Hovergrill temp variation

[ken g]

Santa brought me a new Maverick XR50 digital thermometer. I decided to perform a trial run with it mated to my PartyQ since I am doing a brisket tomorrow.

As an experiment I set my kettle up with SNS, DNG and PartyQ and added a Hovergrill over the kettle grate. Next I installed a temp probe on both grates. Ambient air temp is 45 degrees with no wind.

Brought the pit temp to 225 degrees. After two hours, the probe on the Hovergrill is reading a consistent 40 degrees warmer than the lower probe. It sits 3.5 inches above the lower grate probe.

I am surprised that there would be that much variance within that distance. Nearly 11.5 degrees per inch. The temp did not fluctuate if the SNS water reservoir was full or empty. Good data to know if smoking on the Hovergrill.

[RonB]

That is the reason that using the installed kettle probe is not advisable. You can use it as a ballpark guide, but not as an accurate guide.

[JeffJ]

I remember cramming three slabs of ribs into a kettle. To make it work the end of one of the slabs was on the handle for the grate. I figured after an hour the ribs would have reduced down enough to reconfigure them. I was right but the couple of ribs that were on the handle were noticeably more cooked.