I am baffled!!!!!


 
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Larry Wolfe

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This is a first and I need an answer!!!! Why in the hell is my ET-73 20* higher at the grate than my Weber 9815 in the dome? It should be vise versa!! I boiled a pot of water and the Weber 9815 reads 210 and the ET-73 reads 212 right on the money! What is wrong????? Has anyone else ever had this problem???

I did find out something kinda strange during this process though. If you calibrate the probe for the ET-73 by itself, it reads 212 exactly. But if you have the grate clip on it, it registers 213-214. Go figure?
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Well, let's see. I'm sure one of our engineering types will be able to 'splain, Lucy, but until then, I did find these.

This post is from Feb (by Jeff Edvik): "I have an Ashcroft bimetal thermometer mounted in the dome of my WSM. I also use a maverick probe to keep track of the temp at the top grate. At the start of a cook, my dome thermometer usually reads 10-15* higher than the one at the grate. But.... after 6 hours or so, the temps start to become much closer to each other, and at the end of an overnight cook it's not unusual for me to see the grate level therm reading 10* or so higher than the one at the dome."

And from Doug D, in July: "Althought the opposite-- for reasons unknown-- has been observed from time to time, temperature measurements at the top grate typically run 10-15 degrees higher than at the bottom grate, and 10-15 cooler than those taken at the dome. It's just a matter of heat rising, and the water-filled pan acting as a heat shield even though the lower grate is physically closer to the fire."
 
Larry, were the ends of the probes clean? I have found that if the probes have any carbon build up on them, then I get erratic readings. Just a thought
 
Susan,
Thanks, but all of those posts were the opposite of what is happening to me!!
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My grate temps are higher than my dome temps!
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Nick,
The grate probe was dirty, when I tested it most of the carbon came off. The readings are actually lower now that they are clean!

I just wanna know what temperature to go by, seeing as both of them calibrated fine. I don't like the 250* grate, dome would be fine!
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Maybe try averageing the 2 temps for this cook. They aren't off by that much that averaging would effect. Keep a close eye on meat temp.
 
Problem solved! I have two big butts on the top grate taking up most of the room. Normally the probe is closer to the center and gets residual heat rather tha direct heat. Today it is right at the edge, so I am getting the "direct" side heat coming directly off the charcoal. Kinda makes sense, right? Duhhhhhh!
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Not a duh or a doh! I hope, 'cause the same thing happened to me last week. I also found that the metal clip holding my Polder probe was conducting the heat from the grate to the probe. Pulled the clip and ran it through half a wine cork and the temp dropped 25 degrees, even on the side.
 
This is the 4th time I have used the ET-73 and haven't had a problem with it before. It is still reading a bit high, but it is alot closer to the dome temp now. But my dome temp is still a bit lower. It kinda aggrevates me. The other cooks with the ET-73 went fine.
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This whole thing has driven me to drink, I am on my 2nd beer. It is only 10:45! The Skins games doesn't come on until 8:00!!!!! Guess I will have to take a nap!
 
Larry,

At that rate, I think you'll miss the game! Best of luck with the smokin' session and try not to fixate (any more than you have) on the temp difference.

Your smokin' support group,
 
Larry,

Please already. Don't you know acceptance is the first step to recovery?

It isn't the ET-73 that's driving you to drink. It's the Redskin's defense.
 
I feel like I should be holding a candle in front of me and admitting to a problem. Be right back, gotta get another beer......................................Okay where were we?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>
At that rate, I think you'll miss the game! Best of luck with the smokin' session and try not to fixate (any more than you have) on the temp difference. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> NOT A CHANCE, I HAVEN'T MISSED A GAME IN YEARS!!! When I got married for the first time our Honeymoon was based around the Redskins game. Maybe that is why we are no longer married? I know how to pace myself drinking beer..............maybe not. I am not fixated on the temp differences. It is just frustating, this has never happend before!
 
Rob,
The Skins D is not the problem, it is the offense (the two costly free agents in particular) and the special teams that is killing the team!! Where is Jeff George when you need him! ha!
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Today it is right at the edge <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

glad you figured it out Larry, happened to me once too

another funky thing my ET-73 will do is fluctuate radically and frequently if the smoker temp probe is too close to a big chunk of cold meat, it was really crazy one time when it was practically touching the meat AND underneath a meat overhang. Temp was bouncing around like 15F every couple of seconds.
 
Here might be another reason that the temps gets "switched"! i found this in the cooking sections of the chuck roll.....
higher at grate....paragraph just under the graph


This graph highlights several interesting points. First, you'll notice that the grate temperature is always a few degrees higher than the lid temperature at any given point in time. This is interesting because when I did some temperature experiments back in 1999, I found just the opposite--that the lid averaged 12-15°F higher than the top grate. This difference may be explained by the fact that in 1999, I took measurements with no meat in the cooker, and I measured temperature at the center of the grate. In this case, there was a 15-pound chuck in the cooker, and the thermometer probe was positioned just a few inches from the edge of the grate, where heat rises up around the water pan.
 
Thanks Mords! I actually had the probe too close to the edge due to the size of the butts. I moved it closer to the middle and that solved my problem!
 
<span class="ev_code_BLUE">Larry,</span>
Larry,

I had serious probe problems during me Fri night brisket cook. My weber thermometer at the top was giving me a 225 temp, my polder was going crazy (think the prob is bad) as it kept fluxing between 220 and 350ish....with no inbetween. It would just flicker and switch temps instantly. Also had my maverick down the top and it gave me a 215 reading in the dome. I was getting totally diff readings. I ended up trusting my maverick and stuck it in the meat after calibrating it again during the cook. And trusted the weber therm after doing the same...then put it thru vent for a dome temp. I cleaned up the polder prob and got some of the residue off. Put new batteries in it. And after messing with it for a bit I put it in the lid vent with the weber therm and it was within a few degs of the weber therm. So go figure I have no clue what the deal was. I'm just going to toss it and buy a new one to compliment the old maverick one I have. I have an old one that only does ONE remote prob. I'm gonna get a new one that does two (one for the meat and one for the grate temp). And keep the old one for those rare days I use my bottom grate.
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