Dome Temp Vs Grate Temp

The Bean · June 2015

Anyone have a good ratio to use when figuring out the difference between grate temp and dome temp? Is there a difference? Seems to me that on a long low and slow the difference if minimal, but on a fast and high it's a huge difference.
Maybe it's b/c on a low and slow I start the egg about an hour to hour and 15 min ahead of "meat on" time so the egg settles in.

theyolksonyou · June 2015

Just choose one and use it. Don't over think. It don't matter.

Mattman3969 · June 2015

Roughly 20-25° hotter in the dome vs the grate. On a low n slow they will get closer over a period of time.

Agree with @theyolksonyou - don't get caught up in the temp info overload. Eggin is supposed to be fun not mind bending. Lol

lousubcap · June 2015

As above-learn how the BGE cooks with one indicator and go with it. You can get wrapped around the axle with thermo info-whatever you use make sure it is calibrated and then enjoy.

4Runner · June 2015

On a low n slow they are basically the same. For hot cooks, who cares...it's just hot.

Steve753 · June 2015

I would go for one of the Mavericks that give you the grate temperature and the meat temp as well. It's going to be more accurate than the analogue thermometer at the top of the dome.

Carolina Q · June 2015

I have no idea what my grid temp has ever been. Don't care either.

As yolk said, don't overthink.

bweekes · June 2015

There are so many variables, I'm not even sure there's a right answer here. First, I'm sure different points on your grate will carry different temps throughout the cook (depending on how the fuel ignites and burns). Second, that differential varied on my large compared to my XL - and beyond that, I suspect each egg (even the same size) will behave slightly different. Last, any differential is only accurate if your dome temp probe and grate temp probe are calibrated exactly the same (which they are likely not). You can try to clip your grid temp probe onto your dome temp and compare the readings. All of the above said, I never monitor grid temp! LOL

SmyrnaGA · June 2015

On my last long cook, I hooked up 2 grate probes on the left & right side of my brisket. All night long, all 3 temp readings were different. At first, the right side was hotter by 20 degrees. I thought one of my probes were bad do I swapped them. The reading on the right was STILL higher. Later into the night, the left side was hotter. It made no sense since I lit the the coals in one spot in the middle.

SWMBO looked very concern when I kept telling her all 3 temps were different. What I thought was interest in my experiment turned out to be something else... Since then, I had less chores around the house. She was also okay letting me get the Pelican cooler all the cool kids were talking about.

THEBuckeye · June 2015

I go dome and not worry about. Hasn't failed me yet.

Jeepster47 · June 2015

SmyrnaGA said:

On my last long cook, I hooked up 2 grate probes on the left & right side of my brisket. All night long, all 3 temp readings were different. At first, the right side was hotter by 20 degrees. I thought one of my probes were bad do I swapped them. The reading on the right was STILL higher. Later into the night, the left side was hotter. It made no sense since I lit the the coals in one spot in the middle. ...

Lighting the fire in the center doesn't mean it'll stay there! After your low-n-slow cooks, check out the burn pattern in the lump the next morning. If you use a plate setter, it will tend towards one of the three openings between the legs. If you use an oval stone, I suspect that it will tend towards one side or the other.

Legume · June 2015

theyolksonyou said:

Just choose one and use it. Don't over think. It don't matter.

Listen to the man, he's an engineer damnit!

Ladeback69 · June 2015

Jeepster47 said:

SmyrnaGA said:

On my last long cook, I hooked up 2 grate probes on the left & right side of my brisket. All night long, all 3 temp readings were different. At first, the right side was hotter by 20 degrees. I thought one of my probes were bad do I swapped them. The reading on the right was STILL higher. Later into the night, the left side was hotter. It made no sense since I lit the the coals in one spot in the middle. ...

Lighting the fire in the center doesn't mean it'll stay there! After your low-n-slow cooks, check out the burn pattern in the lump the next morning. If you use a plate setter, it will tend towards one of the three openings between the legs. If you use an oval stone, I suspect that it will tend towards one side or the other.

The hot spot I have found on my XL is the back and mostly to right when standing in front of the egg. That's why I always put the point end of the brisket to the back.

@The Bean, if you are using a Maverick or something like I use the temp on the gauge on it not the dome. It is where the meat is at and that is what I want to know the most. I only use the gauge on the dome to help get me get it going for low & slows. I had as much as 50 degrees difference when I first started using my egg. It is pretty close now. Make sure your temp probes are correct. I need to check the one on my XL. I never have and need to make sure it is up to par.

On hot & fast cooks, I only use the dome for temp. The dual probes can only take so much heat over time. If doing steaks out, you don't need a second grate probe to check temp.

SmyrnaGA · June 2015

Jeepster47 said:

SmyrnaGA said:

On my last long cook, I hooked up 2 grate probes on the left & right side of my brisket. All night long, all 3 temp readings were different. At first, the right side was hotter by 20 degrees. I thought one of my probes were bad do I swapped them. The reading on the right was STILL higher. Later into the night, the left side was hotter. It made no sense since I lit the the coals in one spot in the middle. ...

Lighting the fire in the center doesn't mean it'll stay there! After your low-n-slow cooks, check out the burn pattern in the lump the next morning. If you use a plate setter, it will tend towards one of the three openings between the legs. If you use an oval stone, I suspect that it will tend towards one side or the other.

Good point. Next time, I'll need to measure the temp above the top leg too.

stemc33 · June 2015

I cook using my dome temp for a reference point (mostly). I use my grid temp just to monitor if the temp is going up or down from IPhone in the house. Last night I used grid temp as the reference point. The fire was built at the front of the egg and the majority of the heat was streaming through front opening in PS gap. Intense heat was coming up the front directly hitting the thermo. Thermo and grid temp were off a 100°. Usually I chock it up to the ambient temp probe sitting too close to the cold meat. Last night I could feel the intense heat(bare hand) compared to the other areas above the PS. Like the others said keep it simple and use one. Disregard my mumble jumble above, that was an odd cook. Go with dome temp since most people's egging recipes reference dome temps.

Dome Temp Vs Grate Temp

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