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Explain the temperature difference to me!

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Wanabe
Wanabe Posts: 355
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I tried my Maverick ET-73 Remote Smoker Thermometer last night. I only use the grill temperature sensor since I was doing chicken breasts. I clipped the sensor to the grill as per directions.

The Maverick indicated 350 degrees but my Big Green Egg temperature gauge was reading about 390 degrees. The Maverick sensor is 6 inches closer to the fire than the BGE sensor. Now my Boy Scout training taught me that the closer you are to the fire the hotter it is. Why the 40 +/- degrees difference?

I rechecked both thermometers in boiling water this morning and the BGE still says 212 and the Maverick Smoker probe said 211 and the food probe said 212. I give!
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  • Aledo Green Dreggon
    Aledo Green Dreggon Posts: 134
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    Hot air rises and collects in the dome. I guess it would be like a figure 8, or an hourglass. Really hot at the fire, then an area where the temp decreases, inflection point, temp starts to increases again until it can leak out the daisy.

    From what I gather...
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Good question.

    Heat rises. The BGE is a semi-closed environment, different from your bonfire experience. The temperature is hottest at the level of the coals and at the top of the dome. At typical grid levels, in between, the temperature is lower.

    The temerature differnce between the grate and the top of the dome varies depending on whether the temeperature in the egg is rising, falling, or relatively constant. 25-40 degrees difference is typical in my eggsperience.

    Most recipes refer to dome temperature as measured by the BGE temperature gauge in the dome. You need to adjust if you are monitoring at grate level.

    -Kevin
    boy scout
    engineer
    egger
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  • Wanabe
    Wanabe Posts: 355
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    Maybe next time i'll place the grill sensor in the dome, clip it to the BGE sensor.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    Were you cooking indirect or direct?

    If indirect, that is how it is supposed to be - the egg is more like a convection oven.
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Your cooks will be much more predictable if you know your actual temp at the cooking level.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
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    I hardly look at the dome thermometer (doesn't work right anyway). If I'm doing a pork butt I put 'old reliable' at the grid level and shoot for 250ish. Between it and a probe or two, I get a pretty good idea of what's going on. Works every time!
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  • Wanabe
    Wanabe Posts: 355
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    Fidel wrote:
    Were you cooking indirect or direct?

    If indirect, that is how it is supposed to be - the egg is more like a convection oven.

    I was indirect. Trying the platesetter also.
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