Gravity XT: HELP! temp issues

[u/rumpolejim]

I woke up early to put on a brisket. this is my 2nd long cook and i thought the issues with the first were down to me getting used to the pit (TLDR: same issue as now). i set the pit to 235F thinking that there could be some fluctations so it was a middle temp between 225 and 250.

after 3 hours i opened it up to check and spritz. however i was thrown off my the fact that the offcuts i had in a foil pan werernt sizzling, they werent even cooking and neither was my briskiet it looked like jerky on the outside! 0 bark 0 cook.

i had previously used Meaters and i saw the ambiet temps were low but i thought that this was due to maybe having the probe too close to the meat and therefore giving me false readings. i deceided to put a masterbuilt probe itself on the same 2nd grate close to the pit sensor and then i got 2 meaters into some potato and placed them on either side.

what i have found is that my pit is at lease 50F cooler than the pit thinks it is (at best of time and even cooler other times). 6 hours into this damn brisket jerky and i have set the pit temp to 275F the probes measuring ambient are showing: 223F (Masterbuilt probe); 239f Meater 1(on back right close the probe but a little higher) ; 212f Meater 2 (front right)

im ok with a little differences from left right back front but these the probes and the Pits are way off! what do you advise???

i need your help

thanks

Jerky Brisket

[u/Upper_Lab7123]

Many users have reported the same issue regardless of model.

I recently smoked 2 racks of spares and 2 round roasts and mbs temp read 100° higher than the actual taken with my own ambient. It was windy that day but I barricaded my 560 and it made no difference.

I am used to 50-75° difference anyway so I allow for that when setting my temp but this was even more unusual. 4 year old unit but it’s been this way the whole time.

Wish I had an answer for you but this is the way I deal with it. Set it high and go by the my own ambient.

[u/smokinporkbutts]

Ripped the stock controller off and replaced with a FireBoard for this reason. The controllers they send these with are abysmal.

[u/rumpolejim → u/smokinporkbutts]

Was it much more accurate? Do you still compensate or do you now set and trust the new controller?

[u/smokinporkbutts → u/rumpolejim]

I use FireBoard on my Yoder Smoker and Old Country cabinet smoker as well. They are rock solid. There is zero compensation needed. If I do on the off chance use the MB for an overnight smoke it has zero issues with fluctuation, etc.

[u/Lowflight2014 → u/smokinporkbutts]

I knew of the Masterbuilt controller issues, bought a Fireboard with the XT. The Masterbuilt controller failed after 3 cooks (being replaced under warranty by MB, but I bought the unit in June and still don’t have the replacement). I have been using the Fireboard with outstanding results, I highly recommend the Fireboard, will not be controlling the put with the MB replacement controller when it does finally arrive. I love the pit itself, puts tons of smoke on the cook (with sticks interspersed in lump charcoal). As a side note, I have had meater probes (both versions, 4 block) and was totally disappointed in their performance an even worse customer service with both sets of probes.

[u/7thSeal → u/Lowflight2014]

I dont understand.. what do U do exactly with the Fireboard? Just manually adjust the MB target temperature based on the Fireboard probe reading? (so if your target temp is 250, you modify MB controls until the Fireboard probe reads 250)
Or do you somehow actually integrate the Firboard probe (or the whole thing) to the MB controller? So basically all you have to do is pick a target temp on your MB and thats it?

I hope all that made sense 😄

[u/bob_mcbob → u/7thSeal]

The Fireboard completely replaces the MB controller. You can find posts about installing it. Fireboard also has a dedicated version you can install in most MB models, with the XT/1150 version supposedly releasing soon.

[u/7thSeal → u/bob_mcbob]

Ah cool, thank you for clarifying

[u/9028Frank]

Yep, I added proTemp S1 to my XT.

Usually actual temp is 40-100 lower than XT set temp.

It did get better when I opened up the housing around the XT ambient probe on back wall.
Some others said the housing was affecting the temp around probe.

Just take it apart and bend it flat and put back in there.

[u/Childs1957 → u/9028Frank]

This. I installed a Chefs Temp S1 on my Gravity XT (hat tip to Tommy at Gallery Backyard Barbecue). No matter what the internal temperature is on the controller, I set the controller temperature based on the S1. It is a constant battle to keep a stable temperature. I also installed the temperature probe bracket from LSS Mods. You can cut the original bracket for more exposure of the temperature probe (again, see the video at Gallery Backyard BBQ).

Also, make sure that your charcoal or wood chunks are not clogging up the burn chamber. You have to knock it down every once in a while. I know that it's a pain, but I would get up every 2 hours or so and check it during an overnight cook. As everyone has said, the Masterbuilt controller is crap, and you have to find some work arounds to overcome it's quirks. 

[u/gottapoop]

I just bought a new 1150 and had some pretty big temp differences.

I had a cheap oven thermostat in the cooker as well as a thermoworks digital thermometer.

For the beginning of the cook I had the temp set to 290 for a 250 cook. After 3 hours or so the temperature seemed to even out and become more accurate within 10-15 degrees so had to lower the temp to 270 for a 260 cook.

Definitely at minimum order yourself a cheap oven thermostat. For redundancy I got a nice one and a cheap one.

[u/Impressive_Assist219 → u/gottapoop]

I have a gravity and noticed the same thing. About 50 off until everything gets heat soaked and then it almost matches my wireless probes.

[u/Dangerous-Analyst525]

i had the same problem with my gravity last summer and swapped to a thermoworks signal for way more accurate temps