Unexpected problem with smoking boneless prime rib

[SconnieQ]

+1 on waiting for the Meater. I hope it is all that it should be.

My only worry is that the probe seems pretty thick. But, I guess for most meats it shouldn't be a problem.

I think the probe will be about 1/4 inch thick, which is pretty darn thick... although recently they made it sound like they might have gotten it a bit slimmer. For brisket or any meat you are going to slice, if you insert the probe from a direction parallel to the direction you will be slicing, you can avoid having a probe hole in every slice! I already use that technique with the Maverick to avoid the smaller hole in every slice.

[NDKoze]

Gregg - just a side note:  The "small cut" crazy timing really doesn't apply to this type of smoke.  Lean beef roasts (other than really small briskets), smoked low and slow at 200°, are actually pretty predictable.  There isn't a stall, and the climb stays pretty consistent.

I was totally speculating on this part since I really couldn't understand how it could jump so fast in such a short amount of time. But, I stand corrected. Thanks for that.

Oh, and for those of you waiting on the Meater.... I'll soon be testing a WiFi/Bluetooth/Cloud remote thermometer (with graphing) that I believe is going to be superior to the Meater, and much cheaper....more to follow soon!

I am pretty sure I know which thermometer you are going to be testing (I won't spill the beans), and I remember thinking that there were some pros and cons when compared to "The Meater". Based on what I saw and hoping to see from "The Meater", I still think I like the design/features of "The Meater" better. The one you are looking at looks a bit clunky to me and still has corded probes which I find to be a real pain in the butt and am very much looking forward to getting rid of.

Hopefully the results tell us that both products are really good, and when the pros and cons are compared will come down to a personal preference as to which one people will like better. I am looking forward to hearing your results as well as getting my hands on my Meater Block and providing some test results for mine as well. Exciting times in the world of BBQ!!!

[NDKoze]

+1 on waiting for the Meater. I hope it is all that it should be.

My only worry is that the probe seems pretty thick. But, I guess for most meats it shouldn't be a problem.

I think the probe will be about 1/4 inch thick, which is pretty darn thick... although recently they made it sound like they might have gotten it a bit slimmer. For brisket or any meat you are going to slice, if you insert the probe from a direction parallel to the direction you will be slicing, you can avoid having a probe hole in every slice! I already use that technique with the Maverick to avoid the smaller hole in every slice.

Good point Kari! I do the same thing already, so agree that it won't be much of a problem.

I am sorry for kind of taking this thread off topic. It will be cool to have a new comparison thread once these two new thermometers start having some live test results.

<Back to the OP's original topic>

[SconnieQ]

I am pretty sure I know which thermometer you are going to be testing (I won't spill the beans), and I remember thinking that there were some pros and cons when compared to "The Meater". Based on what I saw and hoping to see from "The Meater", I still think I like the design/features of "The Meater" better. The one you are looking at looks a bit clunky to me and still has corded probes which I find to be a real pain in the butt and am very much looking forward to getting rid of.

Hopefully the results tell us that both products are really good, and when the pros and cons are compared will come down to a personal preference as to which one people will like better. I am looking forward to hearing your results as well as getting my hands on my Meater Block and providing some test results for mine as well. Exciting times in the world of BBQ!!!

If the mystery thermometer has corded probes, then it's not really comparable to the Meater. The probe without a wire that measures both box temp and internal temp from a single probe is the unique feature that separates it from others. I just assumed the mystery thermometer Tony is testing did not have wired probes, because there are already wifi/cloud thermometers with corded probes and graphing on the market (Tappeque, iCelsius, iGrill, etc.). iGrill was sold to Weber so I wonder if the mystery thermometer has something to do with that...sorry, off topic too.

[SmokinSusie-Q]

Sue, I had to give this one some thought!  If I read it right, when you saw the internal temp of 114, at 5 pm, the smoker was still on.  Since you only had another 8° to your target temp, my guess is that y'all got busy greeting guests, and that it actually went off later than 5:15...but I may be wrong.  I doubt you would have reached that 8° in 15 minutes.  At any rate, not watching (when getting close) was your downfall.  I suspect it hit 122, and shutoff, as it's supposed to, but you just didn't get back to it before it continued to cook.  These smokers are very tight, and well-insulated, so they hold the box temp for a long time!  You didn't mention what time it was when the temp showed 146°, but I suspect it was much later than 5:15.

Kari, I disagree that the programming is a "detriment;" you just have to know what you are trying to accomplish, and be there to monitor what you are trying to do!  I've said it many times, before, that the programming is a great tool, but it's not total "autopilot!"  Inspect what you expect!

Gregg - just a side note:  The "small cut" crazy timing really doesn't apply to this type of smoke.  Lean beef roasts (other than really small briskets), smoked low and slow at 200°, are actually pretty predictable.  There isn't a stall, and the climb stays pretty consistent. 

Bottom line (for all):  Check on your smoke!  Don't rely on programming, or how long you "think" it should take.  Monitor, and adjust accordingly!  Use a remote thermometer, with WiFi or Bluetooth, if you can't check on it frequently!

Oh, and for those of you waiting on the Meater.... I'll soon be testing a WiFi/Bluetooth/Cloud remote thermometer (with graphing) that I believe is going to be superior to the Meater, and much cheaper....more to follow soon!

I'm positive that the 146 temp. was not reached by 5:15.  I didn't realize the smoker went off until 5:30 when the guests arrived, and it was probably another 10 or 15 minutes before I finally obtained the reading with a battery operated digital thermometer. Thanks to the Forum members, I hope I'll have better results next time. 

[DivotMaker]

When I said detriment, I was not referring to the programming feature in general. I make my living in the technology world. So I definitely appreciate the programmability. I was referring specifically to programming the end of the cook, my concern being that just because you have the ability to program the smoker to turn off or switch to a hold temp when your internal temperature is reached, it might create an assumption that you don't have to remove the meat.

Can't wait to hear about your Meater knockoff. I was wondering if it would get copied before it even hit the market.

Great point, Kari!  Yes, some will think that if they set the "hold" temp to trigger when their meat reaches the desired internal temp, it will "automatically" drop to that temp....not gonna happen!  This is where education, by participation in this forum, is so important!

And.... for the "rest of the story," as Paul Harvey used to say, it's not a Meater knockoff.  Wired probes (I'll discuss why I think they're better), but full Bluetooth/WiFi/Cloud support (yes...just like the Anova; monitor your temp from anywhere), and graphing through the app!  Stay tuned...got it today.