How To Use Pit Boss Meat Probe [In Detail]
Pit Boss is a company that makes smokers and grills that are easy to use. One of their main motivations is to make devices that make cooking easier for you.
When we are cooking meat on the grill, we must cook it to the right temperature. When cooking chicken, not reaching the right temperature could undercook the meat, and infect people with salmonella.
On the other hand, when cooking beef, not getting the right temperature can result in an overcooked or undercooked steak.
If you know how to use Pit Boss Meat Probe, you will be able to cook your meat perfectly every time. Lifting the lid on the grill can actually cause the meat to take much longer to cook.
Because you are lifting the lid, you are letting a lot of the heat go. Use the meat probe to find out what temperature the meat is at easily. Here is how you can use this efficient little tool.
What Is Pit Boss Meat Probe And How Accurate Is It?
The meat probe on a pit boss grill is a way for you to monitor the temperature of the food. It is an efficient probe that is inserted into the meat for monitoring.
The probe can be set to regulate the temperature as per your requirement. This probe can also display the temperature on your phone or a display screen.
When it comes to accuracy, the probes are almost always correct. If your probe is not damaged, there is no possibility of the device giving you a false reading.
At max, the probe will have a one or two-degree rate of inaccuracy. Just to be sure, you can also use a manual thermometer to read the temperature of your meat.
How To Use Pit Boss Meat Probe?
Using a meat probe can be a very efficient way to check the temperature of your food. This way, you don’t lower the temperature by continuously lifting the lid. Here are the steps you need to follow, to use a pit boss meat probe correctly.
1. Check The Probe
Before you insert the probe into the meat, you will have to inspect it properly. Check if the probe is broken, has any sharp broken edges, or if it is working properly or not.
If there is an issue with the probe, you won’t get an accurate temperature. This step is vital to ensure the accuracy of the pit boss meat probe.
2. Insert Probe To Receptacles
There are two receptacles on your grill. You will have to insert the probe into these receptacles. You can choose anyone- from the 01, or the 02 receptacles.
Ensure that your grill is not plugged in during this process. You will know when the probes have been correctly placed when you hear a clicking or snapping sound ensuring proper attachment.
After that, you will have to feed the probe through a probe slot. This lot is usually located near the hopper.
3. Insert To Meat
Then, you will have to insert the probe into the meat. Make sure you insert the probe on the thickest part of the meat.
If you are cooking chicken or ribs, and there are bones with the meat, try to insert the probe further away from the bone. Contact with the bone can give you inaccurate results. If you are cooking chicken or ribs, and there are bones with the meat, try to insert the probe further away from the bone. Contact with the bone can give you inaccurate results.
On the other hand, if you are working with a fatty cut of meat, such as steaks, you will want to insert the probe in the middle part. This is where most of the fat of the meat is placed.
You should never pierce the meat all the way through. Just stick it in, but make sure it doesn’t come out through the other end.
If the probe pierces the meat all the way through, the probe will get in touch with the grills. This will give you inaccurate results.
Also, make sure that the probe is not pointed directly towards the flame. This will give you a much higher temperature than what the meat is actually at.
4. Check The Temperature On The Display
Now, you can check the temperature of your meat on the display. The lid of the grill should be closed at all times. You can get the readings from the monitor of the grill, or through any apps that you can be connected to your smoker.
What To Do If Pit Boss Meat Probe Not Working? Troubleshooting Guide
Your Pit boss meat probe could not be working for a lot of different reasons. This could be a broken tip or a faulty probe.
To solve the problem, you will first have to identify the issue.
1. Broken Tip
The meat probe on a Pit Boss Grill comes with a 3.5 mm jack. This has to be inserted into the control board for the probe to function properly.
With use, sometimes this jack can break off. Sometimes, it gets stuck in the control board and falls off loose.
If the jack breaks and gets stuck into the control board, you will have to purchase a jack removal tool. Using this tool, you can remove the broken piece of the jack very easily. The tool helps you remove the jack without causing any damage to the control board.
If you don’t have access to a jack removal tool, you can dry and pull it out with your fingers. If your fingers can reach the inside, try using tweezers.
Once the tip has been successfully removed, you will have to purchase a new meat probe. The older one with the broken jack cannot be used anymore.
2. Faulty Probe
Because pit Boss Meat probes are mass-produced, sometimes a user will get a faulty probe. If your probe is not working from day one, there is a high possibility that the meat probe is broken.
In this scenario, you will have to purchase a meat probe separately. In case you can complain to the manufacturers soon enough, there’s a possibility that they will give you one for free.
3. Meat Probe Went Bad
Sometimes, the meat probe can go bad with time. Any type of appliance has its limit of use.
The probe could have come in contact with the direct flame, or the wiring might be got burnt. Sometimes, probes get damaged very easily because they were in contact with water for a long time.
There are a lot of reasons why the probe could stop working with time. If the meat probe has been used for a long time and is not giving you accurate results anymore, the right thing to do is to repurchase the tool.
4. Faulty Installation
Another reason the meat probe is not properly working can be a faulty installation.
You might not have connected the probe to the grill properly. As we mentioned earlier- you have to insert the probe into the receptacles accurately. Usually, you will hear a clicking sound to assure you that the connection has been successful. If the connection becomes loose, the meat probe will not give you an accurate result.
How To Clean Pit Boss Meat Probe?
So, we have given you instructions on using the pit boss meat probe. But, what about how to clean these probes?
Cleaning your meat probes is very important as a meat probe that has oil and grime all over it can give you inaccurate results.
Cleaning these meat probes is very easy. You cannot submerge them in water. This will ruin their construction.
To clean the probes, you can use warm soapy water to clean the tip. You can also use alcohol pads to get rid of any bacteria.
You should not place them in the dishwasher. Try cleaning them by hand to avoid any damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How To Check Meat Probe Accuracy?
To check whether or not the meat probe is working properly, you will have to compare the readings to another regular thermometer reading.
Take a piece of cooked meat, that is fresh off the grill and insert a regular thermometer into it. Take the temperature down manually. Then, compare the readings with the reading shown from your Pit boss meat probe.
The temperature could be a few degrees off. But if you notice a drastic change in the readings your meat probe is probably not working properly.
2. How Often Should You Clean Pit Boss Meat Probe?
If you have cooked for a lot of people recently, you should try and clean your meat probe immediately after cooking.
In case you don’t use the grill or smoker that often, you can clean it once every week or once every two weeks.
3. When Should You Replace A Pit Boss Meat Probe?
You must replace the meat probe once you realize that it is not giving you accurate results.
Meat probes can stop working after a few years of serving you. Probes that are broken should also be replaced immediately.
4. How Deep Should You Insert The Pit Boss Meat Probe?
You should insert the meat probe halfway through the thickest part of the meat. Never insert the probe all the way through. This will not give you accurate results because the probe is probably touching the grills which are too hot.
5. Is The Pit Boss Meat Probe Dishwasher Safe?
No, Pete boss meat probes are not dishwasher safe. You should wash them by hand with mild soapy water or alcohol pads.
Final Verdict
Now that you know how to use meat probe on pit boss smoker, you should not have any issues handling the device.
Taking measurements from the tool is actually very easy. You just have to ensure that the device is properly connected to the grill. Also, make sure that you don’t pierce the probe all the way through a piece of meat. This will give you inaccurate results. Hopefully, pit boss meat probe instructions we have given are not much complex for you to follow. Enjoy your perfectly cooked steak!
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