Strange setting issue

[johnnytex]

Smoking a Christmas Duck tonight with oyster dressing tonight and noticed a strange issue.

Set my program to:

C01 250 E01 F F01 160
C02 130 E02 t t02 130

After 10 minutes or so, it jumped to C02. U can tell what program it’s on by pressing the + key.

I then reset it to:

C01 250 E01 t t01 0.2
C02 250 E02 F F02 160
C03 130 E03 t t02 130

This is the first time I did not start with a small initial time step.
The second program word fine.
See if anyone else has this problem.

 

[rickne]

I've only got 5 cooks with the Auber under my belt.  I haven't experienced that.

The only think I can figure is that...

- Maybe the meat probe went through the duck and sensed temps hitting 160.
- Maybe the first step of the auber needs to be timed?  Since that is the first time you've done it that way, it could be the answer.  I haven't strayed too far from the factory program, except to change temps, so my first step is always timed.

 

[Wik]

I've always started with an initial Temp, not sure what would have caused yours to skip to next step so early.  Maybe a bad connection gave wrong reading temporarily.  Strange, but now you got me thinking it might be best / safest to start with initial time on some longer cooks when I'm not close by to monitor.
Cheers,
Wik

 

[Paul Case Luca]

Yeah saw it once.

It was the first time I used it thought there was user error so ignored it. Never gave it a second thought as everything worked fine. But agree I might also just lock in the first hour at a given temp like your second option.

Steve

 

[Wik]

I was reading up via the WSD-1503CPH.pdf for other reasons, then something hit me.  You don't suppose this can happen when meat is fairly cold and controller gets a in-accurate reading that is trips up on?  I haven't seen this yet myself, but maybe the lower temps cause strange things to occur.  Adding an initial Time step seems like a good bet if this is indeed the case.  Hopefully no one sees this later in the process / steps... 

Pulled from the manual:
"e) Operating the controller when ambient temperature is below 32 °F (0 °C). The
controller reading is only accurate for temperature ≥ 32 °F (0 °C). In addition, if the
ambient temperature is below 14 °F (-10 °C), the controller will not function because it
can’t read the temperature correctly. In that case, user can warm the sensor by holding it
with their hands. Once the sensor is above 14 °F (-10 °C), it will turn on the heater. Once
the inside of the smoker is heated to above 32 °F, the controller will run by itself."

 

[Paul Case Luca]

Nice research.

I don't think this was what happened to me. I've smoked in the 33 deg F ambient, but since I in turn run the unit out of my garage it's usually another 10F warmer so I've been well away of those temps listed.

I'm with you... I am going to always program the first hour at a set temp.

Steve

 

[Wik]

I was thinking more the IT Meat Temp / Probe than the other probe.  I noticed today that when I put a prime rib the IT probe was around mid 30s when I started, then I happen to watch it a few minutes later and it was cycling between 32 and -H- (thought I had a bad connection for a moment, but I'm thinking the meat was just pretty darn cold when I started).  I had already committed to having the 1st hour set for Time instead of Temp, otherwise I would have been able to conclude if my theory holds any water or not.  But it seems that if -H- does register when IT Probe is below 32F the system might treat that as a higher temp and cycle to the next stage if you had first step based on a specific IT Temp.

I guess it doesn't matter as long as we all set that initial step for an hour to be based on Time instead of Temp.  Things like this tend to bother me until I understand the underlying reasons...  Must be my debugging from computer tech world coming thru.

Wik