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[pmillen]

I sometimes read that a pit temperature probe that’s close to cold meat will give false (low) readings because the probe will be cooled by the cold meat.  Furthermore, it’s often suggested that the pit temperature be taken at a point somewhat removed from the cold meat.

I’ve concluded that I need to know the temperature of air closest to the meat.  It’s that air that’s cooking the meat.  The reason that it’s cooler than air in other parts of the pit is that it’s transferring its heat to the meat.

Why take the air temperature and adjust the pit accordingly from any location other than close to the meat?  Those other locations aren’t cooking the meat.

The situation isn’t significantly different in those pits with convection fans.  Even though the fans blow the cooled air away from the meat and replace it with hotter air, it’s still the air next to the meat that’s doing the cooking.  That’s the temperature I want to monitor.

I’m interested in everyone’s thoughts on this subject.  A sound argument will cause me to change my mind.  I’ve done it many times.

[Bentley]

Your premise I believe is sound, just not sure that the meat mass will act as a heat sink for very long.  I am doing a Picnic right now.  It took 35 minutes to go from 33° to 39°, 5 inches into the meat.  I would think that by the time that change happened, the out side inch of the meat was well over 150° and would not effect ambient around a probe.

So skewed reading in the beginning I would believe, but I believe they would be short lived in a long cook.   

[BigDave83]

I think in a pellet cooker with the fan and the convection, getting a solid temp is almost impossible. Every piece of meat or pan you put in it changes the way the air moves, an 8 pound butt will cause different temps in places than 2 racks of ribs will. That is my unscientific thinking anyway. I guess I never really cared about cooker temps as much as the temps of what I was cooking.

[hughver]

I guess I never really cared about cooker temps as much as the temps of what I was cooking.

Which is why now days I finish almost every thing I smoke via sous vide. 

[pmillen]

That is exactly why I love the new "roaming" thermocouple (RTD) that MAK has come up with.  I can place the pit's measuring probe just about anywhere on the main or upper grate.

I've wondered why this wasn't done.  Great feature.

[Brushpopper]

I’ve concluded that I need to know the temperature of air closest to the meat.  It’s that air that’s cooking the meat.  The reason that it’s cooler than air in other parts of the pit is that it’s transferring its heat to the meat.

Why take the air temperature and adjust the pit accordingly from any location other than close to the meat?  Those other locations aren’t cooking the meat.

I put one of the Maverick probes in the meat and the other right next to it to monitor air temp.  I'm all in with pmillen's theory, but I couldn't explain it as well as he did.  I seldom wait for the pit temp to stabilize at whatever set point I have until the meat is around 100 IT and then dial it in.