Difference in temperatures between BBQ Guru and BGE thermometer - HELP!

JuicyMeat · January 2015

Having a heck of an issue figuring this out - I am using a BGE thermometer that came with the egg and a BBQ Guru I purchased. I have made sure both are accurate using boiling water - they are. I am using a probe holder from BBQ Guru company at the level of the cooking grid. I find that the temperature by the BBQ Guru at the level of the grid runs much hotter then the BGE thermometer (pit temp). I am very confused which one to use. An example is tonight - I am cooking a 4 lb tenderloin - indirect. Calls for 350. The BBQ Guru was reading 400+ and the pit temp was only 250!! I made sure the BGE thermometer wasn't touching any of the food. When I moved the BBQ Guru probe up to the BGE thermometer they both read about the same temp. I am leaving the BBQ Guru probe up there now and allowing it to adjust the temp up to 350. Also have a probe in the meat so will keep a close eye on that.

Why this tremendous difference between the grid temp and the pit temp?? I could see if this was a direct cook and flames were licking the BBQ Guru probe but it is indirect and still such a difference. I have also used another BBQ Guru probe (brand new) with same results.

Any advice? Reason for this? Anything I should be doing differently??

Thanks.

BYS1981 · January 2015

The difference eventually gets closer to each other as the cook progresses.

I use the grid temp because the bge probe eventually matches it. Plus think about it, the grid is what the meat is on, so that's the temp I'm concerned with.

tcracing · January 2015

Make sure that the probe wire runs across one of the legs of the platesetter. If not the heat will best up probe wire.

Zmokin · January 2015

I clip my guru pit temp probe to the clip for the BGE temp sensor and they read pretty close to the same. And so far, I have only used my Guru with the plate setter. I may do it differently if I try a raised direct in the future.

Jerald · January 2015

After the lid is closed for a short while, my temps match up identically. However, I only use Guru for slow and low cooks where the top vent is 99 percent closed and the Guru fan does the rest.

As the previous poster, I clip my guru grate wire to the meat probe and make sure the place setter protects the wires.

Carolina Q · January 2015

I have no idea what my grid temp is. Never checked it because I don't care what it is. BGE put their thermometer up in the dome. That's where the sending unit in my oven is too. All my recipes seem to work just fine using dome temp so I clip the Guru to the dome probe. They're always within 5 degrees of each other.

lousubcap · January 2015

I'm with @CarolinaQ with this. The general convention here is that unless specified otherwise, temps reference dome temp as all BGEs have one. There are thermal gradients within the BGE just like your oven although you don't instrument it. So as long as you know your readings are in calibration then go with whichever you prefer. You can end up with information overload. Just learn how your BGE responds/cooks with whatever you choose to drive it with go from there. Just an opinion and we all know what those are worth...

Smokinpig · January 2015

Just curious will the guru probe fit through the hole in the dome? If so pull the bge thermo and put the guru there.

FlashkaBob · January 2015

Here is a link from amazin ribs. It explains where and why. scroll down the page to the title "where to stick it"

http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/thermometer_buying_guide.html

lkapigian · January 2015

Calibration if the dome is key

Jeepster47 · January 2015

Smokinpig said:

Just curious will the guru probe fit through the hole in the dome? If so pull the bge thermo and put the guru there.

Yes, the Guru probe will fit through the ~ 0.17" hole in the ceramic ... the Guru probes are 0.126" in diameter.

Difference in temperatures between BBQ Guru and BGE thermometer - HELP!

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