Christmas Prime Rib: Grinch visit

[skier58]

This was my first smoke with the PBV4PS2. I have many years smoking with a gas fired wood chip vertical smoker but always wanted to be able to 'set' the temperature and not have to constantly babysit it while I was smoking. Wow was I wrong... I will keep this as short as possible while including what I think is pertinent here.

1. Did the assembly and setup by the manual. Did the initial burn-off per manual and adjusted temp up and down a few times to see how it worked. Plugged in the MP and verified that it was "working". Filled the hopper to the top and it seemed like all systems were go. While doing all this ambient temp outside was 49°.
2. Two days later (Christmas) I started the smoker using the procedure in the manual. I literally had the manual in my hand as I did it. I set the temp to 230°. Temp outside was 46° with a very light wind. Wind was light enough that it barely moved the flame on my outdoor gas fire pit right next to the smoker. After I verified that the smoker was lit and smoking I closed the door.
3. When the indicated temp on the display reach 100°, I put the prime rib on the upper rack. I used to do this with my wood chip smoker; there seemed to always be more smoke at the lower temperatures and I wanted to have the meat in there for that as it heated up. Right or wrong procedure might be subjective but that is what I have done before so I stayed with that.
4. 90 minutes later, the display temp still said 203° (controller still set at 230°). I figured this was due to the colder outside temp so I started turning it up. Eventually I had it set at 270°and the temp finally started going up. When the temp display got to 250° I turned it back down to 230°. The display temp generally stayed there throughout the cook.
5. After the meat was in for 4 hours (1.5 hours at about 200° and then 2.5 hours at 230°) the meat probe finally read 130° at the center of the meat.
6. I pulled it, wrapped in aluminum foil (inside the warm kitchen) and let it rest for 30 minutes. I cut into it and it was completely raw; all red and inedible.
7. Sliced and roasted in the oven so that it was edible, almost 3 hours after I thought I could have it done. If I had stayed with my wood chip gas fired unit, it would have been on time and delicious.

So forget that I couldn't go on the family walk because I was trying to get this thing to heat up, and could not get connectivity with wireless so I had to stay put to make sure it heated up. Forget that I basically ruined our Christmas dinner with massive delays on the meat while sides got cold and old, and people got impatient and hungry. Beyond that disaster... WTF? I called support this morning. He just started talking over me trying to refer to the manual on how I didn't do it right; when I was able to get a word in on how I did follow the manual to a T he would change the subject to something else that made it my fault. Eventually I was supposed to do a live video session to show how I did the startup but could never get the link to work. Finally (1.5 hours on the phone) I tapped out. He was telling my things like I shouldn't leave the meat probe in for so long... and how that was in the manual. When I asked him where in the manual - he would change the subject again and say I should have called... on Christmas night. Over and over it was my fault, without a solution. Over and over he kept referring to "an extra 15 minutes to heat up in cold weather"; when I said I gave it 90 minutes he would move to something else that made it my fault but never could find anything that I actually did wrong.

So again.. WTF? 90 minutes at about 200° and then 2.5 more hours at 230° for a 6lb prime rib, meat probe read 130°, and it was literally raw. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance and... Merry Christmas!

 

[brewersfan73]

Sorry this happened to you. Although you shouldn't have to, I always use an external Inkbird thermometer to monitor my grill temp and meat temp since I don't completely trust the PB ones, even the one driving the controller (although mine seems to be pretty accurate - I'm just planning for the day that it stops working properly). The PB probes tend to have a long delay to smooth out the ups and downs on the graph and I just don't like that behavior.

Also, ALWAYS use a reliable instant read probe thermometer to check the internal temp before calling it "done". Kind of like carpentry - measure twice, cut once.

Other than using a different set of temp probes, the only other advice I would give would be to let it get up to your set temp before putting the meat on the grill. It's a little bit easier to tweak things if you aren't already on the clock. I understand your preference to try to get some more smoky flavor at a really low temp (and that makes sense), I'm not sure if it is worth it.

Just my $0.02. Also, I have an Austin XL, not a vertical, if that matters.

 

[skier58]

Sorry this happened to you. Although you shouldn't have to, I always use an external Inkbird thermometer to monitor my grill temp and meat temp since I don't completely trust the PB ones, even the one driving the controller (although mine seems to be pretty accurate - I'm just planning for the day that it stops working properly). The PB probes tend to have a long delay to smooth out the ups and downs on the graph and I just don't like that behavior.

Also, ALWAYS use a reliable instant read probe thermometer to check the internal temp before calling it "done". Kind of like carpentry - measure twice, cut once.

Thanks for the reply. Question: when you say a "reliable instant read probe thermometer", are you referring to the old school type that mom used to use in the turkey that reads out on a dial? Or something more modern?

 

[Cowboy1955]

Welcome from Texas to the group!
I don’t use the probes that came with my 820
I have a INKBIRD and it works great

 

[Fxsales1959]

sorry to hear of your issues.
I too use an @inkbird with 4 wired probes. On Christmas I did a 7lb 4 bone rib roast and it worked well.
I ran two probes through the smoke stack as I wanted meat temps on both sides of the roast. I also use the probe clip that came with the inkbird and "hang" one probe under ( but not under the meat)to verify chamber temps. I have never used the probes that came with my PBV4PS2. I read too much about inaccurate readings. I also have an @inkbird "instant read" that i use for verification before pulling meat. FWIW the temp displayed on my controller is never even close to chamber temps where meat is, mostly due to the location of the controller probe. INKbird I-BBQ-4T is my thermometer of choice.
Happy New Year.
John

 

[sparkyv]

It sux that the Grinch caused your cook to be a bad experience. It happens to us all. I'm just going to address the elephant in the room that no one wants to even acknowledge. I would have had several significant "practice" cooks under my belt on a new unit prior to smoking a spendy cut of meat with a hungry expectant group of diners on a major holiday. You know...to get to know the unit's idiosyncrasies.

OK, now that I got that out, I gotta say that it's odd indeed that your unit didn't seem to reach set point within an hour or two as 46°F ambient isn't that cold. And I agree with brewersfan73 that multiple temperature devices are a good idea. I also probe several spots in the meat to get an average IT. I also don't trust the PB probes. It'll get better as you use it more.

Also, ALWAYS use a reliable instant read probe thermometer to check the internal temp before calling it "done".

FWIW the temp displayed on my controller is never even close to chamber temps where meat is, mostly due to the location of the controller probe.

 

[Sparky]

Welcome to the club from Texas

 

[Mike From R.I.]

Welcome from Rhode Island. I have the same smoker and love it, the Pit boss probes aren't accurate at all, I had a pork loin come in still raw with their probes. Now I always check with a one of my good handheld thermometers before I pull it out of the smoker.

 

[brewersfan73]

Thanks for the reply. Question: when you say a "reliable instant read probe thermometer", are you referring to the old school type that mom used to use in the turkey that reads out on a dial? Or something more modern?

I mean anything other than the PB probes. LOL. Although you can go old school, those also stop working after a while, too. I use a 4-probe Inkbird wifi unit, a couple of different instant read probes, and a Meater+ for rotisserie cooks and sometimes for roasts. The comments that other people posted are all solid advice.

 

[skier58]

It sux that the Grinch caused your cook to be a bad experience. It happens to us all. I'm just going to address the elephant in the room that no one wants to even acknowledge. I would have had several significant "practice" cooks under my belt on a new unit prior to smoking a spendy cut of meat with a hungry expectant group of diners on a major holiday. You know...to get to know the unit's idiosyncrasies.

Yes so true. In my ignorance I just ass-u-me d that I had an ‘upgrade’ in my smoker set up and was carrying on with my system, not starting over. In hindsight what you say seems so obvious now that it’s embarrassing to me. Oh well.

Lots of good advice in the replies here with a common theme. Hard to believe that they couldn’t have probes that work correctly; I mean how hard can it be? If I have to go to third party vendors to replace what I just paid for… why did I pay for it in the first place? Crazy.

Anyway, thanks to all for the intell and advice. I’ll be practicing all year and ready to crush it next Christmas!

 

[Kwikkordead]

I'm getting ready to disconnect the fan speed control from the control unit itself and install a dimmer switch on the side of the box myself. I have a Lockhart that won't heat up very well unless the fan speed is commanded to "high" as it sometimes happens once in a while. If the fan speed stays anything less than high the temperture won't get up to spec.

 

[sparkyv]

That's the spirit! And yesterday I made sure that the Grinch won't get you next year.

I’ll be practicing all year and ready to crush it next Christmas!

I've always used a second temperature device (usuallya handheld), regardless if I was using my offset stick burner, a barrel smoker, a Weber kettle or a PB.

Hard to believe that they couldn’t have probes that work correctly; I mean how hard can it be? If I have to go to third party vendors to replace what I just paid for… why did I pay for it in the first place? Crazy.

 

[skier58]

A follow up on this one... I got the Inkbird wireless remote thermometer and a nice handheld instant read. I put two sensors in the unit; one on the top shelf and one on the bottom - both in the centers of the rack in between where meat was cooking. The two temperature readings stayed within 10° of each other. However, the readings on the display of the Pit Boss were as follows:
- Pit Boss display was often 40° higher, sometimes up to 50° !!
- When changing the target temperature on the Pit Boss dial - for instance from 300° to 260°, the Pit Boss display would instantly start heading in that direction. When the display reached the target temp, it would stop and display that set target as if it was locked in. But the Inkbird sensors on each rack would in most cases keep going in the other direction for a while (getting hotter), before finally cooling until they ended up 10-20° BELOW the target temp. And all the while the Pit Boss display would read an even 260°
- The meat thermometer that is included.. the one that told me my Christmas Rib was at 130°, is useless. I "think" it is so bulky (wide around and a lot of mass) that it may transfer heat from the top down into the tip of the probe. That is just a theory but it makes sense to me and it certainly reads differently that the Inkbirds and the ones I use on my Weber grill that I involved in this test.
- Last comment: I found it nearly impossible to keep a consistent temperature inside the unit. It was WAY easier on my vertical, natural gas fired, chip smoker to keep the temp somewhat consistent than it is with this Pit Boss. 'The Reason' I that I spent money on an 'upgrade' was for the ease of keeping a consistent temperature; I would not have bought this unit if I had known what I know now.

 

[Ol' Smokey]

Dont worry so much about temp swings. 20, 30 or even 50 degrees for a few minuites is not going to hurt anything really. The average temp will get the cook done.
More important to pay attention to the temp in the meat. If i feel its getting done to fast, i turn it down. If i feel its climbing too slow or im running out of time, i crank it up. I drove myself nuts the first couple cooks over temp swings, now i start "the boss" and let it do its thing. My cooks have all turned out great.

I now worry more about what beer im gonna drink while my food cooks than what the grill is doing.....

And im much happier....

 

[sparkyv]

I resemble that remark.

Dont worry so much about temp swings. 20, 30 or even 50 degrees for a few minuites is not going to hurt anything really. The average temp will get the cook done.
More important to pay attention to the temp in the meat. If i feel its getting done to fast, i turn it down. If i feel its climbing too slow or im running out of time, i crank it up. I drove myself nuts the first couple cooks over temp swings, now i start "the boss" and let it do its thing. My cooks have all turned out great.

I now worry more about what beer im gonna drink while my food cooks than what the grill is doing.....

And im much happier....