smoking temps

[qcrazy]

I'm smoking ribs as we speak. Using wsm 22" had it about a year or so and have never used the bottom grate. I've got a slab on both lower and upper. I'm using maverick ready check dual therm's on both upper and lower. The temp is about 25 degrees lower on the bottom grate. Is that normal? I'm keeping the upper temp between 225 and 230. I guess this means when I go to rapp I will have to keep the lower ones a bit longer. Help. Thanks  Gary

 

[pineywoods]

Gary temps do vary between grates or areas in many smokers. Some people will move the meat from grate to grate to try to keep the overall times about the same and others don't. I would say when you go into foil switch the places they sit and that should get them closer to finishing at the same time.

 

[rbranstner]

I would think that the temp would be higher on the bottom grate since it is closer to the fire. I have noticed with my ET-73 and ET-732 that when I use the meat probe to try and measure air temp it never seems to be as accurate as the other probe that is for reading the air temp. My two probes usually read a bit different if they are sitting side by side in the smoker trying to measure air temp. In my personal experience I have come to the conclusion that the meat probe is meant just for that "to measure the internal temp of meat" so it isn't as accurate when being used to measure air temp. Try swapping your probes around "top to bottom, bottom to top" and see what you read or put them side by side and see if they read the same temp. In my experience with my three Mavericks I have learned to trust the smoker probe and not the meat probe when measuring the air temp. I also have analog thermometers in my smokers so that I can double check the temp and if my maverick probes are showing different temps its always my meat probe that is off. The smoker probe and my analog thermometers are always the same.

 

[qcrazy]

Thanks Pineywoods. I'm just experimenting a little.

 

[qcrazy]

The wsm has a large water pan just beneath the bottom grate which is why I think the temps are a bit lower. Thanks for the info on the probes. Makes sense

 

[SmokinAl]

I have a WSM too, and the bottom grate is always about 15-25 degrees cooler. I prefer to use the bottom grate if I'm only using one grate. Everything seems to be more moist & seems to have a better smoke ring. I think it's cooler down there because the heat has to go around the water pan & goes right to the top. If I'm using both grates for ribs I will cut them in half & put the thicker ends on the top, & smaller on the bottom. As long as you know the temp variance you can use it to your advantage. Also the WSM is hotter on the outside edge of the grates so try to keep everything toward the center if possible.

Al

 

[mballi3011]

Now it sounds like theses guys have you taken care of. So go get the camera and take some Q-view please.

 

[qcrazy]

Hey Al, Thanks for the advice I will definitley try this next time. Also since you have a WSM did you happen to see my question from yesterday about temp problems. I would really appreciate your imput. Thanks Gary

 

[sqwib]

Now it sounds like theses guys have you taken care of. So go get the camera and take some Q-view please.

DITTO!

 

[qcrazy]

Hey SQWIB'S, Yes I will eventually get some pics once I figure how to download them to the site. This is my first forum plus my computer skills are terrible. Thanks Gary 

 

[SmokinAl]

No I don't think I did, but maybe I did! What was your question. You can PM me if you want.

Hey Al, Thanks for the advice I will definitley try this next time. Also since you have a WSM did you happen to see my question from yesterday about temp problems. I would really appreciate your imput. Thanks Gary