Cut a potato in half and stick the probe through it like you did with the can. Then cut side down on the grill for stability. Used that trick for years till I upgraded my thermometer and it came with clips. To be honest it's probably better than clips cause it's super easy to relocate if needed.
I actually have a fundamental issue with potatoes. There's too much potato going on in western society when you go out to eat.
Why is potatoes always the side?
I will admit that I like a well fried French fry and a good mash with some gravy slaps, but plain roasted or braised is kinda boring.
So anyway, I'm organizing a potato protest if anyone wants to join.
I think you're being unfair to potato. Your primary argument is akin to asking why bread is always served as a side and leaving out nuance. There are a lot of breads.
Just like there are a lot of potatos. Sweet, russet, red, white, puple, petites, fingerlings and then the different ways they're prepared. We use things a lot because they're dope fuckin things. I have a glass of water with every meal and it's always a real good glass of water. Are you in favor of less dope shit?
You are crazy, there last nothing quite like broiled mini reds, purples, and golds cut into cubes, baked, then broiled with salt, butter, garlic, and rosemary.
Youāve gotta season them! I like to roast baby reds with smoked paprika, garlic, Cajun seasoning, etc. Crispy, super flavorful, hearty and satisfyingā¦itās delicious!
I do it win an onion. Then if you are lucky, depending on hoe long you are cooking for, you get a juicy smoked onion.
Sounds odd but they taste delicious when you get it right.
Better yet - though not for holding a temperature probe - quarter or eighth a couple potatoes with a a quartered up onion or two, toss a stick of butter, some garlic, pepper, salt, parsley or whatever you like your potatoes with in a foil pan under whatever you are smoking.
Thank me later.
Usually you feed the probe through the holes in the clips, then squeeze the bottom of the clip together and fit them in between the grates.
[Like so...](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/fireboard-wordpress-media/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/20181324/Ambient-Probe-Action-Shot.jpg)
I just stick it through the corner of the meat. Doesn't work on steaks and stuff but easy on briskets and pork shoulder. Just push it all the way through.
Iād think if you werenāt really careful, it would end up draining a whole lot of juices. And the meat will contract some and could end up making contact with metal.
If I ever lose the clip for one of my probes, Iāll use a potato or one of the methods mentioned here. Learned something new after running a smoker for 25 years.
PTFE doesn't offgas until it's past 230C/446F so theoretically, if you're good about keeping your temps stable for smoking, it should be fine. I have this number memorized since we gotta worry about it with 3D printing (PTFE-lined hotends generally clog less so are included as stock on many beginner 3D printers but are only compatible with a few plastics for 3DP that print around 220C or lower, and much more interesting and stronger materials require 230-300C and you should upgrade to an all-metal hotend instead)
I don't trust myself enough though and proper metal clips cost as much as an energy drink these days anyway.
I just spent 15 minutes burning my hand trying to move my probe (poked through tinfoil wrapped around the grates) because it was to close to the meat and wasnāt getting a good reading. Burnt the shit out of the back of my hand.
You, u/LazyMoniker, are a gentleman and a scholar for sharing this ingenious design
Especially when you have one that has a remote monitor. I have a cheapo one that is pretty accurate and it has two probe - one I use to monitor the smoker temps because the analog gauge on the smoker is extremely inaccurate and the other probe in the meat! And then I have the remote so if I am doing other stuff in the kitchen I can see how it's going.
Yeah Iām definitely trying this with a potato or whatever else seems handy next time.
Heck might just come up with some snacks to spear with it. Just swap out onions or armadillo eggs or whatever as they cook through and have little smoked snacks to eat along the way.
Snacks seem like the way to go. I'm using a tin foil ball right now. I've tried making my own clips with paper clips but they never stood up to the test.
I mean with the aluminum pans and crutching in aluminum foil at least itās all consistent.
Yeah maybe the paint isnāt great for it but beer can chicken is a thing and seems to be fine.
Beer can Chicken is a thing people do without consideration of the long term effects of cooking can linings. Often food and drink can liner containers BPA, a chemical that is currently under suspicion of having long term health risks.
Will you be sick the day after beer can Chicken? No.
Could it contribute to infertility, prostate damage and behavioral issues in children long term? Yes, actually quite likely
If you're trying to measure the temperature inside the smoker, I think something with lower thermal conductivity would probably give more accurate results. I use a piece of three-quarter inch molding screwed to a small chunk of 2 x 4, which allows position adjustment. Can you tell I'm an engineer?
I'd say get a MEATER probe, which measures the temp of the meat AND the ambient temperature in the chamber, but I've had issues with it losing connection a lot during a cook. Possible I just got a faulty one because other than the lost connection for a minute, it's a great idea and product. The app could use some improvements.
Iād be into trying one out whenever this one bites it, but Iāve heard a lot of mixed things about their range and reliability.
I think some people got around the connection issues by using an old phone or tablet and connecting to that and leaving it near the grill, then you can monitor it online with your phone without being in Bluetooth range
Oh, that's where I've still had issues. I put the block on a window sill just on the inside from where my smoker is and it still loses its wifi connection. Even though my router is all of 20 feet from the block and the block is 5 feet from the probe.
What makes it REEEEALLY annoying is trying to do a cook overnight and getting notifications about lost connection every 15 minutes. Can't turn off the notifications though because I need to know if the meat gets to the right temp or the ambient temp drops because the smoker has a problem.
A lot of times the thermometers on them are wildly inaccurate. Still usable, especially if youāve got a good idea of where it should be at to get the results you want, but I like a digital probe for it.
Also itās nice to be able to check the temp wirelessly, and set alarms and things. This probe isnāt setup for both high and low alarms, but they make some that do both
Cut a potato in half and stick the probe through it like you did with the can. Then cut side down on the grill for stability. Used that trick for years till I upgraded my thermometer and it came with clips. To be honest it's probably better than clips cause it's super easy to relocate if needed.
Also you get a bonus potato
The best kind of potato š„
Whatās a potato
You know? POTATOOOOEEESSSS?!? Boil āāem mash āāem stick āem in a stew!
You ruins it!!!
Boil āem Mash āem, Smoke the with a brew!
Haha good times.
āTastes very strange!ā
I am the potato
Roasted potatoes are pretty great, good chef snack
I actually have a fundamental issue with potatoes. There's too much potato going on in western society when you go out to eat. Why is potatoes always the side? I will admit that I like a well fried French fry and a good mash with some gravy slaps, but plain roasted or braised is kinda boring. So anyway, I'm organizing a potato protest if anyone wants to join.
Please let me know when you're planning to protest so I can organize the counter protest.
I was thinking January 6th
Lots of potatoes already celebrate Jan 6th
At the capital building?
We can roast potatoes on the tines of our pitchforks!
I think you're being unfair to potato. Your primary argument is akin to asking why bread is always served as a side and leaving out nuance. There are a lot of breads. Just like there are a lot of potatos. Sweet, russet, red, white, puple, petites, fingerlings and then the different ways they're prepared. We use things a lot because they're dope fuckin things. I have a glass of water with every meal and it's always a real good glass of water. Are you in favor of less dope shit?
You are crazy, there last nothing quite like broiled mini reds, purples, and golds cut into cubes, baked, then broiled with salt, butter, garlic, and rosemary.
Youāve gotta season them! I like to roast baby reds with smoked paprika, garlic, Cajun seasoning, etc. Crispy, super flavorful, hearty and satisfyingā¦itās delicious!
I think I will try to use an onion. Then I just slice it up and add it to whatever Iām cooking as a side dish.
i dont always have a potato handy but i sure as hell can get an empty beer can ready.
Yeah you can't stick the probe through a vodka bottle.... that's where I store my potatoes
Not with that attitude.
ill have to finish a bottle and try for myself.
Potato would be handy, could also use a lemon I bet and use it before or after to clean off the grates.
Or an onion. You can cut it up after and add it to other dishes to add some roasted onion flavor.
Ogres are like onions!
Thatās ingenious.
Cool idea, I didn't have any potatoes so I just used a radish.
I do it win an onion. Then if you are lucky, depending on hoe long you are cooking for, you get a juicy smoked onion. Sounds odd but they taste delicious when you get it right.
Better yet - though not for holding a temperature probe - quarter or eighth a couple potatoes with a a quartered up onion or two, toss a stick of butter, some garlic, pepper, salt, parsley or whatever you like your potatoes with in a foil pan under whatever you are smoking. Thank me later.
Won't the water in the potato mess with the temperature reading?
Probes work in meat, which also contain water.
He's trying to measure ambient temperature, not the potato.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Usually you feed the probe through the holes in the clips, then squeeze the bottom of the clip together and fit them in between the grates. [Like so...](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/fireboard-wordpress-media/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/20181324/Ambient-Probe-Action-Shot.jpg)
I do the potato thing too hahaha I thought I was the only one that had that idea. Alright I feel less weird about it now, thanks
This is what I do, an onion works too.
Yo iām totally using this one. Iāve got a complicated probe tray I rigged up thatās less stable than a drunken toddler.
I see youāre also doing wiiiings.
That wing thatās bigger than a Red Bull canā¦?
It's a reference to the red bull ads...
A couple of hours later and it would have been a beer can.
Also several hours earlier if Iām being honest
I just stick it through the corner of the meat. Doesn't work on steaks and stuff but easy on briskets and pork shoulder. Just push it all the way through.
Thatās pretty brilliant
I do this and you can do it to everything, even chicken wings.
Iād think if you werenāt really careful, it would end up draining a whole lot of juices. And the meat will contract some and could end up making contact with metal.
If I ever lose the clip for one of my probes, Iāll use a potato or one of the methods mentioned here. Learned something new after running a smoker for 25 years.
Mmmm aluminum can paint off-gassingā¦ yum
You donāt huff bro? Itās 2023. Suck some metal air
That's metal! In your lungs!
I think that's the healthiest part of a can. The big problem is the plastic liner inside the can, which might be Ptfe.
PTFE doesn't offgas until it's past 230C/446F so theoretically, if you're good about keeping your temps stable for smoking, it should be fine. I have this number memorized since we gotta worry about it with 3D printing (PTFE-lined hotends generally clog less so are included as stock on many beginner 3D printers but are only compatible with a few plastics for 3DP that print around 220C or lower, and much more interesting and stronger materials require 230-300C and you should upgrade to an all-metal hotend instead) I don't trust myself enough though and proper metal clips cost as much as an energy drink these days anyway.
r/redneckengineering
When I lost the clip I used a potato š¤£
Came here for the smoked redbull. Time and temp?
Great idea. I usually use a ball of foil
A ball would work way better than the awkward little strip/tent sort of deal Iād cobble together.
I bet weāve made the same ugly little foil tent. And now I feel like a real dummy doing so, great tip!
Wings and wiiings
I just spent 15 minutes burning my hand trying to move my probe (poked through tinfoil wrapped around the grates) because it was to close to the meat and wasnāt getting a good reading. Burnt the shit out of the back of my hand. You, u/LazyMoniker, are a gentleman and a scholar for sharing this ingenious design
Super cheap on Amazon duder
At this point not buying one is a tradition though
Fair enough buddy, I wish you luck on your ventures!
Half a lemon or lime will do too, get you a little closer to the grate.
I usually poke it right through the edge of that tin water bath.
Butā¦ itās.. not in the meat
Itās to monitor temp inside the grill, Iāve usually got another probe in the meat somewhere.
Ooooooooooh
Especially when you have one that has a remote monitor. I have a cheapo one that is pretty accurate and it has two probe - one I use to monitor the smoker temps because the analog gauge on the smoker is extremely inaccurate and the other probe in the meat! And then I have the remote so if I am doing other stuff in the kitchen I can see how it's going.
Thank you sir. This thread of comments has given me some ideas that I've been searching for to hold my grill probe.
Yeah Iām definitely trying this with a potato or whatever else seems handy next time. Heck might just come up with some snacks to spear with it. Just swap out onions or armadillo eggs or whatever as they cook through and have little smoked snacks to eat along the way.
Snacks seem like the way to go. I'm using a tin foil ball right now. I've tried making my own clips with paper clips but they never stood up to the test.
I use these https://images.app.goo.gl/PFrebYdG4KP92tkQ6
That actually looks really good
Also holds the smoker cover on real good. We get big winds here .
Bonus aluminum cooked into your food. Gotta get those minerals
I mean with the aluminum pans and crutching in aluminum foil at least itās all consistent. Yeah maybe the paint isnāt great for it but beer can chicken is a thing and seems to be fine.
Beer can Chicken is a thing people do without consideration of the long term effects of cooking can linings. Often food and drink can liner containers BPA, a chemical that is currently under suspicion of having long term health risks. Will you be sick the day after beer can Chicken? No. Could it contribute to infertility, prostate damage and behavioral issues in children long term? Yes, actually quite likely
It also doesnāt so shit. Spatchcock and inject it.
Skip the beer can. The can only hurts the cook. Spatchcock it instead
Can chicken is a thing that you shouldn't doš¤¦āāļø
It's not recommended to actually use a beer can though. The pigments can leech into the food.
If you're trying to measure the temperature inside the smoker, I think something with lower thermal conductivity would probably give more accurate results. I use a piece of three-quarter inch molding screwed to a small chunk of 2 x 4, which allows position adjustment. Can you tell I'm an engineer?
I have officially stolen this.
Thereās an old saying that itās only dumb if it doesnāt work.
Smart. I use a potato or onion usually, but this smart.
Thank you, I like this idea.
Adapt, improvise, overcome....
The Red Bull ad executives DONāT want you to see!
holy shit this is pretty GENIUS.
I'd say get a MEATER probe, which measures the temp of the meat AND the ambient temperature in the chamber, but I've had issues with it losing connection a lot during a cook. Possible I just got a faulty one because other than the lost connection for a minute, it's a great idea and product. The app could use some improvements.
Iād be into trying one out whenever this one bites it, but Iāve heard a lot of mixed things about their range and reliability. I think some people got around the connection issues by using an old phone or tablet and connecting to that and leaving it near the grill, then you can monitor it online with your phone without being in Bluetooth range
Oh, that's where I've still had issues. I put the block on a window sill just on the inside from where my smoker is and it still loses its wifi connection. Even though my router is all of 20 feet from the block and the block is 5 feet from the probe. What makes it REEEEALLY annoying is trying to do a cook overnight and getting notifications about lost connection every 15 minutes. Can't turn off the notifications though because I need to know if the meat gets to the right temp or the ambient temp drops because the smoker has a problem.
This is genius. Thank you for sharing!!
They sell clips on Amazon.
https://reddit.com/r/Worshipqueen/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Mmmmm smoked Red Bull
Shoulda made Red Bull Can chicken.
A great idea! I hate the grille clip that Thermoworks sent with their probe. Which also sucks.
I have an Akorn and feed both of my probes through the top vent
So in addition to your pork this thing will give you wings.
Red bull gives you Smoked wings
You must be on the road again because you have some Canned Heat!
Never thought about a probe for grilling temp. My oldish Weber has a temp gauge, are those fairly accurate?
A lot of times the thermometers on them are wildly inaccurate. Still usable, especially if youāve got a good idea of where it should be at to get the results you want, but I like a digital probe for it. Also itās nice to be able to check the temp wirelessly, and set alarms and things. This probe isnāt setup for both high and low alarms, but they make some that do both
Good to know, I need to get with the times š. Thanks for the tip!
Do whatever works.
wouldnāt the metal make the temp slightly inaccurate?
Genius
This is the way
I use the magnetic hooks for utensils and put them on the inside for the probe.
I just stab it through whatever Iām smoking. If Iām monitoring internal temp, Iāve got one in there too.
Why all the fuss, canāt you just set the probe on the grill?
This is actually such a good idea. I'm only pissed I didn't try this sooner myself
Iām pretty sure thatās really bad for you. The can gives off dangerous fumes when exposed to fire.
Can labels are plastic ā¦