Lid Thermometer Eye Opener

[Larry Powers]

I have beef ribs on the WSM today. I had my IQ set at 275 and the lid was thermometer was sitting around 300. I figured the lid was hotter then the grate so that sounded OK. 3 hours into the cook the ribs are looking pretty cooked so I find a Maverick thermometer and put a grill clip on the probe. At this point the lid thermometer was sitting at 280. The Maverick shot up to 310. Somewhat amazed I pulled out my new icelsius and set it up as a grate thermometer and got the same results. I never expected that the lid thermometer would be 30 degrees cooler then the grate temp. I had the IQ probe hanging under the grate. I have it above the grate now. I am slowly dropping the temps and am curious to if there will still be a 30 degree temp difference when I get the grate temp down to about 280.

 

[Charlie L]

I like my IQ110 but my IQ probe and maverick probe NEVER match. I think the fact that IQ shields their probes with an alligator clip is part of the discrepancy.

Often my 250 on my IQ is 275 on maverrick (which is boiling water tested as accurate)

I usually set the IQ so it thinks its at one temp but i know its at another: if i want 275 i set the maverick at 250 or 260. It does a good job HOLDING a specific temp you just need to decide yourself what that temp is.

 

[Bob Bass]

As long as I keep my pit temperature probe away from the cooling effect of the meat, my lid thermometer always reads lower than the pit probe when cooking meat.
I run with a foiled, dry water pan.

 

[Bruce Bissonnette]

I have a BBQ Guru Probe Tree, https://bbqguru.com/storenav?ProductId=55 and I can place my IQue probe on their and set 250 for example and them place a digital
probe on it and they will hold usually within 5-8 degrees of each other. My lid therm is always about 25 degrees cooler than the pit temp.

 

[Enrico Brandizzi]

My lid thermo s always 25F lower than the grate probe on my 22 WSM. I use pizza foiled stone

 

[Sean R]

I've had a heck of a time figuring out ANY positive correlation on my 14.5

Getting up to and above 300, the discrepancy USUALLY grows. I have on occasion or two, typically not at stable temps, shown higher on the lid. More commonly (then reading too high), the lid will read spot on though most of the time its 20 to 70 degrees cooler...

Which is fun because I brought my 14.5 to my moms to smokey a thanksgiving turkey... and totally forgot my thermometer (and well... all cooking tools), at home.
Even better, rarely any wind at home, and non-stop breeze here that is really messing with me. Should still come out though.