What's the temp?

[Big Dawg]

Temp comparisons:

You know, we’ve always been told to cook this type of meant at that kind of temperature, and for a loooooong time, all we had to go on was that little thermometer in the lid of our kettle.  Accurate or not, it was all we had.

Well, I’ve often wondered how different the temps were between the little thermometer on the kettle lid and what it was on the grate.  So on my last cook, I installed one probe on a bracket just under the lid’s handle and put another one on the cooking grate.

Below is a breakdown of the temps recorded in those locations.  Keep in mind that I was trying to maintain between 225º - 250º for this particular cook.







As you can see, after an initial spike, it was fairly consistent with the staying right at 70% or, or about 100º below, the dome.

Of course, one of my objectives was to see if there was a steady relationship so that I could have a consistent location for my grill probe. 

What do you think?





BD

[hikerman]

Steady as she goes! Interesting.  I personally would keep the probe at grate level because that's really where it counts as far as monitoring.

[Big Dawg]

I'm thinking about it also for my WSMs.  With them, depending on what I'm cooking, the grate p[robe could be on the edge or more to the center.  I'm just wanting a consistent way to determine the temp in the cooker.





BD

[hikerman]

I'm thinking about it also for my WSMs.  With them, depending on what I'm cooking, the grate p[robe could be on the edge or more to the center.  I'm just wanting a consistent way to determine the temp in the cooker.





BD

Bill your graph proves consistancy throughout, so a probe anywhere would work by calculating that zones' +differential but as I get older the less i need to remember the better! 

[Hub]

I've always wondered why the lid thermometer on my Performer pegs out when I know the cooker itself isn't nearly that hot.  This explains it.  I don't cook by the lid thermometer, anyway.

Hub

[HighOnSmoke]

I am not sure on my WSM's.  If my grate temp is setting at 250 I am always running at least 25 to 60 degrees cooler on the lid temp. This
does it on both of my WSM's.  In reality, my way of thinking, shouldn't the lid temp be higher like with the kettle? My kettles run lid temp about where yours is
when I am measuring at the grate. 

[smokeasaurus]

Some thermometers will also be affected by the outside air temps.

[Big Dawg]

I've always wondered why the lid thermometer on my Performer pegs out when I know the cooker itself isn't nearly that hot.  This explains it.  I don't cook by the lid thermometer, anyway.

Hub

I agree, the lid thermometers are not that accurate anyway.  One of my reasons for doing this was to see if there was a reliable correlation.  Plus, for years and years before Maverick, that thermometer was all we had.  I was just curious how far we were off when cooking ribs or butts on a kettle.

Depending on what I'm cooking, the grate probe could be in different locations, possible closer to farther way from the heat source.  For instance , on this case I was using the SnS and cooking two chucks so the fire stayed on one place and the probe was in the center of the cooking grate, in between the two roasts.  But, if I was cooking a brisket, I would more likely use my WSM charcoal ring and run the briquettes around the outside because I know that I can go longer than 4-5 hours.  But, the probe would be somewhere along the outer edge of the grate and, since the fire would be moving, could eventually come close enough to the probe to provide an incorrect reading.

I was hoping that, by having the probe in a constant location regardless of what method I used, I could more easily maintain my intended cooking temp.  Finding out that, once the cooker warms up, I'm about 100 hotter at the top of the dome, I should be able to keep my probe up there and know what my "real" temp is.

Also, it was something to do . . . .

I am not sure on my WSM's.  If my grate temp is setting at 250 I am always running at least 25 to 60 degrees cooler on the lid temp. This
does it on both of my WSM's.  In reality, my way of thinking, shouldn't the lid temp be higher like with the kettle? My kettles run lid temp about where yours is when I am measuring at the grate. 

I agree, Mike.  I'll be giving that a try at my next competition as both WSMs are over one of my team member's house because he's building a cart for them.





BD