Vent: 12 years of fighting my smoker before I realized the thermometer was lying

I've been chasing temperature swings on my offset in Memphis for over a decade, adjusting intake vents every 15 minutes like a maniac. Last Tuesday I finally put a second probe at grate level and it read 90 degrees hotter than the lid gauge the whole time. Anyone else trust their stock thermometer way too long and wreck a whole brisket because of it?

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king.dakota4d ago

Ever notice how the stuff we trust the most is usually the first thing that's wrong? I spent years adjusting my pit based on a flimsy piece of metal while the real temp sat totally different. Same thing happens with my car's tire pressure light, my home thermostat, even the clock on my microwave. We outsource our judgment to cheap sensors and then blame ourselves when things don't work out. Once I started double checking everything, my brisket got way more forgiving. That lid gauge is just a suggestion, not the truth, treat it that way and you'll save yourself a lot of sleepless nights.