How Do You Set/Monitor KBQ Temps?

[cbritton]

So I was cooking on my KBQ yesterday. My normal setup is an oven thermometer and a probe to measure meat temperature.

However, yesterday I was using a Meater Plus. Not sure how accurate the ambient temperature on the Meater is, but it kept showing the pit temperature 15 degrees over the oven thermometer.

So it got me curious about other people's setup. Do most people just use the Thermoworks thermometer to monitor the pit temp?

Then I got curious how do you set your temps? Normally, I use the Thermoworks and whatever it reads for the high temperature that's what I use for my set temp. Then I adjust a little if my oven thermometer is reading a little different.

[RonB]

I don't know what kind of oven thermo you have, but your Thermoworks can be checked for accuracy easily. Here's a link:

https://blog.thermoworks.com/blog/accuracy-how-to-properly-compare-thermometers/

Skip down about 1/3 page for the test. And my $$ would be on the Thermoworks for accuracy.

[Histrix]

Don't worry about it. It's not too surprising that you're getting two different readings from two different places with two different thermometers. The air is hottest when it is first drawn into the cookbox and it makes sense that it would be a bit cooler when the exhaust fan sucks it out of the cookbox.
Also keep in mind that it is the nature - by design - of the KBQ that the temp inside the cookbox is going to experience a range of temps of XX° above and XX° below your desired set point temp as the thermostat cycles the exhaust fan.