WSM Thermometer Mod Question

Could you tent a piece of foil over the top but not touching the thermometer so grease wouldn't directly hit it. I would like to do a handle mod myself, I just can't fathom drilling into my newer $400 wsm.

Only prob I see with the 2 1/2 is that more of the probe surface will "see" the coals in the gap between the water pan and wall. Could cause higher readings than actual grill temp.

When you go to drill, use some blue painter's tape over the drill spot to avoid chipping the enamel.

Good Luck!

In my drum I use a thermometer with a 12" long probe so it can read the center temp and not the edge. Those short probes will give an inaccurate reading in the WSM as the sides are hotter than the center.

Are you locked into the thermo being mounted in the center section?

All of them that I have done have been in the dome opposite the vent. I get pretty good results, and the probe is usually out of the way of the food. A thermo in the center section won't be.

If you go with the center, I'd go woth the longer probe. The shorter one might have a negative impact on accuracy.

Whatever you do, mask off the area where you're gonna drill and drill at lower RPMs. Helps to limit porcelain chippage.

I am assuming the probe will be above the grill grate. If you want to use the shorter probe and my assumption is correct. Why not get a thin piece of flat stock metal to lay on the grate under the probe. That way you could deflect the heat from the heat column around the edge. I am sure it will still run hotter then the center but it would help some.

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why not use the grommets and just insert and remove your thermometer at will?

Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but I'll share my 2 cents. I had 4, Tel Tru BBQ's analog dials as you are wanting to use. I placed them in above the grate locations on a custom build. The temps were always off because you can never really get to the center where it's much hotter than the probe can reach. Then after a month, the moisture / humidity made them un readable. I ripped them all out, HUGE waste of money. I'm still pissed, and that was a year ago. They looked good, but that was it. Then I did the unthinkable. I went to home depot, in the BBQ section and bought one of those metal turkey fryer analog thermometers for about 4 dollars. The one with the really long stem, not sure but 10-12 inches approximately. This is the best probe on the market, the stem reaches the center of most every pit, is very accurate, can take the high temps because is for a turkey fryer, and is dirt cheap. If it breaks, 4 more dollars, but it's lasted a year already, better than my 60 dollar probes that break for sure.

Here is what I have been planning to do with my WSM/Cajun Bandit.

Mount the Thermometer holder from a Genesis gas grill and use either a Weber dual purpose thermometer or a Tel-Tru Genesis replacement (calibrateable) mounted to the center section. Removable if I want to use a remote probe in place of the thermo!

Mount one just below the grate at each level- much cheaper than aftermarket grommets.
Schematic for the Genesis, http://help.weber.com/schematics/browse.aspx?all=1&model=231001

Thermo holder (#40) is relatively cheap from Weber parts, and a replacement thermo (#39) is @ $13 and a Tel Tru is a few dollars more.

http://store.weber.com/Items/Accessories/gas/Detail.aspx?pid=1106