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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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12-06-2012, 04:16 PM | #1 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 02-16-12
Location: Long Island, NY
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WSM Thermometer Mod Question
Hi all, doing some mods to my WSMs.
I plan on permanently mounting an analog thermometer in the middle section of my WSM. I plan on mounting it above the door, in the center, half way from the door top to the top lip. I plan on getting a Tel-Tru BQ225, with a 2" dial. Tel-Tru has a 2 1/2" stem and a 4" stem version. The 4" stem version will get the tip of the probe somewhat away from the outside of the cooker, which is good. I am concerned that it might get in the way when I use the lower rack, especially on the 18 1/2" WSM, or grease from the meat on the top rack might drip on it making it give false readings. Questions: Will the 4" stem length unit better reflect the cooker temperature or will the 2 1/2" stem length be fine? Will the 4" stem length unit get in my way when I cook on the lower grate or is dripping grease a problem? What do you UDS cookers use? Thanks in advance, Bob
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"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin | [COLOR=RoyalBlue][COLOR=Red]Weber[/COLOR] 18 1/2" & 22 1/2" WSM[/COLOR], [COLOR=SeaGreen]22 1/2" & 26 3/4" OTG[/COLOR][COLOR=DimGray][COLOR=Black],[/COLOR] [COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Genesis S-330[/COLOR][/COLOR] |[COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Black]|[/COLOR] BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkOrange]Maverick ET-732[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Gray]Gray Thermapen[/COLOR] | |
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12-06-2012, 05:06 PM | #2 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 06-07-12
Location: kansas
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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.
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12-06-2012, 05:12 PM | #3 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 03-17-12
Location: Shreveport, Louisiana
Name/Nickname : Mike
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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!
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Cooking Equipment: Weber WSM, Weber GA, Weber Spirit E-310, Weber 22" OTG Charbroil Oilless Turkey Fryer Wife LuzziAnn 1956 model. Ink Bird IBBQ 4T Wi-Fi Temp Monitor, Superfast LSU Purple Thermapen & ThermaPop, Party Q Ink Bird Sous Vide, HF Flame Thower My Motto these days is "Low Stress, Low Drag". The Artist Formally Known as Toast |
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12-06-2012, 06:29 PM | #4 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 12-11-07
Location: N. Andover, MA
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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.
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12-06-2012, 07:28 PM | #5 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 07-14-06
Location: Wyocena/Pardeeville, WI
Name/Nickname : Clark
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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.
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Clark My Boys: Joseph (EI); Andrew (EE); Daniel (EE) My Toys: 10 WSMs (B, C, E, DH, DA, EZ, DZ, EO, DU, DR); 5 - 22.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettles; 2 - 18.5" Bar-B-Q-Kettle; 4 WGAs (EZ, DE, N, B); 2 SJPs ( DR, DR); 2 Smokey Joes (A, K); Brinkman Cimmaron. "For when democracy becomes tyranny, those of us with rifles still get to vote" |
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12-06-2012, 09:28 PM | #6 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 05-03-12
Location: Chanute, KS
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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.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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22.5" WSM 22.5" OTS w/Smokenator [B][COLOR=Purple]Super Fast[/COLOR][/B] [B][COLOR=Purple]Purple Thermapen [/COLOR][/B]Maverick ET-732 |
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12-07-2012, 02:39 PM | #7 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 04-12-08
Location: Chattanooga TN
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why not use the grommets and just insert and remove your thermometer at will?
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Weber 22 Smokey Mountain Weber 14 Smokey Mountain Weber Genesis 330 EP |
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12-07-2012, 02:59 PM | #8 | |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 02-16-12
Location: Long Island, NY
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Quote:
If I'm using my ET-732, and use the grommet for the probe wires, I can't also use it for an analog thermometer. Bob
__________________
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Benjamin Franklin | [COLOR=RoyalBlue][COLOR=Red]Weber[/COLOR] 18 1/2" & 22 1/2" WSM[/COLOR], [COLOR=SeaGreen]22 1/2" & 26 3/4" OTG[/COLOR][COLOR=DimGray][COLOR=Black],[/COLOR] [COLOR=DeepSkyBlue]Genesis S-330[/COLOR][/COLOR] |[COLOR=DarkRed] [COLOR=Black]|[/COLOR] BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi [/COLOR]| [COLOR=DarkOrange]Maverick ET-732[/COLOR] | [COLOR=Gray]Gray Thermapen[/COLOR] | |
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12-07-2012, 03:53 PM | #9 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 03-25-11
Location: Nimitz Hill
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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.
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" Don't ask me who I am " CENTRIXS |
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12-07-2012, 07:07 PM | #10 |
somebody shut me the fark up.
Join Date: 10-27-06
Location: Bothell WA
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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/bro...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/Accesso....aspx?pid=1106
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Brian - Left Hand Smoke BBQ PNWBA 2010 Team of the Year BGE's/WSM's/Pellet Pro WSM/BWS Gater/BDS Clones/Cookshack 008/Weber Performer w EZ-Que/Cajun Bandit/Rib-O-Lator Test Pilot/La Caja China/BBQ Guru/Weber 1000 RK Drum Coffee Roaster Follow Left Hand Smoke on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/pages/Left-H...462391?sk=wall KCBS CBJ/PNWBA CBJ www.pnwba.com |
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