225, then around 01:30 this morning, my alarm notifications started going off and the actual temp was 245 and climbing. I get out of bed and go out and open the lid to let some heat out and everything settled down and normalized back to my set temp. Then 30 min later its back up over 250 again. So I pulled my brisket off and just put it in my oven in the house to finish off.

Owned it since Sept 2019 and never seen this before.
Using RecTec Ultimate Blend pellets
Cleaned out the unit prior to the cook (vacuum & scrapped out)
Had rained earlier in the day but was clear/cool after the sun went down.
I would share the temp chart, but yeah... that still doesn't work on long cooks! (come on one day right?)

What say you? Why did my Bull ramp up temps uncontrolled 8 hours into a cook? Thanks!

Verify feed rate at 3.0 and dump existing pellets and try Kingsford. May be pellet feed issue or relight.

 

[Mastertech59]

LOL, and yes, I am also in Shorts!

Feed Rate was 6.50% per the app. So I changed it to 3.0% as suggested. But, and just saying for argument sake, the feedrate has never been adjusted by me since I took delivery in Sept 2019. Never been a temp control issue before this. VERY WEIRD that this happened in the middle of the night for me.

I just went and turned it on rand cranked it to 450 and am going to let it burn for little while.

Things happen, just remember the minimum feed rate setting is only effects the low temp settings on these grills.

 

[680bear]

I know this might sound stupid but,,, did you leave the light on??? that little light puts out a LOT of heat (around 375-425°) and I have found that it screws with my low temp cooks when left on... just a thought...

 

[fullhouse32]

@dixonduke - the only thing that changed was your pellets.
You said you’re using the same brand of pellets, but you could’ve got a bad batch of pellets.

 

[Wslayer]

Did it be one windy overnight ? Wind is the devil for temp control more than ambient temp.

 

[Lager1829]

When I cooked on the Weber Smokey Mountain temps 225 to 275 didn't phase me. Coincidentally I'm reading Aaron Franklin's book and he seems to dismiss holding a precise temperature. Who am I to question him. You should have kept the brisket on the recteq.

 

[Thor8594]

Did it be one windy overnight ? Wind is the devil for temp control more than ambient temp.

I noticed this yesterday when I was cooking some ribs, the wind picked up a bit and the temp dropped to about 205º then it over shot it to 255º for about 4 min. and then settled back down to 225º. It did this 3 times, I think that I will seal the lid to fix this issue.