temp question

[Guest]

I just got my wsm today and broke it in with some burgers...I know thats lame, but tomorrow I'm doing 6 slabs of BB's Britu style for family...now thats a little more Bolder.. I have two thermometers, one in the vent with cork and an oven therm. on the grates. I calibrated the top one at 210 in boiling water. I noticed the top one was reading 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the bottom grates...I thought I remembered reading that it was suppose to be reversed. Not sure if the oven therm is off and don't know how to find out. Will try to calibrate with oven, but have heard oven temps aren't exact either.

am using the brinkman water pan and filled it half full.

side note...when you do burgers do any of you sear them first on a grill then smoke them..they came out good, but I think maybe a little dryer than when I grill them.

update: oven therm read to be 25 degrees higher than 250 setting on top rack and 15 higher on bottom rack...so I guess it was the oven temp.
anwered my own question I guess...just panicking

 

[DaveMcK]

Hi Brian,

Your right about the temp rising in the cooker concept. The differnce I get is about 15-20* hotter at the dome than at the top grate. That's using a candy therm at the lid vent and a Polder or a Taylor therm at the grate. This difference will vary depending on wind, sun, vents...
I think the oven therms are best for...ovens. Don't trust them...they are evil! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

Curious about the water pan thing. Brinkman pan is a good thing but are you half filling it with water or sand, and is that for the ribs?

As for the burgers, I like mine seared on the grill then indirect. I've used the bottom section of the WSM with coals and wood chunks pushed as far over to one side as I can get them. Then grill 'em direct till they sear on both sides then move them to the opposite side and let them relax...take a smoke break. I use the lid carefully during the cook.
HTH

Dave

 

[Guest]

well the ribs are happening today for the first time...I am going to fill the brinkman water pan with cool water (1.5gal). will let you know how it turns out.

You're right about the burgers...I used the grill twice over the weekend (with direct and indirect heat for the first time) and they were the best I ever had, not as good in the WSM, but I was itching to fire it up and they were edible so it was still worth it..will stick with the grill from now on.