Temperature question


 
M

Mark Wein

New member
Crazy question. I use a fire board thermometer in the meat and on the grill
It is often higher temp than the Weber dome thermometer
Which one is right? Which one should I use for tracking my cook temp?
Thanks
Msrk
 
I presume its a wirelless thermapen.

In short, all measurements are flawed, and just an affront to the gods. You can just pick one, usually the digital one and never look back.

The longer answer is, dome temperature under-estimates the temp at the grate level (usually, if we are talking about indirect cooking), and is slow to measure a change in temperature.

Ambient sensors of meat stick probes have issues too. The heat shielding lets the probe respond slowly to temperature changes. The evaporative cooling around the meat also will read lower than the air temperature inside the grill.

The wired probe at the grate is the fastest to respond. It generally over-estimates the temperature due to the wire which will see some heat as well. And like I said, I found it can vary significantly depending on probe placement.

E: So the takeaway is there is no "true" cooker temperature. There are flawed measurements, and its more important to get consistent. Know when and why you cannot trust your probe, and adjust from there. Your 250F won't be my 250F.
 
Last edited:
Both are right :)

the grate probe may be higher or lower than the gauge on the lid depending on where it is positioned with respect to the coal.

I tend to use an ambient probe at grate level for low-and-slow cooks only and I trust it more than a lid gauge.

edit: I don't bother using grate probes for anything over 350F.
 
I am using a wired fire board probe on the grill at the foot of my brisket. It’s about 10-15* warmer than the dome is reporting.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top