Lost a whole brisket flat because I trusted a digital thermometer

I was at a competition in Austin last fall and my fancy wireless probe said the flat was holding at 203. Pulled it off, let it rest, and when I sliced in it was still tough as shoe leather. Got a third party thermo and found out my probe was off by nearly 15 degrees the whole time. Has anyone else had a digital probe just give up on them mid cook?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix24624d ago

Did you calibrate it before the cook? I learned the hard way too, now I always test my probes in ice water and boiling water before every long smoke. I keep a cheap instant read analog in my kit as a backup too, saved my butt more than once when the digital ones started acting flaky.

violar3524d ago

That's such a bummer, sorry that happened to you @phoenix246! I've had a digital probe let me down before too, now I always keep a cheap analog one as backup just for that reason.

nathan90124d ago

Man that stinks, I feel for you. I had a similar thing happen with a cheap probe I got on Amazon, it was reading 190 when my instant read said 205. Ruined a whole packer I was doing for a church event, had to explain to everyone why the meat was tough. Ever since then I always double check with a thermapen or even just an old school analog one before pulling anything off. Sucks to trust a gadget and have it screw you over.