Temp Differences


 
NeilH

NeilH

TVWBB Emerald Member
Anyone now a ballpark number for the difference betwen the grate temp and the dome temp on the kettle. I have a OTP and was trying to get an idea.
 
I have done low and slow on my Performer with a probe mounted on the grate and have observed a measured difference of maybe 10-20 degrees at the lid, but my Performer is a 2008 model in which the thermometer probe is under the top handle facing the top vent. In other words it is going to be lower for that reason also.

I have a 18.5 inch OTG that I have mounted a thermometer in the lid similar to the placement on the OTP. Since it is on the opposite side from the vent and directly over the grate, I consider it to measure much more accurately since it is not influenced by venting air although I have never used a grate level probe to be able to verify that.

Personally I only use kettle thermometers to get approximate readings during normal direct and indirect grilling since there are so many variations from spot to spot on the grates anyway, Low and slow is a different matter. Even in that case, if I am measuring somewhere around 250 plus or minus at the dome on my Performer, that is good enough for me.
 
yea, if you want to be a bit more accurate then you need a remote or oven temp gauge at grate level near the meat to see what you are cooking at. its what i do and its just plain easy. i have five gauges with three being remote senders so i can be inside and see whats going on. well worth the purchase.
 
George Curtis said:
yea, if you want to be a bit more accurate then you need a remote or oven temp gauge at grate level near the meat to see what you are cooking at. its what i do and its just plain easy. i have five gauges with three being remote senders so i can be inside and see whats going on. well worth the purchase.
Click to expand...

I have a maverick I use on my wsm. Guess the next thing is figure out how to run the wires. I notched my wsm in the mid section like others have done on here and works great, just need to look at the OTP and figure out a way.
 
i have for many years run the wires under the lid draped over the body. the lids have enough play.
as long as you are carefull you will not have any problems.
 
I would be careful with the maverick probes on a kettle when measuring grate temperature as I think the max temp for some of the probes is only about 500 F
 
Neil, I just use the Maverick by placing it under my lid. Like George says there is enough play to do that. I have gotten in the habit of cooking most times with my lid thermometer in the 300 range believing grill temps to be about 320-325. It has worked well for me with pork, chicken and roast beef although I usually wind it up to about 450 for a roast beef initially and then choke it down. I've droppped a 100 degrees in 10 minutes with my kettle. Can't do that in an oven.
 
Thanks for the great info. Gary, that's what I was seeing for a ballpark difference in temps on my last cook. Also, the info on the probes messing up around 500 helps, Dave.
 
I don't know how high you could go with the kettle. I'm not sure that I have ever cooked at 500 degrees so I have no experience with the probe wires. In the past when I sear a steak it's been over open flame but I will be trying some new techniques with the 26" kettle and the CI grate below the normal charcoal grate.
 
I find it to be in the 40-50 degree difference, with dome the highest. Now, this is with the dome temp in the front middle, and the mav. over the indirect side of the grill, I just use the dome temp as a rough idea. The first time I used my kettle was for chicken breast, not using the mav. and thought I was cooking in the 300-325 range and could not understand why it took as long as it did. Next cook, I used the mav. and understand why the first took longer than I anticipated.....................d
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top