Temperature question for Lang / offset users

[KennesawBBQ]

I have a major difference in cooking temperature between the thermometer installed by Lang (upper left of the cooking chamber) and the probe thermometer I place on the grate in the middle of the cooking chamber.

The Lang installed thermometer is consistently 15 - 20 degress higher than the probe on the grate.

I have tested the probe in the oven and it is accurate so could I guess I could have a faulty thermometer but would like to ask if anyone else has experienced this and if there is a fix to even out the temperatures?

Thanks

 

[NRA4Life]

I'd test both of the thermometers in boiling water and see what they read. Ovens can be significantly off from what you set them and there can be hot/cold spots within the oven itself, you may not be testing it in an accurate environment. I would think the temp would tend to run higher at the top of the cooking chamber than lower in the chamber though, but not sure if 15-20 is a reasonable difference or not. Your thermometers may be reading good though and just be reading on opposite ends of their accuracy range. For example, the Lang thermometer may be a +/-5 deg thermometer, and be adjusted on the low end when manufactured...the probe thermometer may be +/-5 deg but be adjusted to the top of it's accuracy band...so the same temp in the smoker would show a 10 degree difference between the 2 of them just the way they are currently calibrated. Add to that an actual difference from top to bottom, and you seeing a 15-20 degree diff. may be reasonable. Check them both in a known environment (boiling water) and start there.

 

[Divemaster]

I agree you need to test the thermometers with a known temp such as boiling water.

The big thing you have to remember is the design of the Lang Reverse Flow cooker. The heat runs under the plate and come storming up on the left hand side and slams into the thermometer that Ben installed. Your probe may only be seven or eight inches below it and slightly to the right but it is protected by the bottom plate.

If you want to see how the two compare, I would get the cooker up to temp, log the thermometer that came with the cookers temp, and replace it with your probe. I'm willing to bet that they aren't all that far off...

To be honest, I rarely refer to the thermometer that came with the unit, I am far more concerned with what the temperature is where the food is cooking and not what is 'coming around the bend'.

 

[Langsterjohn]

I agree with Divemaster about the cause of the temp difference you are seeing. What is more important to me is the difference from the vent end to the firebox end of my Lang 48, which can be substantial, although it tends to get smaller as the smoker comes to equilibrium after after a couple of hours. I use a thermometer in the meat, except for ribs, and do use the temp gauge on the unit. When I do ribs, I fill the pan with water to equalize the temp from one side to the other. With other meats I often place the meat depending on how fast I think it will cook on one side or the other, or I cook beans on the firebox end. The more you cook, the more you get to know the idiosyncracies of your pit. As for the temp difference between thermo and grate surface you are seeing, I just adjust what I see by about 15 degrees if I don't have water in the pan, and 25 degrees if I do. After about 4 hours, the whole thing is pretty constant, and I know what is happening to the meat from the meat thermo, so I don't even pay much attention anymore, other than to keep what ever temp is being indicated constant.

 

[AlabamaGrillBillies]

On my offset (not a reverse flow) There is a 20 degree temp difference from where the pit thermoter sits and from a prob thermoter put at grate level. I just subtract the difference. Knowing where your pits hot and cold spots and its ability to stay consistant are the two biggest things in my experience.

 

[The Pigman]

I have found it to be higher in temp and the temp installed is at to high of place in smoker......but i know the diff between my probe that I go by and the installed ones so I can look at the lang ones and know where I am.

 

[CBQ]

There is a substantial difference in my Klose offset in temps from left to right and top to bottom. Maybe the differences are less on the reverse flow Lang, but I would think a 15 degree difference from the grate to the thermometer is not surprising at all. It's normal.

The temp differences are not a problem for me, you just have to understand them. Knowing how the smoker performs, I put different cuts of meat on at different times and different spots so everything is done at once.

 

[bbq ron]

the one that came with my lang is almost 50 degrees hotter reading to the one i put on the grate. i just don't use the one that came with mine.
that said, my last 3 cooks, the temp on the left side grate is at 225 and the one on the right side are reading 100 degrees different and don't know why. yes these are et73 and have checked and double checked and don't know why. must have a crack in a weld on the tuning plate i guess. will to check that.

 

[Konrad_Haskins]

I love my Langs (48 Dlx and 60 original.) There are still temp variations even on the latest version. The top left location for the thermometer is a hot location. Your best bet to figure out the temp map is to do a biscuit test. Boiling water is only accurate at sea level but it's great to compare several thermometers.

 

[southernsmoker]

Thats inherent with the langs I think. In my Lang 84 d, I get a temp difference from front to back and is usually caused by wind on the nose or height of the nose. I compensate for wind and raise or lower the front jack to adjust temps. I wouldn't be overly concerned about a probe on the grates, the key is the internal temps of your product.

 

[luke duke]

Boiling water is only accurate at sea level.

I can assure you that water boils at a known temperature at any elevation/barometric pressure.

 

[nmayeux]

The thermo installed in your Lang is a good thermometer, and since you know about where you are, just deduct the 20 degrees. When I am cooking, I keep the pit thermo at 250* and that keeps the meat in the 225* range. Once you learn your pit, you will use the remotes less and less.

Also, since it seems that you are local. PM me, and maybe we can get together and trade beer and tips.