Auber temp fluctuations and probe placements questions

[TexasSmoke]

I had a bunch of family in this weekend and I did (4) racks of ribs on Saturday and a 13.5lbs brisket on Sunday.

When I did the ribs the Auber was set to 225 for 7 hours and without probe 2 and the temp was all over the place.  It spent most of the cook around 200 and then was over 235 in the end.  In all of my other smokes and for the Brisquet on Sunday it stayed locked on 225.  I have only had this issue when NOT using the #2 probe.  Ideas?

On the brisqet smoke I was trying to get an IT of 200.  After 14 hours I pulled it at an IT of 190 and it was overdone, still very juicy but fell apart.  It did make the best chopped beef I ever had!  I think I had the #2 probe in the wrong place.  Where do you recommend I put the probe on a packer brisket?

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[DivotMaker]

Interesting about the #2 probe, Ron.  I've never had the Auber vary at all, whether one probe or two.  Are you sure the program was set to time, and not temp?  Also, are you using the drop in probe, or permanent?  I definitely recommend the permanent probe - it removes the variable of probe placement, with regards to box temp.

On packers, I insert the meat probe at about a 45° angle, at the end of the point, so the probe is in the flat, just under the point.  That way, it's midway into the thickest part of the brisket. 

[Carp210]

Ron,
I have a #2 and I'm in the middle of a rib smoke. Usually my auber locks in on the set temp and stays there for the entire smoke. I have a maverick set close to my fixed probe to double check the auber.  Started mav at 70 and auber 73.  One hour later mav 236 and auber 235.  30 minutes later mav 213 and auber 212. (target temp was 235) 

Then it begins to go crazy.  15 minutes later Mav 229 and auber 257.  Another 15 minutes and Mav dropped to 218 while the auber spiked up to 301.  At this point I turned auber off.  Double checked my setting and everything looks fine. (235 for 8 hours) 

I don't think it was wood catching fire (3 oz in foil boats) or I would noticed it in the Mav temp also.  I don't understand how the Auber could be 83 degrees higher than the Mav.  Last three smokes auber was perfect, now this. 

When I turned auber back on Mav read 197 auber 193

I'll post more later.

[Carp210]

After turning off then back on Auber went up to 235, no over run,  and has been locked there for two hours.  Mav is reading 239 to 240.
Any ideas from the experts as to what is going on and why?  Not using probe #2 (meat probe) same as Ron above.

 
 

[SuperDave]

I would be very interested to know if the Bradley owners experience these weird Auber behaviors.  I certainly have.  I just try to remind myself of where I came from and what swings I tolerated in my old smoker.  Some times I think we are trying to make this too much of a science.  I bet the cave men made some pretty good grub on open fire with no controls.   

[Carp210]

Finished my rib smoke and Auber stayed locked at 235.

I think I may have a bad Auber.  What I noticed when the Auber spiked to 301 the light on the Auber was showing power was still being sent to the heater and temp showing was rising even though I was well above my 235 setting.

What is really strange is while this was happening my Maverick probe temp was dropping.  Is it possible that the Auber was sending out a false temperature reading and a light but no power to the heater? That would explain the temp drop on the Mav along with the 301 Auber reading.

I should have looked at the top of the smoker to see if the red light was on. Things are always clearer in hindsight. It also seems that turning it off and back on fixes the problem.

I'll try to duplicate this with a simulated cook or two over the next few days.  I hope this is not sporadic.  So far out of five cooks it's happened twice.

[TexasSmoke]

I thought I had a bad auber as well but my brisket smoke was the next day and was locked on 225 the whole time.

Everything in my 2 smokes were almost identical.  12-13lbs of ribs vs 13.5 of Brisquet.  Both use the identical half tray of Apple juice next to the element. The ribs had 3.5 oz of wood and the brisket had 7oz.  The only big difference is the #2 probe.....weird.

I did have 2 ribs on each rack with a space between them.  The brisket was in the center of the rack. All racks were as high as they could go.  With the #1 probe centered at the top of the smoker for each is it possible cooler intake air is getting to the probe between the ribs and has to go around the brisket?  Make since?

[SuperDave]

The fact that the weird behavior is inconsistent is what makes it frustrating.  It will be all over the map on one smoke and then stay locked in on the next.  All of us have been sheep on the probe placement and gone very near the top.  Maybe we need someone to go against convention and see if that makes any difference?