Temperature - Monitor and Control

Stock BBQ Thermometer

Temperature control is an extremely important part of the BBQ process. The idea is to attain and hold the ideal temperature for an extended period of time. In order to do this in the first place, you are going to need an accurate device to measure the temperature inside your grill or smoker in order to make any adjustments necessary. Ideally, for smoking, you want to stay in the 200 - 250 degree range and a good thermometer will be invaluable in knowing where you're at.

The thermometers that are standard features on most grills and smokers are notoriously inaccurate. In fact my smoker's temperature gauge doesn't even work after only a few years of gentle use. There's a very good model (Tel-Tru) that's on my wishlist. Although it's a bit pricey, you really do need a good unit. The reason that I haven't bought one yet is that I did acquire a remote device that tells me the temperature of the cooking area as well as the internal temperature of whatever I'm cooking. A lot of people use an insertion type instant-read thermometer for internal temperature.

To do something like a turkey on a grill, there is a great deal of temperature monitoring required. Every time you open up the lid to baste the bird you lose a great deal of heat quickly. Use a remote grill/meat thermometer to keep an eye on the temperatures throughout the entire process and adjust the gas to keep the temperature as consistent as possilbe. Although the turkey can be somewhat forgiving for a lot of variations, you don’t want to burn the roasting pan due to a lack of dripping liquid under the bird, so keep an eye on it if the temperature gets up too high.

For my bullet smoker, I can control the temperature mainly through the use of the 3 vents at the bottom, which reduces or increases the amount of oxygen feeding the fire. They say that the top vent should be wide open, but I've found it necessary at times to close it to slow down the temperature.

Another factor is the type of fuel being used. I have found that regular charcoal briquettes most frequently used on a hibachi style unit get hot fast and then die off quickly, which means that I have to add more briquettes - all the while struggling with temperature fluctuations. I started using a premium briquette designed for competitions which has been far more consistent in maintaining a level temperature. I also mix in some lump charcoal to get the same result.