Temperature Zones in Cooking Chamber

[pianov]

I have a masonry offset smoker where the cooking chamber is about 24" long, 18" wide and 36" tall. My main grate where I put most food is at the half-way point height-wise. I'm smoking several slabs of pork ribs today. As usual, the temperature just below the meat is about 40 degrees warmer than just above the meat - below it is currently 240 and above is 185. 

My target temperature for smoking ribs is 220 to 230 degrees F. But where? Above or below? I am aware of why the upper temperature is lower than below - the meat cools off the smoky air. I'm thinking that you'd really be more interested in having the temperature below the meat at target.

Then again, in most smokers (I think), the temperature probe would more commonly be above the meat. So maybe the recipe has the above-meat temperature in mind.

Such a dilemma! This may require another beer........  ;-)

Terry on Tampa Bay

 

[crankybuzzard]

I measure temp and run the PID sensor at grate level off to the side of the meat(s) most of the time.

Yesterday, I smoked a 13 pound brisket and 4 racks of ribs, I put the probe at the top grate level where the ribs were. Below the rib grates was the brisket. Since it's a much longer cook, I wasn't too worried about the temp being a bit higher.