Temperature High, Temperature Low

[wntrlnd]

I'm in the midst of a very nice smoke, just as pleased as I can be with my nice steady 250 degree smoker.

A couple hours in, I lift the lid and check on things.  Everything's schmoooove.

While I have the lid open, I stick an oven thermometer in there.  I forgot to put it in before I started.

Half hour later, I peek in to check the thermometer reading, and it's about 70-80 degrees lower than than the temperature on the thermometer mounted in the smoker lid.

So, most likely I've been smoking my beer can chicken at about 190 degrees for the last three or four hours.

This is my 1st time trying the beer can method, and from what I've read, part of the whole idea is to have the smoker hotter than 212 degrees so the beer can be steaming in there.  I sort of doubt there was any steam action going on in there during the 1st few hours.

I clearly need to do some more testing before my next smoke.  I have a remote, and i've seen how people stick it through a potato or something to monitor the temp at cooking level. 

I had figured there was probably a difference between lid temp and cooking level temp, but I never woulda guessed it would be over 50 degrees.

 

[dick foster]

The dial type thermometers supplied with most smokers, especailly the cheaper models found at the big box stores are notoriously inaccurate. Mine serves mostly just to plug the hole in the lid.

What you really want is a good thermometer for both the cook chamber and the meat itself. The Maverick ET73 fills the bill for most folks.

There were some earlier that didn't have good range but the one my wife just got me works from anywhere in my home or on my property. I was planning to modify it for extended range but found I didn't need to touch it at all.   

 

[wntrlnd]

The dial type thermometers supplied with most smokers, especailly the cheaper models found at the big box stores are notoriously inaccurate. Mine serves mostly just to plug the hole in the lid.

What you really want is a good thermometer for both the cook chamber and the meat itself. The Maverick ET73 fills the bill for most folks.

There were some earlier that didn't have good range but the one my wife just got me works from anywhere in my home or on my property. I was planning to modify it for extended range but found I didn't need to touch it at all.   

excellent advice!   i'll definitely look in to that.  every time i checked today the grill level temp was at least 60 degrees lower than the lid temp.

i've resorted to finishing the beer can chicken in the oven.  good thing i'm not waiting on this for dinner.  lol.

thanks again for the advice, dick!

 

[wntrlnd]

no doubt about it, i need one of those ET73s!  i just checked them out online.

i've done repeated tests since i discovered how inaccurate the lid thermometer is and that thing is just about completely worthless

thanks again for the recommendation, dick!  i can't wait until i get that maverick

 

[dick foster]

No problem. Many if not most of the folks here use them.