One side is hotter?

[Guest]

I cooked 2 pork butts and a 13# brisket this weekend. I had the 2 pork butts on the top grate and the brisket on the bottom. I had my nutemp probes on on each side of the top grate, but for some reason, one side was 20 degress lower then the other. Anyone ever run across this problem?

~My first butt/brisket smoke came out okay. The brisket was a little dry and one of the porks had to be finished off in the oven because it was taking too long. The other butt was terrific though.

 

[Rick Soliman]

CT

Welcome to the forum. There is always a lot of talk about pit temps in the WSM. I always had probes everywhere in the begining. When I decide to just use my Tru-Temp BQ300 mounted in lid and a instant read thermo to check the meat did I start producing the very best BBQ.
There are a number of things that could have caused the temp variance. Some times a probe too close to the meat will read lower. Or maybe your coals were lighting faster on that side due to your vent configurations. Also the air is able to escape quicker on the side with the vent in the lid that may have played a part.
My advice is what others have given me dont worry so much that the temps are exactly perfect all over the inside of the pit. If your between 220-275 your just fine.

Also I have noticed a lot of guys saying there pork butt is taking too long latley. Well it should. You not going to enjoy the greatness of a pork shoulder slow cooked if you dont give it time. Plan at least 24hrs for the whole process if its done early just foil and place it in a cooler it will stay for hours and hours. But I feel your missing out if you dont let that butt hit 195-205 internal.

good luck
Rick

 

[Chris Finney]

Yeah, what Rick said.

Temps can vary due to many reasons / causes. All the reasons Rick stated are valid. And it could be as simple as the wind direction that day cooling one side more than the other. Don't worry about it too much. Shoot for a temp range and just make sure you are around it.