Shoutout to the $15 wireless temp probe that saved my brisket

I grabbed a cheap 4-probe setup from Amazon last month, like $15 on sale. Last weekend I had a 15-pound packer on the offset and the internal temp stalled at 160 for almost 3 hours. Without that probe I would have kept adding wood and dried the whole thing out, but I stayed patient and it hit 203 perfect. Anyone else use wireless probes on long cooks or still trust the old instant read?

2 comments

2 Comments

blair_dixon15d ago

I get what you're saying about the stall and staying patient, that part is solid. But I'm still old school on this one. I've seen those cheap wireless probes lose connection or read way off after a few hours near the heat, especially in an offset where the temp swings hard. I'll stick with my Thermopen for the final check and just learn to read the bark and feel of the meat instead of relying on a $15 gadget that might crap out right when I need it most.

nathanking15d ago

Wait, you're saying you don't even use a wireless probe at all? That's wild to me. I mean, I get being old school on the cheap ones, but I've got a ThermoWorks Signals that's been through probably 30 cooks in my offset and never once lost signal or given a bad reading. I've had it sitting right next to the firebox in 250 degree heat and it still pings my phone every 30 seconds without issue. I think the problem with those fifteen dollar gadgets is they're just not built for the job, plain and simple. There's a whole middle ground between a cheapo probe and just eyeballing it, and a good wireless setup saves me from having to open the lid every hour. But hey, if you've got the bark and feel dialed in to where you don't need the data, more power to you.