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Hot take: my brisket probe failed at the worst possible time last weekend
I was about 8 hours into a 14 pound packer on my offset, everything going smooth. Then my Thermoworks Smoke's probe started reading 210 degrees out of nowhere when the meat was clearly still tough. I had to pull the brisket and check with an instant read, which showed it was only at 185. Ended up putting it back for another 2 hours but the bark got a little overdone. Anyone else had a probe just die mid-cook like that? What's your backup plan?
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susanr155mo ago
Ngl that's the worst feeling when your gear lets you down after all that work. My old Maverick did something similar during a pork shoulder cook, just started jumping all over the place. Now I keep a cheap backup instant-read thermometer right in my kit, the kind you can grab at any store. It's saved me more than once when the fancy electronics decide to quit.
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beth7195mo ago
Remember when people used to just poke meat with a finger to check it? My grandpa swore by it for his brisket. He'd say the probe should go in like butter, no gadget needed. I tried it once on a chicken and let's just say we ordered pizza that night.
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emmar754mo ago
Poke your grandpa's brisket with a finger and you get butter, poke a chicken thigh the same way and you get salmonella roulette. I tried the finger test on a turkey once and spent 20 minutes Googling how to tell if you've permanently damaged your hand on a drumstick. At least with a good thermometer you only ruin dinner, not your whole sense of touch.
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