Question about temp and display

[Charlizd]

Hi guys, new here, just got my rider dlx 2 days ago, im aware of the potential temp fluctuations but im cooking my first rack of ribs today and have it set at 200 ( following a recipe from the website ) but I notice it hits temp, then drops like 30 deg before it kicks in again and starts raising again, (raises 20 above then drops 30 below )is this normal? Probably should have made a new thread but thought it may be an appropriate quest in an already made temp thread. Cheers in advance.

 

[bill1]

All physical measurements involve error, either great or small.

A vigorously boiling pan of DISTILLED water on a stovetop is a pretty good reference standard for 212F. The beauty of additional portable probes is they can be readily checked for accuracy and a "true vs. indicated" correction chart made for each on a periodic "calibration schedule". (I have several colors of nailpolish on hand and color-code them with dots to ensure my probes and readouts stay together.)

I suppose buying just a few expensive probes, with the assumption they'll be more accurate, has its merits, but I'm a "quantity over quality" guy when it comes to probes. I'd rather have 3 or more independent readings of the same thing than ever trust just a single measurement.

 

[bill1]

Hi guys, new here, just got my rider dlx 2 days ago, im aware of the potential temp fluctuations but im cooking my first rack of ribs today and have it set at 200 ( following a recipe from the website ) but I notice it hits temp, then drops like 30 deg before it kicks in again and starts raising again, (raises 20 above then drops 30 below )is this normal? Probably should have made a new thread but thought it may be an appropriate quest in an already made temp thread. Cheers in advance.

Instead of an accuracy question, yours is a time-variation issue. All control systems regulate around a setpoint, sometimes a little over, sometimes a little under. Yours appears to have about 50F total variability. With time, that number may improve (PID controllers are particularly good at "learning and improving") but ultimately it is what it is. A pellet cooker is burning wood, and that is not a process that can be highly regulated and controlled. After a couple hours into a cook, 50F total variability is on the high side for most pellet machines, and there could be folks that will assure you a different controller will do better, but I personally would learn to live with it. At the end of the day, it's the average cooking temperature that counts.