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I recommend something like this for when you're getting into long smokes.  It's a wireless multi-probe thermometer.  You set one probe in the cooking chamber to measure ambient smoking temperature, and put one (or more) probes into the various meats you're cooking, to have instant access to their temps at all times.

This one has a transmitter that sits on your smoker/grill, and a separate receiver that you can put anywhere in your house, as long as it's within range.  The one I have actually omits the receiver and just uses Wifi or Bluetooth to connect to an app on your phone, so your phone is effectively the receiver and you can remove one piece of new hardware from the equation.


https://www.amazon.com/ThermoPro-Wireless-Digital-Thermometer-Grilling/dp/B08KZR4F23/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=7YNJGWIUVC9H&keywords=4+probe+meat+thermometer&qid=1706895013&sprefix=4+probe+ther%2Caps%2C314&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

Just to clarify again, they weren't dry, just a tad bit dryer than I was envisioning.  I was actually very pleased for a first try. 

The Traeger has a thermometer and a LED display that measures the cooking chamber temp at all times, if that's what you're talking about.  I do need to start using the meat probe thermometer thingys, and learn what temps are best for what meats. 

Yeah, I was referring to the meat probes not the Traeger cooking chamber probe. 

Having the chamber temp is more important for a stick burner or kamado, or any other smoker that's not automated; the Traeger will take care of the chamber temp for you.

Yeah, I was referring to the meat probes not the Traeger cooking chamber probe.

Having the chamber temp is more important for a stick burner or kamado, or any other smoker that's not automated; the Traeger will take care of the chamber temp for you.

I'll take your word for it, like I said I've never used a pellet smoker.

I do know from experience that automated temp sensors like ovens have, can quite frequently be wrong, by as much as 10-20%.  I'd probably want to at least run a separate, precise chamber probe once or twice, to make sure the pellet smoker's temp sensor was correct.

buttermilk brine

I know a couple people that won't eat birds of any feather

they are odd ducks

You techno Rebel - kinda removes the mystique of you being a Pit Master . Not sure if it was Lopez-Alt(Food Lab),Alton Brown or ATK but they liked the instant read sticks - reasoning being that supposedly the probes themselves heat up and may accelerate internal temps. Perhaps the concern was finishing before the proper bark could form - I dunno. Far beyond my talents though - as the only low/slow I do is in the Crock Pot, since Fearless didn't catch this thought I'd do his job for him

Oh, I'm sure utee also uses an instant read... I know I do. 

The leave-in thermometer is what tells you when it's about time to start monitoring with the instant read. The leave-in isn't necessarily always at the coldest part of a piece of meat so when I'm getting close to temp I'll probe with the instant and gauge what sort of adjustment I need to make. I.e. if the target temp to pull it off the heat (let's say chicken) is 155, when the leave-in reads 150 or so I'll probe a few places to check. If I find a place that's 147, for example, I know not to pull it off until the instant read is closer to 157-158 because the leave-in therm isn't in the coldest part of the meat. 

thermometers are cheating, but less over done meat is a good thing and worth the cheat