Thermometer in weber kettle

[Big Frank]

Has anybody installed a thermometer in the lid of a kettle. Would it help when your cooking with indirect heat ?

Thanks Frank

[Wampus]

My performer's already got one, but my brother put one of the Wally World grill thermos in the lid of his OTS and he loves it. I would have done it to mine, but I just switch lids if needed.

It definitely helps so you don't have to keep peeking at an oven thermometer on longer cooks. You just have to know the grill. I mean, just because the lid thermo says 250 doesn't necessarily mean that it's 250 at the grate. Just do some tests to verify. But, it definitely works great.

I think he bought a lid thermo at Wal-Mart for like $15-20.

Good luck!

[Vince B]

In all honesty I have never even used a therm in my kettle. I only use it to do quick burn cooks. I think I only used the kettle once to make ribs and once to make pork loins. My wsm or my gasser are used when I'm really trying to control the temps. Good idea non the less. Vince

[Old Smoke]

I put one in a kettle lid a few years back. It keeps ya from peeking inside. I bought mine at a local hardware store for cheap.

[Paulmark]

Yes I put one on mine, but use a oven thermometer for the grill also.

[swamprb]

I got a Weber OTS from another cook that installed a Tel-Tru in the lid of this one. He mounted it to the Right of the handle near the center of the lid. I used a stainless steel hole plug and mounted a WSM thermo opposite the vent. I use this setup on my Cajun Bandit Kettle Conversion



The WSM thermo is kinda useless for grilling temps, so I drilled out the stainless hole plug and mounted a Genesis grill thermo in its place. You can barely make it out in this pic here.



They are fairly accurate, off 5*-10* until they both stabilize and then they run pretty much on the money.

I would order a thermo and bezel for a Summit grill if you want a clean look, otherwise Tel-Tru makes Weber replacement thermos for a few $$'s more and they are calibratable. BBQ Guru has a vent plug thermo that some people seem to like, and its removable.

[T-Man]

I stick one down the vent on the lid..works good... One day I might make a permeant installation maybe at grate level...

[Dim]

an old thread, but I thought that I will comment for anyone who wishes to add a thermometer to their kettle lid

I placed my thermometer near the bottom (close to the grid), and on the opposite side of the top vent

it works ok, was cheap and gives me an indication of whats happening inside

if I were to do it again, I would add the thermometer on the same side as the top vent (and not on the opposide side)

this then allows the smoke to be drawn over the meat and not directly up and out of the vent (make the fire on the opposite side of the top vent.... i.e. your vent and thermometer is near the meat)

[Tom Sr]

I have installed thermometers in both my ranch kettle and my 22 OTS. I installed them just above the lip on the cover to get them as close to my
grill so I could view the real cooking temp.

[PaPaQ]

I Installed a Tel-Tru in my OTG, I think it helps.

[smokainmuskoka]

I use a Maverick now, but before I got it(and sometimes still) I would use a candy thermometer(5" probe) in the exhaust vent of the kettle. I place the probe between clip used to attach it to a cook pot/deep fryer so that the probe's readings aren't off because it's touching the kettle lid directly.

I know it's not super accurate, but if you cross reference it to an oven thermo at grill level a few times, you can compensate for the difference in readings.

[dadsr4]

Here is what I do.
12 inch turkey thermometer on a Weber kettle
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...d.php?t=131835

[caseydog]

My Master's Touch came with a Thermometer in the lid, under the handle. It is handy to have. It is not totally accurate, and it is well above the cooking grate, but after years of using it, I have a pretty good idea how to read it and know what's going on.



Sticking a thermometer through the top vent works, too.

CD

[tb80]

I have stuck a thermometer through the vent before. However, I also use an oven thermometer. Generally the temp was about 50-75 degrees hotter at the vent than on the grate. However, knowing the different allowed me to know the grate temp without peeking.

[dbq]

I stick one down the vent, it may not be accurate but it gives me an idea how this fire is going compared to the last one.