Think I got a bad Tel-Tru thermometer.

Rory Bellows · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

So I have a BQ300 thermometer w/ a 2.5 stem. Mounted on my WSM about 3-4 inches above the top grate in the lid. The thermometer seems about 30-50 degrees off. I use my Maverick remote thermometer and the temps aren't even close.

Tonight I fired up the smoker for some butts and had the lid on w/ no top grate and the Maverick temp probe hanging through the vent and temps were relatively close. After I put the two butts on with the grate the temps were about 30 degrees off at first. So I decided to go by gauge and let the Maverick temp up to about 255 and the Tel-Tru was about 228. About two hours in the Maverick is up to 274 and the Tel-Tru says 200. WTF?

The Tel-Tru stem is not touching the meat or the grate. Why the disparity? Bad thermometer placement? Bad Maverick probe? The Tel-Tru is brand new with one cook and the temp was way off on that one too.

Anyone else have a problem with the accuracy of a Tel-Tru?

RodinBangkok · Posted: Aug 06 2008 Post subject:

A quick check to see if it's accurate is to place it in boiling water, the temp should be 212�, depending on your altitude this may vary a bit, there are charts on the web for exact temp at what altitude.
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Rod

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 06 2008 Post subject:

I would be willing to bet the maverick is the one that is not accurate.

Do the water test to find out. and please report back on your results.

I have 6" stems on my ut-300's, one is bent at a 45 degree angle from a mishap and it still reads close to actual temps. I figured it would be totally dead.
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

Rory Bellows · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

NCBBQFAN · Posted: Aug 07 2008 Post subject:

Do the water test and if its off call the company. I had one of their's about two years ago and when I got it out of the box it was set on 200, so I called and after I sent it back they fixed it very quickly and its been working fine ever since, good company to deal with.

bluesman250 · BBQ Pro Joined: 22 May 2007 Posts: 802

Do the water test, and if thats right on, try a better mounting system for your maverick. Dropping it through the top vent is not a good way to do it. Either get a guru eyelet, or run the cable under the lid. Place the probe in the holder it came with, or stick it through a potato sitting on the grate. Make sure its at least 3 inches away from the cold meat. I love my maverick, but it is not known for accuracy and longevity. Always use two sources to verify both cooker and meat temp, just to be safe.

RodinBangkok · Posted: Aug 07 2008 Post subject:

I've never used the home types, they seem to never last and when something breaks, hard to fix. If your a bit technically inclined you can make your own multi zone with fully interchangeable probes, wires, connectors etc. Not too expensive either. A good source for these materials is:

http://www.omega.com/temperature/tsc.html

Lots of good technical info there also.
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Rod

Teleking · Posted: Aug 07 2008 Post subject:

In my experience all of the digital remote probe thermo�s are China made junk.
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�Franken Smoker�

�The Bride of Franken Smoker�

Rory Bellows · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

Well I did the water test and the Maverick read 210 degrees and the Tel Tru read only 199. Who would of guessed that? Anyway I called Tel Tru and they told me to send it back and they will check it out. Tel-Tru has an 8 year warranty that I did not know about.

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 08 2008 Post subject:

I just ordered my replacement tel-tru today, and I am sending back my bent one on their advice to see if they can repair it at a better cost then replacement.

I will have a spare if it can be fixed, if it can't be fixed no real loss, I will be more careful closing the doors on the DPP next time. This was a $50.00 mistake including the shipping charges .
_________________
Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

Rory Bellows · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 14

Update.

Well after waiting a month I finally called Tel-tru to see what was up and they had no record of receiving it. They called me the next day and said they found it in the corner. Anyway, they complimented me on the very good package job I did. Turns out most customers don't take the time. They apoligized many times stating that's not how they do business etc. I was just glad they found it and that I had a tracking # & signature for them receiving it.

They tested it and I was told it tested good. They told me if you test it in boiling water you must hold there for three minutes. So maybe that's why my results varied. I just couldn't hold it in boiling water anymore without burning myself and that was with welding gloves on. They offered to put a longer stem on it but where I placed it level with the grate on my WSM it really wouldn't work out.

They certified it which usually costs $$$ for free and send it back. So I guess I just chose poorly in where I mounted the thermometer. I cooked some fatties yesturday with it using no other thermometer and they turned out good. I know that really isn't a good test. If a brisket turns out good then I'll be happy.

I just need a few more cooks with it to dial it in. Heck, smoking is a process with many different variables between cooks and I "think" I get better with every cook. Or is it the beer telling me that?

ceebz · Joined: 19 Aug 2008 Posts: 5

I had the same problem with my 2.5" BQ300. After testing it and confirming the probe was good, I went ahead and tried a 4" BQ300, I haven't looked back. There will be a 10-20 degree offset the first hour, but, after that, it is within 1-2 degrees of my grate probe.