Dome temp irrelevant?

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Q'd half (3.5#) a Boston butt yesterday after installing a new thermometer in the WSM dome...I wasn't happy w/ putting a candy thermometer in a vent hole. Location was opposite the top vent on the other side of the handle. Was able to maintain a steady dome temp of 225. When the meat temp (Taylor probe)plataued at 165, I laid a second Taylor probe on the grill next to the butt. It registered a consistent 30 degrees hotter than the dome temp. Now the question:

Did I waste time & money installing the dome thermometer? Are they holdovers from the days before Polder/Taylor, now made obsolete by being able to take the temp at the grill? And what's the opinion on what temp, taken from where,is ideal?

Grateful for any opinions/suggestions.

Pete
 
Just a guess on my part, but since metal (grate) is very heat conductive wouldn't it be hotter then the air around it? Would it be more accurate to sit the probe on something that's not heat conductive? Perhaps some parchment paper or something like that? Just a guess, however, I can't imagine that the air temp at the grate is higher then the air temp at the vent.
 
The usual procedure for measuring grate temp with a remote probe thermo is to pass the probe tip thru something like a wine cork or a potato, or even the corner of the meat itself, but with the probe tip exposed. If the probe lays on the grate itself, I would think it would make for inaccurate readings.
 
Here's a section where Chris discusses measuring temperature in the WSM. And like J. & Doug said, the probe needs to be insulated from the grate. Potatos are a common way, also explained in the above link.
 
The metal of the grates will be a bit hotter than the surrounding air. Think of it this way, the charcoal in the pan is heating up the entire WSM since everything is metal and the heat is conducted throughout the metal unit (including the grates). Granted, the further you are away from the charcoal, the cooler the metal as you are also in contact with air (on the outside).
 
I've been using the metal clip with a hole in it that came with my Maverick ET-73. Is that OK to use, or would a potato or block of wood be better?

Jeff
 
The clip should be fine, just as long as the tip of the probe-- where the sensor is-- isn't touching it.
 
Thanks, guys, for your thoughts. Looks like I should have checked the site more closely before asking!

Best regards, Pete
 
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