Is this normal temperature recovery? Questions on expected behavior on the OBS.

[TheBoz]

Please tell me if this is normal temperature recovery for the OBS.  I'm using a OBS with a Auber Dual Probe.  It was 90deg outside, top vent 50% open.

I added three racks of St. Louis Ribs to a (preheated 225deg OBS) they had been sitting out at room temp for ~1hour.  They were still cool to the touch.  Cabinet temp dropped to 150deg and after 3 hours w/ smoke (I only opened it one time to rotate racks). It only reached 200 deg (both on the Auber and on the door thermometer).  I pulled the ribs and wrapped in foil.  During the next 1.5 hrs the smoker temp finally reached to 225deg.  I pulled the ribs out of the foil and inserted the meat probe, the ribs were at 173deg and the meat had pulled up on the ribs.  I sauced the ribs and returned them for their last hour of cook time.  The temp dropped on the meat probe to 150deg and slowly started to recover, never got back to 170deg.  Smoker temp stayed at 225deg.

- Should it take this long to get back to 225deg? 4 hours on a 6 hour cook?
- Is it normal for the temp on the meat to drop after the foil stage?  The sauce was not that cold.
- I forgot to mention, My Auber temp probe is mounted under the first or top rack as specificed in the install manual.  I had a total of three metal racks in the smoker to hold my three rib racks.  Is my probe in the wrong spot?

The final product tasted great, tender and juicy!

[Mr Walleye]

TheBoz

In my opinion the cabinet temp probe belongs below your lowest rack. In mine I have it mounted between the lowest rack and 2nd one up which seems to be a happy medium.

I would suspect that if you had checked the temp below the lowest rack your temps would have been a fair bit higher. I usually try to have my lowest rack exposed to my target temp and from there, rotate the racks for even cooking.

As far as seeing the temp drop on the ribs goes I don't think that is that uncommon. By the time you get them out of the foil and back on the racks, sauced etc, they will certainly loose some temp.

Mike

[Wildcat]

I second Mike's opinion. You also need to remember what you are cooking with.

[classicrockgriller]

Something else that can help is to pre-heat the Bradley to like 250*

and after you put your ribs in there, leave it at 250* until your maverick tells you

the cabinet has got back up to your desired cabinet temp. Then lower the temp.

I set step one on the Auber to 250* for two hours.

That gives the cabinet 30 to 45 minutes to preheat and 1:15 to 1:30 minutes to warm up

the ribs. Then step 2 is my desired cooking temp. (225*)

[TheBoz]

Thanks for the feedback, I will definitely try your suggestions!

[BigJohnT]

CRG, How would having the temp set to 250 vs 225 change anything when the cabinet temperature is below 225? On is On and Off is Off for the controller.

John

[mow_delon]

I was wondering the same thing as Big John.

[BigJohnT]

I usually preheat to a higher temp then change my controller to the set temp after I finish loading the cabinet that way I don't have to remember to change it later while I'm napping in the shade...

John