Temps In The Rain

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BchrisL

Senior Cook
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
314
Location
Northern Virginia
My son-in-law cooked some ribs last friday, just as a monster storm came through and it was raining steadily and most of the day. He was cooking on my old New Braunfels Hondo, an offset cooker. I told him the temps would go lower when the cooker got wet, but he didn't know just how slow the cooker would get. He was cooking at 275 for 3hours, then foil for 90 minutes and then sauce for 30. The ribs were cooked, but hardly done and tender, like we like them.

Even though he kept the thermometer at 275, the temps in the cooking chamber got much lower than they usually do because of the steady stream of water cooling the metal sides.

This is how we learn! ;)
 
Nick Prochilo said:
[quote="Captain Morgan":eek:mk3wvi5]perhaps a grate level therm would help, like a Maverick.

Now where to buy one?[/quote:eek:mk3wvi5]
Speaking of which..Isn't it time for the anuual...Wolfe Rub pre Summer Sale
 
Captain Morgan said:
perhaps a grate level therm would help, like a Maverick.

Yes indeed. I thought I saw a Polder that had both an internal and external thermometer on the probe. I just can't remember where I saw it.

I started to post a long discussion about the temps in a cooker and how things like grill height and air leakage affects them, but I decided to wait.

ot-3Small.jpg


PS I got one of these. I have seen a guy use thermocouples and a Fluke meter to sample temps in about 6 different placees in his cooker.
 
BchrisL said:
My son-in-law cooked some ribs last friday, just as a monster storm came through and it was raining steadily and most of the day. He was cooking on my old New Braunfels Hondo, an offset cooker. I told him the temps would go lower when the cooker got wet, but he didn't know just how slow the cooker would get. He was cooking at 275 for 3hours, then foil for 90 minutes and then sauce for 30. The ribs were cooked, but hardly done and tender, like we like them.

Even though he kept the thermometer at 275, the temps in the cooking chamber got much lower than they usually do because of the steady stream of water cooling the metal sides.

This is how we learn! ;)

Sorry, but I don't get it. What is the thermometer measuring? If it reads 275 and it normally reads 275 then then temperature did not change. I'm assuming that you have a thermometer on the top that measures the larger cooker compartment. Captain Morgan is right, that temp may not reflect the temp at the grate, but I seriously doubt - from what you said - that the issue was temprature.

I guess that I'm saying that if the rain had that much of an impact on the internal temp of the cooker then it would have at least registered on the thermometer. Even if the therm isn't accurately measuring the overall temp of the cooker.

Help me if I'm wrong - I'm no expert.
 
monty3777 said:
BchrisL said:
My son-in-law cooked some ribs last friday, just as a monster storm came through and it was raining steadily and most of the day. He was cooking on my old New Braunfels Hondo, an offset cooker. I told him the temps would go lower when the cooker got wet, but he didn't know just how slow the cooker would get. He was cooking at 275 for 3hours, then foil for 90 minutes and then sauce for 30. The ribs were cooked, but hardly done and tender, like we like them.

Even though he kept the thermometer at 275, the temps in the cooking chamber got much lower than they usually do because of the steady stream of water cooling the metal sides.

This is how we learn! ;)

Sorry, but I don't get it. What is the thermometer measuring? If it reads 275 and it normally reads 275 then then temperature did not change. I'm assuming that you have a thermometer on the top that measures the larger cooker compartment. Captain Morgan is right, that temp may not reflect the temp at the grate, but I seriously doubt - from what you said - that the issue was temprature.

I guess that I'm saying that if the rain had that much of an impact on the internal temp of the cooker then it would have at least registered on the thermometer. Even if the therm isn't accurately measuring the overall temp of the cooker.

Help me if I'm wrong - I'm no expert.

img_152303_0_5f879969a843240c8681cdda60b85ee0.jpg


This is a picture of the cooker. The thermometer is up on top near the center of the big chamber.

I have to admit I was not there the whole time and perhaps the thermometer did indicate a slip in temps as the rain came down. I only know what was reported to me. ;) I have to investigate further. :twisted: :LOL:

I know for a fact that this cooker has to be revved up when it is cold outside, as I found out one Thanksgiving morning when the turkeys I was smoking were hopelessly behind schedule. Also the temps on the firebox side are much higher than the temps near the stack, so I always have loaded the cooker from the center, toward the ends.

The grates are basically fixed in height because they wedge in the barrel. I can raise them a little if I rotate them sideways.

This cooker likes to cook on a hot dry summer day. :D
 
With a relatively thin steel offset…on cold, rainy, windy days you will lose a lot of heat to the ambient air…and you will need to crank up the fire box to get the temps you want….but this also intensifies the temp differences in the offset…for example the hot spots will be hotter than normal..the therm placement is also an issue..on my offset there is a 25* difference in temp between where the therm is and the grate level..also a therm with a short stem will read the radiant heat coming off of the steel…That’s why it comes down to plenty of cooks and knowing your pit.
 
wittdog said:
With a relatively thin steel offset…on cold, rainy, windy days you will lose a lot of heat to the ambient air…and you will need to crank up the fire box to get the temps you want….but this also intensifies the temp differences in the offset…for example the hot spots will be hotter than normal..the therm placement is also an issue..on my offset there is a 25* difference in temp between where the therm is and the grate level..also a therm with a short stem will read the radiant heat coming off of the steel…That’s why it comes down to plenty of cooks and knowing your pit.

+1
Amen Brother!
 

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