Temp REALLY slow coming back up - how do I handle?

[pokerdave]

Put a Brisket on the second to top rack of my OBS at 9am with a temp probe beside it. By 10:15 when I added two racks of ribs in the bottom 2 racks the temp had gone up to 230. Now it has been almost 2 hours and the temp is only back to 202 ( still measured on the 3rd rack up )...

Was planning to do some form of 2-1-1 on the ribs ( had 2.5-1.5-1 in mind ). Temp dropped to 180 when I added the ribs and is just back to 202 now. I think I'll leave the ribs in the smoker another 30 minutes, then pull them, tent with AJ and put in a pre-heated 220 oven for an hour and a half, then back in the smoker for say 30 minutes to firm up then FTC... quick finish on the grill with some Stubbs before dinner...

Thoughts?

[FLBentRider]

The ribs are done when the meat starts to pull back from the bone.

IMHO the ribs are cooling (absorbing the heat) and giving you a false reading, if I read the post correctly.

[pokerdave]

So could easily be 220 or more at the bottom rack? Up to 204 now... Not as worried about the brisket which is on the 3rd rack with the probe beside as I'll poke the probe in him and go to 185 when I pull out the ribs...

[pokerdave]

Pulled the ribs out. Rub is still red. Foiled with apple juice and in the oven at 225... set the timer for 1:45... will toss back in the smoker for 30 after that and hope for the best...

IT of the brisket is at 140 and hasn't moved in 10 minutes...

[pokerdave]

Ribs have smoked 2.5 hours in the smoker and then 225 in the oven in foil with AJ for 1:45 more. Putting back in the over for 30 minutes @ 225 to firm up. Then will FTC until the Brisket is ready or we decide to eat...

[TestRocket]

With the small amount of experience I have with my OBS I think you are experiencing what I felt was the outcome of cooking with only 500 watts. The cabinet cannot keep up with the meat load and recover as fast as most of us are used too. Low and slow is it's design and if you want it to recover from the heat loss from opening the door and (or) a large amount of meat you need to prepare for a long cook.  With that said you can modify the OBS and add the second heating element to help the heat recover faster. I hope your cook ended well!

[Habanero Smoker]

When you place the probe to close to the meat or in-between racks, moisture that is evaporating from the meat will cool the area around it. At the beginning of the cooking time, this could be as much as 40°F difference. As the meat gets closer to the target internal temperature, the difference of temperatures lessens. It is best to place the probe below the bottom rack, where the direct heat will register the hottest temperatures.

[TestRocket]

One more idea for next time is to add 1 or 2 foil wrapped bricks in the smoker. Several of us have done it.