Hot take: my brisket probe failed at the worst possible time last weekend

I was about 8 hours into a 14 pound packer on my offset, everything going smooth. Then my Thermoworks Smoke's probe started reading 210 degrees out of nowhere when the meat was clearly still tough. I had to pull the brisket and check with an instant read, which showed it was only at 185. Ended up putting it back for another 2 hours but the bark got a little overdone. Anyone else had a probe just die mid-cook like that? What's your backup plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

susanr151mo ago

Ngl that's the worst feeling when your gear lets you down after all that work. My old Maverick did something similar during a pork shoulder cook, just started jumping all over the place. Now I keep a cheap backup instant-read thermometer right in my kit, the kind you can grab at any store. It's saved me more than once when the fancy electronics decide to quit.

beth7191mo ago

Remember when people used to just poke meat with a finger to check it? My grandpa swore by it for his brisket. He'd say the probe should go in like butter, no gadget needed. I tried it once on a chicken and let's just say we ordered pizza that night.

emmar757d ago

Poke your grandpa's brisket with a finger and you get butter, poke a chicken thigh the same way and you get salmonella roulette. I tried the finger test on a turkey once and spent 20 minutes Googling how to tell if you've permanently damaged your hand on a drumstick. At least with a good thermometer you only ruin dinner, not your whole sense of touch.