HELP! - Temperature Probe Placement

[HermanGerman]

So I'm cooking a few racks of baby backs on a big green egg. Using a DigiQ to try to maintain temp at 225. Problem is I've put a 2nd probe in there and it is reading 30-40 degrees lower. So after an hour, I re-arrange the probe (because it's driving me crazy) and it reverses. Now the 2nd probe is running 30-40 degrees higher!.

So I think what I've observed is that the probe closer to the actual meat is always lower (guess that makes sense). But now the question is... When I cook my ribs at 225 - Where should I be measuring that 225? i.e.: where should the probe be? Close to the meat or away?

Hope that all made sense. And thanks in advance for the help!

[MBMorgan]

Same level as the meat but at least 2" laterally away from it to avoid the "cool bubble" of air surrounding the (initially) cold meat.

[CeramicChef]

HermanGerman - LOL!! Your cooker has hot and cold spots and you're discovering them! Don't worry, be happy! Look, don't get all wadded up over 30-40 degrees. If your cooker is holding temps, that is the important thing to note here. The other thing to note is where those hot spots are and deal with them appropriately. Move your cook around on the grate so that nothing is exposed for long periods.

Just relax, place your probe on the main cooking grate away from the rim, and have fun. I'm assuming that you are using the plate setter as a heat deflector and that you don't have the probe near the annulus between the plate setter and the BGE wall. When I had an Egg, I tended to use the center of the grate as the place where it set my probe to measure temp. After a while, you'll get to know your BGE like the back of your hand and these temperature variations won't cause you any distress.

You're doing fine, just fine.

[HermanGerman]

Thanks, great answer. Ps .... Ribs were awesome!

[CeramicChef]

HermanGerman - glad the ribs were a hit! Nicely done.