Smoking On Kettle -- What is My Temp?

vnmg331 · Mar 30, 2015

Been doing some smokes on the Performer kettle. I'm using the snake method and holding 275 degrees pretty consistent on the thermometer that's in the lid. I keep reading that is a high reading. How do I get a temperature at grate level with the lid closed? If I buy one of those wireless probes it will be stuck in the meat so still won't know. Maybe I don't need to be concerned about this.........

cliffcarter · Mar 30, 2015

I added a therm at grate level on my OTG-

I don't have the factory installed therm so I can't give you an idea as to how the readings match up.
If you are getting good results then I would not worry too much about it. BTW I do not consider 275° to be too high a cooking temp, I routinely cook at 300° or higher.

BigBobBQ · Mar 30, 2015

get a dual probe wireless thermometer, or a cheap oven thermometer and set it on the grate. Just check it quick f using the oven therm and compare it to your dome therm and you will know the difference in temp. and can adjust from there.

1buckie · Mar 30, 2015

BigBobBQ said:
get a dual probe wireless thermometer, or a cheap oven thermometer and set it on the grate. Just check it quick f using the oven therm and compare it to your dome therm and you will know the difference in temp. and can adjust from there.

This is what I do......

Meat Level (<<< Technical Term) & then you can check between that & the lid......after a few times, you can then determine the difference & know pretty close where you're at if you want to go by the dome one....

I just lift & check quick, or while I'm moving coals, adding wood, etc. & it will recover very quickly.....just don't do it 50 times while cooking....:twitch:

Bludawg · Mar 30, 2015

I never worry about what the exact temp is I hold my palm about 6 " over the fire and cuont if it is over 3 mississippi its to cold

Rusty Kettle · Mar 30, 2015

I never knew what the temp was when my kettles were my main smokers. You just got to get a feel for it. Once I got blue smoke I was golden and just watched the meat cook through the vent holes lol. How far I have come from the days of kettle smoking. Still always fun. Once it really warms up I might do a butt for old times sake.

grantw · Mar 30, 2015

One of those cheapo oven therms like pictured above, I do have dual probe digital ones either work ones just cheaper that's all.

Gnarlbecue · Mar 31, 2015

Exactly what everyone else said.

I find that meat level on a kettle is usually 30-50 degrees cooler than the dome thermometer reads. Heat rises and all that.

I highly recommend a dual probe remote thermometer like the maverick 732 or 733. You can clip one probe to the grate to get your meat level reading, and one in the meat to monitor internal temp. You can also set alarms to let you know when you are aproaching your target temp.

Once you have used a good therm, you can just glance at the dome thermo and know from experience what your meat level temp is. No more guesswork.

smoke ninja · Mar 31, 2015

Bludawg said:
I never worry about what the exact temp is I hold my palm about 6 " over the fire and cuont if it is over 3 mississippi its to cold

cooking by feel is good way to learn. I dont do it enough (for pit temp, i always use my senses for doneness of Q) , im always worried about dinner being on time and knowing temps helps me in that.

When i had my red kettle i would swear i could tell it was too hot by the color. It looked darker red when over 400.

1buckie · Mar 31, 2015

^^^^^^ Yep.....Yellow ones turn Orange....

smoke ninja · Mar 31, 2015

1buckie said:
^^^^^^ Yep.....Yellow ones turn Orange....

i knew i wasnt crazy. Or maybe we're both nutz.

How cool would a color change kettle be. Yellow for cold. Orange for bbq. Red for grillin.

1buckie · Mar 31, 2015

Good idea !!!

Redheads have always been known to get hot & bothered......:biggrin1:

food4thot · Mar 31, 2015

Gnarlbecue said:
I find that meat level on a kettle is usually 30-50 degrees cooler than the dome thermometer reads. Heat rises and all that.

I highly recommend a dual probe remote thermometer like the maverick 732 or 733. You can clip one probe to the grate to get your meat level reading, and one in the meat to monitor internal temp. You can also set alarms to let you know when you are aproaching your target temp.

Once you have used a good therm, you can just glance at the dome thermo and know from experience what your meat level temp is. No more guesswork.

I have experienced the opposite with my WSM. I know it seems counter-intuitive but the lid thermometer routinely reads ~20° cooler than the probe on the top grate next to the meat.

https://flic.kr/p/p6v5Dn

In any case, never trust a coil thermometer.

emtnate · Mar 31, 2015

The thermometer in the lid of my kettle also runs 40-50 degrees hotter than the grate. I do clip a thermometer probe to the grate in addition to one in the meat as all the others have posted. I have used the dome temperature alone for plenty of cooks and pulled the meat when it looked and felt done.

dadsr4 · Mar 31, 2015

I use a 12" turkey thermometer.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=131835

vnmg331 · Mar 31, 2015

Thanks for the information

Smoking On Kettle -- What is My Temp?

vnmg331

Knows what a fatty is.

cliffcarter

is one Smokin' Farker

BigBobBQ

Babbling Farker

1buckie

Babbling Farker

Bludawg

somebody shut me the fark up.

Rusty Kettle

Babbling Farker

grantw

is Blowin Smoke!

Gnarlbecue

Take a breath!

smoke ninja

somebody shut me the fark up.

1buckie

Babbling Farker

smoke ninja

somebody shut me the fark up.

1buckie

Babbling Farker

food4thot

is One Chatty Farker

emtnate

Full Fledged Farker

dadsr4

somebody shut me the fark up.

vnmg331

Knows what a fatty is.

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