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Smoker lid crushing thermometer lead

Hoorenga

Hoorenga

is one Smokin' Farker
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I think that last post was a bit too long as no one seemed to make it far enough to get to my question. Either that or you guys don't like me.
Hey, quick question.

I'm haveing a problem using my remote thermometer.
The lead on the probe end has to pass under the heavy lid of the door of the smoke chamber. There is no room for it to pass without getting crushed. Should I use a file or grinder and cut a small grove for it to pass through? Passing it down the chimney was suggested but it is too short for that.
 
i got thru about 9-10 leads a year just becase of that( i have 3 transmitters). I guess notching the chamber may work, but i just buy extra leads and so I always have backups.
 
Seems to me that cutting a grove would solve the problem. I just don't know if there are any problems associated with doing it. Can't imagin that there are. It wouldn't be large enough to effect the air flow. What made me think of it is that I saw a dutch oven the other day that had just such a groove but it was done in the casting. I think my leads are about three feet long, mabye four.
 
Are you ever going to use more than one probe at a time? Are you eventually going to end up with 4-6 filed grooves in your smoker lid?
Are you going to probe from the beginning of each and every cook?
Have you learned where your hot spot is in your smoker so you don't file out a place in the lid possibly in the wrong place?

Buying replacement leads looking a little more promising??

Only you know your cooker, but from the pictures, I'm sure the lid is quite heavy and could or will possibly damage the leads. Give some serious thought to all the alternatives before you possibly create spots that could result in heat lose due to bad planning.

Another thing....in a year from now, you'll know if your cooker cooks at an hour per pound or 1.5 hours per pound and you'll learn how to check for doneness by feel. A quick opening of the lid and checking with a digital redicheck thermometer and checking for tenderness by the way the meat feels while inserting the thermometer will become natural.

If you want to go straight to a redicheck, here's the safe temp zones.

Chicken--breast meat--160*
Thighs and legs--180*
Whole chicken--180* at the thigh/leg joint
Beef and pork are considered "done" at 160*, always take ground
beef and pork to at least this temp. I prefer 165*
Briskets are best cooked to 190*-195*
Pulled pork 190*-195*, sliced pork about 180*
Pork loin 160*

Phil cooks his prime rib to 145*, I believe, and the turns it in the hot spot to finish

Hope I haven't rambled and given you information you really didn't want or need. Consider all alternatives...........have a great day.........
 
I'm pretty good at checking on doneness by feel and eye but I have a thing for gadgets. I also like doing things the old fashioned way. The smoker lets me do both. I can tend my fire and watch the digital read out and drink my beer. I wouldn't think that it would matter where I cut the grove. We arn't talking' a window here. As long as the lead is long enough to reach anywhere in the cooking chamber. Has anyone else done this. I could do a hole or a grove. One temp probe is enough for me even if I'm doing multiple pieces. Guess I'm going to have to do it and report back.
 
If it were me, I'd file a groove rather than drill a hole. Just my $.02.
 
If you file a small slot in the middle of the opening on the stillwater a three foot probe should reach either end of the smoker. On the great outdoors smoker just remove one of the bottom bolts holding the handle to the side and run your probes thru the hole'
 
hrchdog said:
On the great outdoors smoker just remove one of the bottom bolts holding the handle to the side and run your probes thru the hole'
Click to expand...

The door on the Great Outdoors is so warped that there is always a crack some where along the edge to get the lead safely through.

On the Brinkman I was thinking that a hole could be easily pluged if I ever decided I didn't need it. I'll ponder it some more while I'm Qing today.
 
A little time of quiet contemplation as I fired up the Brinkman this morning gave me the insight I needed. I already have a nice little hole in my smoker in just the right location. The Grease drain! Ran both sensor leads easily through and they have just enough length to reach the optimal cooking areas. Thanks for letting me think out loud and bouncing this off of you all.
 
I take a very simple approach to using my thermo's. As Willkat already pointed out. I run all my leads down through the chimney and stick my thermos right to the side of the cooking chamber, up top and away from the firebox. I will generally have two thermos for grate temps. One for the bottom portion of the cooking chamber and one for the top. This gives a good idea of the temp ranges throughout the entire chamber. Any additional thermos I use are for meats I want to know the internal temperature of like butts and brisket. All of which I run down through the top of the cooking chamber.

Drilling a small hole is a good option as well.
 
You all probe to much. BTW I figured where to put my probe last night. :wink:
 
I would think that once you figured out where your hot spots were and how the temperature varied from spot to spot within the chamber that you would only need one probe in a general location and deduce the temp in other locations from that?
 
I would think that once you figured out where your hot spots were and how the temperature varied from spot to spot within the chamber that you would only need one probe in a general location and deduce the temp in other locations from that?
Click to expand...

I completely agree, and wouldn't trust a digital to read "pit temp". Digitals are great meat thermometers but suck for pit temp readings, they're too sensitive to any minute influence that would push the readings up or down from that good overall picture you're looking for. A quality door therm (regularly verified by an cheap oven therm behind it) IMO is best for overall pit temp.
 
KC,

Disagree with you thoughts on Digital, but then look where I work. You got to discipline yourself to igonre them readings down there in the .1 *F range. If you want to go crazy start checking humidity levels down less than 1% RH. Now that will drive you to drink.
 
Probe readings

brdbbq said:
KC,

Disagree with you thoughts on Digital, but then look where I work. You got to discipline yourself to igonre them readings down there in the .1 *F range. If you want to go crazy start checking humidity levels down less than 1% RH. Now that will drive you to drink.
Click to expand...

Now we know Brian's excuse!!!! :lol:
 
brdbbq said:
You all probe to much. BTW I figured where to put my probe last night. :wink:
Click to expand...

Didn't you buy a dog recently?

Down the smokestack is where I run my probe....
 
racer_81 said:
brdbbq said:
You all probe to much. BTW I figured where to put my probe last night. :wink:
Click to expand...

Didn't you buy a dog recently?
Click to expand...

Yep I did and he is too small even for my little chicken. :cry:
 
willkat98 said:
brdbbq said:
Yep I did and he is too small even for my little chicken. :cry:
Click to expand...

So your azz is a chicken koop?
Click to expand...

Kind of early ot be farking with me, don't you think ? Besides how does one get the corn kernels out of there chit ?
 
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