Stoker - Where do you put your Air Probes?


 
J

Jeff Hartford

New member
Where does everyone place their Air Temperature Probes?
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>Placement?
<LI> Above top grill?
<LI> Hanging below?
<LI> Near rim?
<LI> Centered?[/list]
<UL TYPE=SQUARE> Oriented?
<LI> Horizontal?
<LI> Pointed Up?
<LI> Pointed Down?
<LI> Down through the grate?
[/list]

The reason I ask is because I have 2 Air Temp probes and when I put them in different places and I often get very different readings depending on placement.

Even with both placed about 2 inches in from the rim, away from the food, but on opposite sides of the rack I can have 20 degree differences. I try to actual us as the control the one farthest from the fan and the food.

Thanks
Jeff
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Steve Story:
Jeff, have you tested your probes in ice water or boiling water to verify they are correctly calibrated? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep, calibration is good, and if I swap the probe positions mid-cook the values swap.

Not a good view of the swap, but i have done it before with clearer results.

MYhIs.jpg



Green line seems much more dependent on fan condition (inversely)
 
There are more variables than just probe placement. How about fuel placement? Blower Placement. And (when applicable) food placement.

I would expect a probe that is above where my currently lit coals are to be slightly hotter than the opposite side, especially if the chamber were otherwise empty.

YMMV.

EDIT to add my answer, I put the probe on the top grate, pretty much centered, and pretty much horizontal, and pretty much sorta close to the food if I have to.
 
I found the biggest issue was how close it was to large bodies of meat. It almost ruined one of my cooks when it was almost touching it.
 
Left side of the cooking grate (because that's the side my electrical outlet is most of the time), mid rack top to bottom and a few inches from the meat.

Too close to the outside and the updrafted heat around the pan will give you a hot reading. Also, but much less so, too close to really cold meat will give you the opposite.

About 3" in from the perimeter and 2" away from the meat works for me. If you have a ton of meat or cooking from frozen, move away accordingly.

Like all BBQ, these are all variables but trial and error works best.

Good luck.
 
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