Pitt Temp Probe Placement

Slipperhead

I'm using a DigiQ with spare ribs right now.  I placed the temperature probe at grid level toards the front of the egg.  It has held the temperature dead on for 3 hours. 

In feeling the outside of the egg on a low/slow cook, I notice that the front of the egg is somewhat warmer than the back of the egg.

Even though the temperature on the DigiQ is rock stable at 225, the BGE dome temp is around 190.  Hmmm.  Just for fun, I moved the DigiQ pitt probe to the rear side of the grid.  It adjusted and has maintained the temp again at 225.  Now the dome temp is reading almost the same! 

To this point, I think some of my cooks have been a bit slow.  I'm thinking about monitoring the cooking temp towards the rear of the grid for the next few cooks to see how all turns out. 

Should I rotate my plate setter so that a leg is lined up with the bottom vent?  I think I'm getting a lot of heat from the front of the egg?!

Thoughts?

Thanks,

Garland in VA

 

Skiddymarker

I've found with my MBGE that I line the plate setter leg up with the hinge, just the opposite of what you are thinking about. My egg tends to be a bit warmer at the rear so I put a leg over that spot. Not a Digi, but I put my Mav pit probe on the right front, the 4:00 o'clock position over a setter leg. Works for me. 

Eggcelsior

MY MBGE is the same as Skiddymarker. I was psuedo-scientifically able to determine this by the ancedotal evidence that this is the area that my gasket fried first. I now too place the plate setter with one left at 12 on the clock face.

gerhardk

Probably less important front or back placement as that the probe is blocked from direct heat, i.e. the probe is protected by the plate setter.  Normally you would expect the dome temperature to be higher than the grid temperature for the first couple of hours when doing indirect cooking.  Might also be a good time to calibrate your thermometers with boiling water.

Gerhard

pgprescott

Hot spot should be in back of egg. Put one leg pointing directly to the back. All you should care about is the temp just below the meat. You can always adjust if you feel your results will improve. In my opinion, too hot is way worse than not hot enough. You cannot recover from scorched or overcooked.

Slipperhead

My egg is set up with one of the platesetter legs at the hinge line.  The FRONT of the egg is definitely hotter than the back by simply placing my hand on the outside of the egg.  There is no doubt about it. 

My probes are calibrated.  For my next cook, I'm going to put a probe in the front and at the back to see the difference and experiment with platesetter position and placement of charcoal in firebox (I've got a mesh ring that I put the charcoal in.) 

Thanks,

Garland
 

SamFerrise

I experimented with a ring to corral my lump on a wing cook.  I like the concept and will use it again.  I used less lump and had better control for a smaller cook like wings or a steak.  It works out very well with a spider too.