Dome vs Internal Temperatures

PRobinson

Has anyone seen (or considered) making a chart of different things cooked on the BGE showing dome temperature and internal temperatures? As a "newbie", reading forum messages is imformative and interesting, however, it sure would be good to have a chart to refer to. Any help available?

Mike Oelrich

PRobinson,[p] Depends on what you mean. There have been several people that have charted the internal and dome temperatures during long, slow cooks. Don't know if any of those messages are available in the archives, though. Check gfw's and TimM's sites to see if they've done anything like that and posted it.[p]MikeO

Tim M

<p />PRobinson,
I did some comparisons of the two temps last year on a boston butt and did this graph. I need to do another I guess.[p]Tim

JimW

PRobinson,
Initially the dome temp will be 20 to 30 degrees higher than the grate temp if you're cooking at around 300F. For a long cook at say 225F, the temps will tend to be a little closer together after awhile. If you're doing a hot, searing cook, it doesn't really matter much, does it. These are my observations with my Egg. Others might find theirs a little different as every Egg is a little different.
JimW

Cat

PRobinson,[p]Are you asking at what dome temp specific items should be cooked, and at what internal temp they're done? Lots of variables there, including personal taste. E.g., chicken can be cooked at dome 250 or at 350. Some cook pork loins and tenderloins to 145 internal, some to 160. [p]For long cooks, the dome temp you choose helps determine when the meat is done. Pork butt can be cooked at 250 and taken off when the internal temp is 200; or it can be cooked at 200 until a fork twists without ever letting the internal temp go over 165. [p]Technique has an effect too: add a water-filled drip pan or ceramic mass, and you may want a higher dome temp than if you were cooking directly over the coals.[p]One of the pleasures of Egg cooking (and Q in general) is that there are many ways to arrive at a good result. From the range of approaches and experiences shared here, you can try those that appeal to you most and experiment to find what you like best. Consider keeping a detailed log of what you cook and how; it's a good way to capture your learning and preferences as they evolve.[p]Cathy [p]

Wise One

Tim M, what dome temperature were you trying to maintain for this chart? 220 or so?[p]

Nature Boy

Cat,
Holy kazowee! You said it perfectly. Been trying to think of a good answer in the back of my head all day. There have been many charts posted (many in the older archives that are not on-line anymore), but they are mostly for butts, and are only helpful as a general guide for what to expect.[p]Great post Cathy.
NB

KennyG

Cat,[p]Great post! Beautifully stated.[p]K~G

KennyG

PRobinson,[p]Here's an oldie from back in the days when I had time to record the specifics during a long cook. It should still be representative of what you can expect.[p]K~G

[ul][li]Brisket chart[/ul]

Tim M

Wise One,[p]It is all outlined on my website - under Pork,Boston Butt-Pulled Pork.
http://www.tm52.com/bge[p][p]I was holding 220-250 deg. I don't like to hold 200-210 deg because its tooooooo easy for the fire to go out.
I also raised the dome temp for the last 2 hours to 300 to finish the butt - note the fast rise at the end of the graph.[p]Tim

PRobinson

Cat,[p]Thanks for the "reality check." I should have known that experience is still the best teacher. Guess I will stop trying to cook on the computer and get the egg going. Keeping the detail log will allow me to make my own chart. I have had this egg (large) for 7-8 years, haven't cooked on it 10 times. Guess I have just been "egg-lazy". Thanks for the advice.