Huge Temperature Variance

[DaveXDm9]

Update. Bought the SmokeDaddy PID for my 820D. Temp still way off. Set at 225 the temp was 260-270. Set at 175 and it was 210-220. It may seem petty but I got a pellet smoker to set it and forget it for long cooks. I’m now way to deep financially into this bum grill. I know I could just do the math, but that’s not what I’m paying for.

Those temps look just fine to me.

I have Rec-Tec and GMG along with my PS1100. I get temp swings with all 3 so it is not the grill trust me this is how all pellet grills behave they are very sensitive. There are days my temps are perfect and there are days they are swinging. I have to tell I have no complaints on the everything I cook on these grills.

 

[MKinHB]

I am glad my 850 stays exactly where I set it, no temp. swings at all.
I am not too sure about the accuracy but time will tell, maybe I will throw an oven thermometer in there this weekend and check the accuracy. But it holds whatever temp I set it at.

 

[DaveXDm9]

I am glad my 850 stays exactly where I set it, no temp. swings at all.
I am not too sure about the accuracy but time will tell, maybe I will throw an oven thermometer in there this weekend and check the accuracy. But it holds whatever temp I set it at.

yep that is the difference from a PID vs. Non-PID they are nice to have.

 

[MKinHB]

pretty happy with it for now, I am planning a few mods to the broiler slide plate and slide cover.
Plus I will add a couple thermometers.
I might try to make a new fire pot that I can clean out on the fly, I have an idea for it, just need too find the time.

 

[Kramer#01]

I bought a Lexington and have noticed that huge temperature differential. Drives me nuts. Like 100 degrees difference from the controller over the analog thermometer in the lid (Controller reads 400 while the thermomenter in the lid reads 295) Not sure what to do about that.

 

[dvc_pitbull]

Well, I see this thread is rather old, but ... just bought and burned-in a new Lexington. Analog on door is ~50F less then digital display. Today I put in my trusty (very old) oven thermometer and ... it agrees with the analog! Guess I'll be making my 2nd call to cust service (they replaced the controller due to a diff problem.)

I also noticed on burn-in the analog never went above 350F even when I raised temp from 400F to 450F. Hmmmm .... need to check that later after done cooking.

I trust my old cheap analog supermarket bought oven thermometer ... I've used it to check EVERY oven I've had over the past 30+ years and it's always been spot on. This is the first time the (oven/whatever) setting did not match. Cheap buy ... you guys might consider one instead of some expensive alternative. (unless the new ones are crap?)

Cooking a baked potato now ... should take ~60min ... 60min has past. It's not done. Digital temp-wrong confirmed.

 

[JerryM]

Update. Bought the SmokeDaddy PID for my 820D. Temp still way off. Set at 225 the temp was 260-270. Set at 175 and it was 210-220. It may seem petty but I got a pellet smoker to set it and forget it for long cooks. I’m now way to deep financially into this bum grill. I know I could just do the math, but that’s not what I’m paying for.

The easy way to do it is to get yourself a thermometer that has a good air ambient and meat probe. Put the air probe at grill level. Set your smoker for 250. After about an hour check your temperature and adjusted as needed. Don't worry about temperature swings. Until it reaches proper finished temperature and see how it comes out. I think you will find out that you worried for nothing. On my wood burner you get swings all the time. Just as long as it's not something ridiculous like 50° for long periods of time.

 

[michaelbell317]

I've got the Pit Boss Pro 850 pellet smoker. I started some short ribs at 190° and the grill did seem to hover around 200° - 210°. After I wrapped them in foil with broth, I set the temp to 220° and the grill seemed to maintain that temperature nice and steady. Are the lower temps harder for the control panel to maintain for some reason? I have a different ambient temperature probe connected to a Thermoworks Smoke thermometer and had it clipped to the cooking grate on the opposite side of the grill as the grill's built-in probe (under the chimney) and it read a lower temperature than the grill, about 170°. I wasn't too concerned with that as it was in a different location. When the external probe is in the same proximity, the two ambient temperatures match really well. It's just the maintaining of the lower temperatures that I'm concerned with.

Update: Today, I placed the external ambient temperature probe as close to the grill's probe as possible. I set the grill to 190°, the lowest setting I can get. After about 30 minutes, the current temps are grill=216° and external=203°.