I think I figured out my problem

[ocean82]

I posted a thread a while back about my cooking times taking much longer than predicted. I'm talking 6+ hours for BB ribs. Here's a link to my original thread: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/132101/cant-seem-to-get-baby-back-ribs-right-update

Well, I decided to get a Maverick ET732. Now, my old therm was also a dual zone. The ET732 is reading 40* cooler than my old one! This strange because both read 212* in boiling water. Then it hit me. The ET732 has a totally separate probe that clips into the grate. My old therm had a probe where one end stuck into the meat and the other end read ambient temp. The old probe, by design, sits 4 inches higher than the meat. The Maverick probe sits at meat level. 4 inches made for a 40* temp change!!! 

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• ocean82
• Jan 10, 2013

 

[sound1]

Glad to hear you found your problem. I find that learning your equipment and the games it/they like to play is a major part of the fun of this smoking thing. And just when you think you have it figured out......

 

[ocean82]

I don't have my old therm anymore, but it always read what the factory bimetal therm read. I just figured I had a nice, accurate factory therm. Turns out, it probably still is, but the reason is it reads at about the same height as my old probe that stuck out of the meat and up towards the lid.

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• ocean82
• Jan 10, 2013

 

[damon555]

I have a couple of Mavericks and they work great...Having used my WSM for some time now I've got the temp control all figured out. The best part about that is that I don't even need to use a probe most of the time....after 5 or 6 hours on the smoker I'll start monitoring the meat....Chamber temps are not a problem any more as I know that the lid thermometer is about 15 degrees off.

P.S. 6 hours on average is normal for baby backs on my weber.