Tough Ribs (again)
- Thread starter Les Stubby
- Start date
Dave Russell
TVWBB Honor Circle
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tjkoko:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:...When temp is measured in the exhaust vent, that is the hottest temp of the cooker, 15 degrees or so hotter than the top grate. When the temp is measured opposite the vent, on the lid (with a gauge) that is the coolest temp of the cooker, and probably a few degrees cooler than what the center of the bottom rack is with a full pan of water in it. Most wsm's don't have gauges on the lid and some folks call the vent measurement the "lid temp", making it a little confusing. You'll find that meat placement and doneness level affects these differences and that's one reason why it's so popular to measure at the vent. Folks may feel this is more of a constant way to measure temp in the wsm, and I guess if the differences concern you, you could always rotate the rack 180 degrees for half the cook or put the thickest part of cuts on the vent side when feasible. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Others here have this experience? The main reason I mounted my therm. permanently rather that continue placing it into the vent was to avoid breakage and now I'm reading - here at this thread - temperature differences between the vent and just across the handle from it.
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It's no big deal where you have your gauge. The thing is to realize there IS going to be a significant difference from what the actual cooking temp is. In your case, cooking low and slow is 200 and a bit over, and if it says 300, you're probably where you want to be if you do the hi-temp brisket that's so popular.
The thing about the gauges is, they eventually quit working reliably, so I guess that the hand over the vent is the most reliable. However, I like to be able to tell what's going on with any of my cookers or grills from inside or a distance. Smokers that use charcoal as fuel aren't like stick burners where you can look at the exhaust from a distance and have an idea what's going on in the firebox.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave Russell:...When temp is measured in the exhaust vent, that is the hottest temp of the cooker, 15 degrees or so hotter than the top grate. When the temp is measured opposite the vent, on the lid (with a gauge) that is the coolest temp of the cooker, and probably a few degrees cooler than what the center of the bottom rack is with a full pan of water in it. Most wsm's don't have gauges on the lid and some folks call the vent measurement the "lid temp", making it a little confusing. You'll find that meat placement and doneness level affects these differences and that's one reason why it's so popular to measure at the vent. Folks may feel this is more of a constant way to measure temp in the wsm, and I guess if the differences concern you, you could always rotate the rack 180 degrees for half the cook or put the thickest part of cuts on the vent side when feasible. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Others here have this experience? The main reason I mounted my therm. permanently rather that continue placing it into the vent was to avoid breakage and now I'm reading - here at this thread - temperature differences between the vent and just across the handle from it.
It's no big deal where you have your gauge. The thing is to realize there IS going to be a significant difference from what the actual cooking temp is. In your case, cooking low and slow is 200 and a bit over, and if it says 300, you're probably where you want to be if you do the hi-temp brisket that's so popular.
The thing about the gauges is, they eventually quit working reliably, so I guess that the hand over the vent is the most reliable. However, I like to be able to tell what's going on with any of my cookers or grills from inside or a distance. Smokers that use charcoal as fuel aren't like stick burners where you can look at the exhaust from a distance and have an idea what's going on in the firebox.
Great thread. Would like to interject that any piece of meat can be tough. Last summer I cooked for my son snd daughter in law's reception and bbq'd over 100 lbs of spareribs and 1 slab gave me fits. The meat did not retract as well as the others and did not bend as the others after 4 hours. I sliced it up and it wasn't as tender as I wanted so it wasn't placed on the buffet table. IMO a piece of meat can be the culprit for a tough cook.
joe
joe
Gary H. NJ
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">The thing about the gauges is, they eventually quit working reliably, so I guess that the hand over the vent is the most reliable. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I couldn't agree more, Dave. Of course it's important to get a thermometer reading, but you want to use that in addition to your aquired-over-time intuition skills (hand over the vent, etc). Mike Mills says that by the time your thermometer gauge wears out you should be able to tell the temp without it anyway...
I couldn't agree more, Dave. Of course it's important to get a thermometer reading, but you want to use that in addition to your aquired-over-time intuition skills (hand over the vent, etc). Mike Mills says that by the time your thermometer gauge wears out you should be able to tell the temp without it anyway...
Les Stubby
TVWBB Fan
I did remove the membrane, although as mentioned, the ribs could not have been the best. I will figure this out.
Les
Les