My brisket probe snapped off inside the meat during a cook last weekend

I was smoking a 14-pound packer for a family get-together on Saturday. The probe from my old thermometer just broke when I went to check the temp around the 8-hour mark. I had to fish the metal piece out with tongs, which was a huge pain and messed up the bark. Ended up finishing it by feel and time, but I was stressed the whole time. Has anyone else had a probe fail like that? Looking for a more durable brand to replace mine with.

3 comments

3 Comments

wadejenkins3d ago

My old ThermoWorks probe lasted five years before the wire frayed. That kind of failure is just normal wear and tear on any brand. You might have just gotten all the life out of that one.

ben_fisher3d ago

Five years is a good run for a probe. Makes me think of my old oven thermometer, the analog kind with the dial. That thing lasted over a decade, just sitting in there getting blasted by heat. The plastic casing finally yellowed and cracked one day. Sometimes stuff just gives up after years of doing its job, you know?

the_jessica3d ago

Yeah, ben_fisher gets it. I just wrap the probe wire in a little foil where it meets the oven seal to stop that fraying.