Opinions On Dome Thermo For WSM

[wire-it-up]

Good morning everyone. No cook for me today, as my pit probe died last weekend (at the end of my cook, thank goodness). Still under warranty and the new one should arrive in the mail today, but too late to start a cook. My controller is a Flame Boss 200 universal model, and I've been completely satisfied with its performance. I think the failure of the pit probe was actually my fault, as I allowed the temp in the Weber to go over 400, which the manual says not to do for an extended period of time. That brings up my question...

I know from experience and from what's posted all over the Web that the lid thermo for most grills and smokers is completely worthless. The needle on the factory thermo for my WSM is stuck at around 300 and never moves. I ignore it. However, in an effort to prevent damaging another pit probe ($20 to buy, but I do try hard to take care of my stuff), I was thinking I would take the stock dome thermo out of the Weber and replace it with one from Lowe's. I found one in stock for $9 that gets good reviews. I figure for $9 it's a low risk gamble. I would like to use that thermo as a guide before putting the pit probe in for a cook. Let the temp stabilize at around 225 to 250 on the dome thermo, and then put the pit probe in.

I've only been at this for a couple of years now, and I feel like I'm just getting decent at producing good food. People rave about what I give them or cook for them, but it's easy to sometimes wonder if they're just being nice. I gauge it by whether they go back for seconds.

Anyway, I would love to get input from the brethren about this. Perhaps you all have an even better idea. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[wire-it-up]

Meant to ask in the original post - If you would proceed with this install, would you locate the new thermo where the old one is? Or, would you drill a new hole in the lid, perhaps near where the pit probe would clip onto the grate? Thanks again.

 

[Nuco59]

I'd just mount it where the other one was and move on down the road. if you are just using it to keep from toasting your pit probe who cares if it's"grate level accurate" or not? (ok- some do- but life is too short to be anal about stuff like that IMO) You can drill the dome of the wsm but I would not want to chip out my porcelain coating for no good reason.

Good luck

 

[wire-it-up]

Easy enough to put it where the old one is. Plus, not drilling a hole in the lid sounds good to me. Thanks for your reply.

 

[JimmyR1Rider]

Easy enough to put it where the old one is. Plus, not drilling a hole in the lid sounds good to me. Thanks for your reply.

I did what troy from YouTube did and use the large river country one. Get a fire going, take a grate reading and calibrate it. Has worked great for me.