Temp problems

[John Mason]

I've had my WSM since August, so I'm no expert. Recently mounted two Tel-Tru dial therms - one just above each grate.

The last couple of cooks the bottom therm read a higher temp than the top one. 33 degrees out and snowing, I fired up the WSM, minion method, the bottom temp registered 200/top 150, put on one brisket on the bottom grate and three pork butts on the top. Got the temp to 225-bottom/175-top and it stayed that way for hours. Got the temp inched up to 250-bottom/200-top. I put a polder probe in the top vent-it read 216.

Finally toward the end of the cook the therms started to read what I would think of as normal, bottom 225/top-240. I checked them in boiling water and both read 212.

Any clues why this could be happening? It's throwing me off my game.

 

[Guest]

My guess is that you had more meat on the top grate. That would absorb more of the heat generated by the coals and result in a lower temperature?

 

[Guest]

Jason, I would have to Squeeze 3 butts on a rack. Were they stuck to each other? (allowing limited flow)? Were the meats put in "out of the fridge" or room temp? Hot water in the pan or cold?
Outside temp should have little effect unless it is breezy. Wind break? Vent openings?
TVWB? Ask and you shall recieve. Keep smokin! /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

 

[John Mason]

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering if the tip of the top therm might have been close to the meat and making it read low.

The three butts were about 7 lbs. each. I had to set them on "edge" and in kind of a circle to fit them in without having them touch each other.

I did all the prep and rubbing down just before putting them in the WSM so they were closer to room temp than fridge temp.

Had sand in the pan. Top vent wide, bottom vents-one closed, one wide, one 30% open. Later only one bottom vent opened wide, others closed. It was breezy. I put up a wind break, but it kept falling down and just when I got it set up sturdy, the wind would shift 180, wouldn't ya know it!?

The butts came out fine, the brisket had very dry hard bark on the bottom, I think 'cause I ran the temp a little higher trying to compensate for the false reading on the top therm.

Also didn't flip the brisket. Being on the bottom and not having anything good to set the top grate off on, what's there tends to stay 'til it's done. The rest of the brisket came out moist and flavorful (a little too tender), just had to cut that bottom bark off.

I'll try again and see if it's the top therm tip being too close to the meat.