Where to measure 225 temp?

[I3acon]

Hey Folks,
Total beginner here. Just bought a Weber 22" to use for smoking and grilling, figuring it's a good entry level grill to get my feet wet. Anyway, everyone says the perfect temperature to smoke at is 225 degrees. However, I'm not entirely clear on WHERE I should be correctly measuring the temp. When setting up my Weber for indirect grilling/smoking, the dome temperature gauge is directly above the coals. So if I go by the dome temperature, then the temp where the meat is at is 100+ degrees lower. If I go by the grate temp where the meat is at, then the dome temp is 100+ degrees higher. I attached a picture for reference.

Couple of questions based on this...
1) Is it normal to have ~100 degrees difference from the dome temp over the coals to the opposite side grate level?
2) Where should I be looking to monitor the 225 degrees...dome or grate?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[smokingunny]

I'm no expert but I installed a temp gauge about 3 inches above the food grate on my OK Joe. My top gauges read 75 degrees hotter than the grate.

 

[SmokinAl]

You need to put your temp probe a couple of inches away from the meat at grate level.
Forget about the dome temp.
Al

 

[gmc2003]

225* may be tough to maintain in a Kettle for a longer smoke. I usually shoot for 250* and either use the side baskets or the snake method. And yes forget about your dome therm.

Chris

 

[SonnyE]

"Eve Ryone" is wrong. It totally depends on what you are cooking.
I'm a smoker, not necessarily a cooker.
When it calls for a temperature, for an amount of time, I follow that.
225° when doing Baby Backs with the 3,2,1 method is a 6 hour (+) cook.
Smoking my Salmon is totally different. And Bear's method is steps.
For me to infuse smoke into fish to Sous Vide further is different.
I prefer a thermometer with remote probes, to my dome thermometer. But then, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants.
And you will find that 20 different thermometers will give 20 different reads.
Which one is right? :confused:;):)

 

[gmc2003]

"Eve Ryone" is wrong. It totally depends on what you are cooking.
I'm a smoker, not necessarily a cooker.
When it calls for a temperature, for an amount of time, I follow that.
225° when doing Baby Backs with the 3,2,1 method is a 6 hour (+) cook.
Smoking my Salmon is totally different. And Bear's method is steps.
For me to infuse smoke into fish to Sous Vide further is different.
I prefer a thermometer with remote probes, to my dome thermometer. But then, I tend to fly by the seat of my pants.
And you will find that 20 different thermometers will give 20 different reads.
Which one is right? :confused:;):)

Sonny I think his original question was if the dome therm was accurate, and if it was normal to have that large a spread between a grate level probe and a factory dome probe. Also asked was where to place a grate level probe.

Chris

 

[SonnyE]

Sonny I think his original question was if the dome therm was accurate, and if it was normal to have that large a spread between a grate level probe and a factory dome probe. Also asked was where to place a grate level probe.

Chris

"Anyway, everyone says the perfect temperature to smoke at is 225 degrees."

Not if you are smoking Salmon, and probably not if you are doing a 16 pound brisket.
But 225° works good for 3,2,1 method ribs.

 

[cmayna]

You need to put your temp probe a couple of inches away from the meat at grate level.
Forget about the dome temp.
Al

As Al says. Get a wireless thermometer that has both a smoker and meat probe. Most will come with a clip which holds the smoker temp probe that you can attach to the grate, next to the meat. Also 225 is NOT the perfect temp. There isn't one. Best temp depends on the meat or dish you are smoking and for how long.

 

[dr k]

I'm doing bacon on a stick when the weather breaks. Two slabs of back ribs at 275*f for four to five hours till bone pull back or 195*f IT. I like Team 275 for most things other than ABT's, fish and sausage. Whatever gets you what you like.

 

[noboundaries]

The Weber Kettle can be used as a smoker quite nicely, but temps will vary across the grate, and definitely vary between the top of the lid and the grate level even when the lid therm is not directly above the coals. The grate temp will be hottest next to the fire, even if you use something like a Smokenator or Slow n Sear. Personally, I stopped using grate temps and just thread my chamber probe through the vent hole. The temperature is measured at the probe tip. You can use an alligator clip to set it at the level you want if you have a straight probe. The older, Maverick 732 meat probes, used as a chamber probe instead, have a 90 degree bend in them, were perfect for hanging through the top vent.

Al has you covered with the placement of the probe on the grate level; under the vent at least 2" away from the meat. Does that mean you've found the 225F temp sweet spot across the grate. Nope, but it gives you a steady point to monitor your cooking/smoking temp. Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing magical about 225F. I've cooked and smoked briskets from 225F to 350F and the real skill is identifying when it is tender and ready. The lower the temp, the longer the meat takes to get tender, and the wider the window to catch that tender point. At higher temps the meat cooks/smokes faster, but that tender window can shrink to as little as 10-15 minutes.

Some determine when a brisket is done by feel alone. I still probe the meat, specifically the flat, to determine when it is done. When the probe slides in easily, no resistance, you're there. It will slide easily into the point WELL before the flat is ready. The point can handle higher temps due to all the fat. That's why I probe the flat.

Have fun smoking!

Ray

 

[I3acon]

Awesome information. Thank you all so much for helping out a newbie!

 

[flatbroke]

Interesting. I am smoker poor right now and only have a weber 22 to use since my treager auger crapped the bed

 

[gmc2003]

Interesting. I am smoker poor right now and only have a weber 22 to use since my treager auger crapped the bed

I use my 22 Kettle as much as I do the WSM. The Kettle is used for smaller cooks and the WSM is big loads.

Chris

 

[flatbroke]

I am actually pretty stoked right now (no pun intended). I am going to try and BBQ a butt using the Kettle. trying to figure out what the minion method is. Just watched the snake method a few min ago..

 

[gmc2003]

Don't worry about the minion with your Kettle. Depending on how big the butt is you can either use the snake method, bank coals along opposite sides of the kettle with the butt inbetween(can be tricky, but works well. Think charcoal baskets same idea minus the baskets) or cook it indirect hot coals on one side of the kettle, butt on the other(be careful with the amount of lit coals.

Chris