New baffle causing temp issues?

[techsasgirl]

Hey, all. I have a question. I'm using a baffle for the first  time today, and there is nearly a 100 degree difference in the reading in my grill thermometer vs the thermometer I placed on the grate. I don't know how to verify the temp in the grill lid, but I think it's fairly accurate because I haven't had issues with undercooked or tough meat while relying on the lid thermometer. The thermometer I placed on the grate was reading accurately when I checked it this morning before placing it on the grate. Is the baffle causing the temp reading differences? Which one do I go by???

 

[graystratcat]

Hey Techsasgirl, can you tell us a little more about what type of grill/smoker you're using and maybe a little more about the 'baffle' you mentioned?  Also, if the thermo you have on the grate is known to be accurate - via some type of calibration - I would tend to rely on that one more so than the one you've never checked.  Do you happen to have a third thermo you could use and possibly put in in several places inside the grill/smoker for about 10 minutes or so at a time and see if you can map the temps?

-Salt

 

[techsasgirl]

I have a New Braunfels horizontal offset smoker. I don't know anything more about it like a model number, etc. I bought it for $10 from a church member. It does fairly well. I have had a few pretty successful smokes on it so far. I read up on modifications that will help me steady my temps. I didn't get to make any modifications that I wanted to this week. So my chimney is still up high on the lid, etc. When I was reading reading about using a baffle  last week, and one person said that they used a cookie sheet just behind the firebox to divert the smoke to below the grate and spread it a little more evenly. So I tried that today. That seemed to cause me problems. So I have solved my problem by simply removing the cookie sheet.I don't have any more thermometers, but I'm going to have to send my husband after some more wood here in a while, so I can have him grab me a couple more thermometers as well. That's a good idea to map the grill. I hadn't thought of that. That will help me out a lot when I put in my tuning plates!

 

[techsasgirl]

Now I'm going to go see if my temps match up.

 

[graystratcat]

Hey techsasgirl, I have a Brinkman Smokin' Pit Pro which is fairly similar to your New Braunfels.  I've modified the heck out of mine and I've had a baffle in mine for years and years and really find it does help get the hotter air further down the smoking chamber.  Tuning plates will complete that mod for sure.

Question, where is the thermo in the lid on your smoker?  Dead center, left, right?  I find that with the baffle, the grate area closest to the fire box ends up being the coolest part of the grate.  Not sure if that's what you're seeing or not.  Just a thought.  The other thing I would recommend is pulling that thermo out of the lid and dip it in some boiling water to see how close it is to being accurate.  You may find that it's not even close.....

-Salt

 

[techsasgirl]

This is truly bizarre... Last week, relying solely on the thermometer in the grill lid, I smoked a pork butt. I kept the smoker between 225and 250 (as per the lid thermometer). The pork hit temps with an instant read thermometer, just as it should have. The meat cooked properly, it was tender and pulled just right. Now, today, I just checked a thermometer in boiling water and it read 212. I put it on my grate, and it was a full 100 degrees below what the lid thermometer read. Is it possible that my thermometer in my lid broke sometime this week? I've been smoking for 5 hours, at what I thought was 250 degrees, but apparently was 150 degrees. Now I have to throw out the entire brisket! And it was nearly $40!!!! I'm so upset!!!!

 

[techsasgirl]

Hey techsasgirl, I have a Brinkman Smokin' Pit Pro which is fairly similar to your New Braunfels.  I've modified the heck out of mine and I've had a baffle in mine for years and years and really find it does help get the hotter air further down the smoking chamber.  Tuning plates will complete that mod for sure.

Question, where is the thermo in the lid on your smoker?  Dead center, left, right?  I find that with the baffle, the grate area closest to the fire box ends up being the coolest part of the grate.  Not sure if that's what you're seeing or not.  Just a thought.  The other thing I would recommend is pulling that thermo out of the lid and dip it in some boiling water to see how close it is to being accurate.  You may find that it's not even close.....

-Salt

It's on the right, and my firebox is to the left of my belly. When I had the baffle on, I had the independent thermometer to the right, just underneath the lid thermometer. I will have to just go by some more thermometers. But I am SUPER ANGRY about this wasted effort today!!!

 

[graystratcat]

Well, I can understand your angst....happens to all of us sometimes...best laid plans an'at....

Still think it might be a good idea to check that thermo in the lid when you can.  As for the baffle, if it's installed correctly, it will definitely help balance out the temps across the entire smoking grate, especially if you go with tuning plates.

By the way, the thermo you have on the grate, it is one of those cheap oven thermos? 

-Salt

 

[techsasgirl]

I don't think it's an oven temp. I bought it from the bbq section at Academy. Anyway, I did check it, and it read 212 in boiling water 30 minutes ago.

 

[techsasgirl]

At least I'm just now finding this out as I put on the ribs. They won't be a casualty!

 

[techsasgirl]

Wow. I just retested that thermometer I was relying on. It read perfectly earlier, and now it is reading low.... I am just going to give up for the day. I obviously need to wait to smoke again until I get that Maverick.....