Last Updated on: 16th June 2023, 10:12 am
Temperature control is one of the most important factors in the grilling process.
Every piece of meat requires a specified temperature for effective grilling.
Being a probe user, I know that it might be really frustrating to see that your probe is giving an inaccurate reading.
If you are a non-technical guy like me, then it might feel overwhelming.
But believe me, pals, you can do it yourself by following our guide.
KEY TAKEAWAY: To calibrate your Traeger probe, you need to insert it into the grill ,open the Traeger control panel>settings> calibrate probe and calibrate probe until it reads 32°F (0°C) when placed in ice water.
If you are not using a thermometer on your smoker, then it is like shooting arrows in the dark.
The temperature in a Traeger grill is adjusted based on the reading shown by the Traeger probe.
If the probe is giving an inaccurate reading, then there is no way you can grill your food effectively.
So it might be your question: how should you calibrate your Traeger’s probe if it’s inaccurate?
without confusing you further , Let’s get started.
Traeger temperature probe calibration
Traeger grills are one of the most effective grills on earth when it comes to grilling food with the least effort.
Related:Traeger Pro 575 vs Pro 780
But over time, these grills start to malfunction.
One of these malfunctions is the inaccurate temperature probe.
The two main factors that determine the effectiveness of a grilling process are smoke and temperature.
If you are grilling food by using an inaccurate probe, then it is like shooting arrows in the dark.
Traeger Grills Pro 575 Grill
If you are not aware of the actual temperature, then how can you adjust the grill to reach the required temperature?
in addition if you want to use smoke setting on traeger grills that do not come with smoke setting like traeger pro 575 , you need to make sure that you have an accurate probe.
So it is really important for your probe to be accurate to make sure that you are adjusting the temperature correctly.
Although calibrating your probe might sound complex, it is really simple.
Here is a step-by-step guide for Traeger probe calibration.
#1:Turn on the grill
First of all, you need to plug your grill into the electric supply and turn it on.
The calibration is done using the transducer settings.
After turning the grill on, you need to plug the probe into the socket present near the grill’s display.
Once the probe is plugged in, you should press the menu button present near the toggle knob below the display.
Once the menus appear on the display, you need to navigate to settings > probe calibration > calibrate.
#2:Insert the probe in ice
After that, place some ice blocks in a glass and fill it with cold water to about two-thirds of the way up the glass. you can also use traeger water pan ,but make sure to fill it with ice.
Now, insert the Traeger probe into the water and stir it gently in the water to make sure it reads the temperature of the ice.
#3:Wait and check the reading
Wait one minute, and then check the reading on the display.
If it reads 32 degrees, then your thermometer probe is accurate.
If it is giving a wrong reading, then follow the next section and offset the probe.
#4:offset the probe
if the reading provided by the probe is not accurate, then it means Traeger probe is inaccurate .you need to offset the probe to adjust it to the correct temperature.
You need to make sure that you are reading the probe reading and not other temperatures.
Probe readings will be shown in front of the probe option on the display.
If it is way off from 32 degrees, like +15 or -15 degrees, then you need to contact Traeger customer support.
Traeger probe calibration is a simple yet effective process that you must perform once in while to be sure that its accurate.
How to offset the probe on a Traeger grill
If calibrating your Traeger probe doesn’t fix it, then you can move on to offsetting to fix it.
Offsetting probes can help us manually adjust the probe up to –15 or +15.
It basically means that you need to set the accurate temperature manually.
It can be really helpful to fine-tune the temperature and set the correct temperature.
For example, if you calibrate your probe following the above guide, But your probe gives a reading of 27 degrees while it is in the ice glass.
In this case, you can offset the probe and turn the knob towards the right for 5 degrees, which will then set the temperature at 32 degrees.
Similarly, if you get a reading of 40 degrees, turn the knob left for 8 degrees, which will change your reading to 32 degrees.
Here is a step-by-step guide to offsetting your Traeger probe.
- First of all, you need to click on the menu option on your Traeger grill.
- It will open the menus on your Traeger display.
- After that, you need to scroll through the options using the knob.
- You need to navigate to settings > probe calibration > offset probe.
- Now you need to adjust the temperature probe on the basis of the probe reading.
- For example, if your probe is reading 28 degrees in a water bath, then turn the knob to the right for 4 degrees.
- After that, press the knob to save the adjustments.
- Finally, click back and exit the settings.
By following this procedure, you can calibrate and offset your probe.
Hopefully, the probe would have been fixed by now, but if it wasn’t, then consider replacing it or contacting customer support.
You need to keep in mind that turning the knob towards the right will add the temperature, while turning towards the left will subtract it.
You should also keep in mind that you can calibrate your probe by offsetting it if it is off by – 15 or + 15.
If it’s off by more than 15 degrees, then you should consider contacting customer support.
What is a meat probe ?
if you have been smoking meat for enough time with a traditional smoker or even if you are a newbie, you may get confused by this new generation grills instrument known as a meat probe.
A meat probe is a type of thermometer inserted into the meat and placed inside the smoker along with the meat.
it is used to be aware of the meat internal temperature while smoking.
when smoking the temperature of the meat is really crucial and id you are not aware of the temperature then its similar to shooting arrow in the dark
A Traeger meat probe gives you the reading of the meat internal temperature on the display so that you can make informed decisions about the temperature .
How many types pf smoker probes are there?
There are four commonly known temperature probes that are usually used in smokers .These probes include analogue, instant red , infrared and wireless probes.
Here is table explaining main fearyres of all probes.
| Feature | Analogue | Wireless Meat Thermometer | Instant Read Digital Thermometer | Infrared Thermometers |
| Accuracy | Moderate | High | High | Moderate to High |
| Temperature Range | Limited | Wide | Limited | Wide |
| Probe Quantity | 1 | Multiple | 1 | Non-contact |
Frequently asked questions
Now that we have discussed the main issue, lets discuss some other questions that you might have .
How to check if the probe is accurate
To calibrate your Traeger probe, first you need to determine that it is inaccurate.
There are several approaches to determining the inaccuracy of a Traeger probe.
But you need to follow the ones where you are sure that you are getting an accurate reading.
To check the accuracy of a probe, the most credible process is to follow the process mentioned above by using a glass of ice.
If the probe is not measuring the ice temperature accurately, it is inaccurate and needs to be calibrated.
Some people want to check the inaccuracy by putting in the least amount of effort possible.
For those, using an instant-read thermometer is a perfect choice.
You can just put the thermometer inside the grill and then compare its reading with the probe’s reading to check for inaccuracy.
You first need to make sure that you are using an accurate thermometer.
Do I need to calibrate the Traeger probe
Yes, you definitely need to calibrate your probe regularly.
If the probe is inaccurate, then it will do more harm than good.
The effectiveness of your grilling depends largely on the maintenance of the right temperature throughout the process.
if you don’t calibrate your Traeger probe regularly than it can result in overheating or flame out due to low temperature.
So it is really important to calibrate the probe to stay informed of the correct temperature and make adjustments accordingly.
grilling on your traeger grill without making sure that the probe is accurate is like shooting in the dark and hoping for the best. to grill you will have to calibrate traeger probe regularly.
How often to calibrate the Traeger probe
As a general rule, you need to check for inaccuracy and calibrate your probe every couple of weeks to grill effectively.
But if you detect sudden temperature changes or suspect that the temperature is way off from the probe temperature, then you should calibrate it immediately.
what to do if traeger probe temp is way off
Traeger probe is supposed to be used to have an idea of the temperature and not as a strict rule. Generally , the temperature reading between two thermometers can vary by 5 to 10 °F.
But if the reading is way off, then it is better to traeger follow above temperature probe calibration process and offset your probe before using it again.
if the probe is still giving inaccurate reading, then its better to replace it with a new one to make sure you are aware of the meat condition throughout the process.
what to do if traeger probe is not working
Traeger grills often come with a good quality probes which can last for a long time. but if your grill probe is not working , then replacing it is the only option.
But before that you need to make sure that its wiring is set up correctly. you can check it by accessing the control panel .
if the wiring is set up correctly and the firmware is also updated , then replacing it is the only solution.
you can purchase a new probe from traeger or use a third party probe if you want.
do i have to calibrate my traeger probe every time
NO, you don’t need to calibrate the traeger every time you start you grill. but its better to check for accuracy after few uses to make sure you are getting the correct reading.
Generally, you need to compare its reading with an instant read thermometer time to time to stay on the safe end.
it will not take much time but it can be a huge relief to be sure that you are relying on the accurate temp reading.
what to do if traeger probe is inaccurate
if your traeger probe is inaccurate , the you don’t need to panic, it is completely normal for your probe to get malfunctioned after being used for several time.
if you found out that your traeger probe is inaccurate , then congratulations, you are halfway there. most of the beginners even don’t figure it out that they are doing the basics wrong.
after that , you can just find out how much off the probe reading is when compared to actual reading and then offset the probe by following the above process to make sure you are using an accurate probe.
how to calibrate traeger meat probe
the calibration process of traeger meat probe is similar to that of calibrating the temperature probe. they essentially perform the same function in different zones.
you first need to check if the meat probe is accurate or not by comparing to reading to an instant reading thermometer or putting it into the ice water.
after you have measured how much off the reading is from the correct one, then you can just offset the probe by following the above mentioned process to make sure that it is providing the accurate reading.
why is my traeger probe not working
there are several reasons that can cause you traeger probe to not work, but the main one is that it is not connected correctly.
you should make sur that it is connected to the connectors correctly and tightly by turning accessing the control panel.
another reason for the probe not working is the preheating period. once you to turn the grill on, you should make sure to wait for sometime to allow the grill temperature to rally take off and appear on the display of the grill.
can you calibrate traeger probe while cooking
there is no black and white answer to this question. although it is possible to do so, we would advise to not start cooking your meat unless you are sure that the probe is accurate.
even if you come to know that our probe is inaccurate during the process , it is better to call off the bbq for sometime or use a replacement probe while trying to calibrate traeger thermometer
Traeger Grills Meat Probe Kit
Conclusion
calibrating Traeger probe is required for effective grilling.
It is much simpler than it may sound. i hope now you have mastered the process and are well aware of how to calibrate Traeger probe
Traeger grills are user-friendly, and you can calibrate the probe with a few clicks.
traeger temperature calibration is essential step for the proper functioning of these grills.traeger probe accuracy is a direct factor impacting the flavor of meat.
If it doesn’t get fixed by following the above procedure, then contact customer support.
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