Your preference for temp.guage placement?


 
M

Mickey M

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Where go you guys think is the better place to put your temperature gauge, in the pot or in the lid of the Smokey Joe itself?

I ask because I placed a River Country RC-T2 thermometer in the pot and I have to bend over and use a flashlight to read the durned thing.

It would be much easier to read if it were in the lid. Any drawbacks to putting it in the lid that you know of?

Thanks
 
Mickey M said:
Where go you guys think is the better place to put your temperature gauge, in the pot or in the lid of the Smokey Joe itself? I ask because I placed a River Country RC-T2 thermometer in the pot and I have to bend over and use a flashlight to read the durned thing. It would be much easier to read if it were in the lid. Any drawbacks to putting it in the lid that you know of? Thanks
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Both, for the very reason you mention

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Why both, Chuck?

I was thinking of blocking the hole in the pot of my mini with a bolt, washer and a lock nut and moving the temp. gauge up top to the lid rather than pay for another gauge.

Why would this not be a good idea?
 
Anything wrong with placing the thermometet on the side of the dome (as opposed to top of the dome where it probably gives hotter readings than what is hitting the meat)?
 
Mickey M said:
Anything wrong with placing the thermometet on the side of the dome (as opposed to top of the dome where it probably gives hotter readings than what is hitting the meat)?
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I prefer to have the probe/probes at the same level as where I am cooking. Since I use remote therms iGrill and Mav, I have ports that are right below the Cooking grates. I place them below so that I don't have to remove the probe to remove the grate. I arrange the meat or whatever I am smoking so that the probe isn't below the meat.
 
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Grate is not in but you can see how far in the probe goes.

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Good side shot showing the ports for the therms. I forgot that the lower one on this pot is above the grate.
 
I use a Mav or iGrill on the grate. When I use 300*F + temps with the water pan removed, I simply use the dome temp via the Weber thermometer.
 
If you decide to go with a fixed mounted thermometer be sure and test it in boiling water to see how accurate it is. Do this prior to installing. depending on your altitude it should read close to 212°f. If there is any difference note that difference and adjust accordingly. If the therm is only a few degrees off I wouldn't worry to much. 5+ then I'd add or subtract the difference (not as important for pit temp, but 5 degrees can make the difference when measuring the IT of your food.). If the therm is 10+ degrees off send it back. I test all the probes that I have for my remote therms when I first get them. I also periodically check them just to make sure I haven't wore them out.

For a fix mounted therm I'd still put it right below the upper cooking grate, as that's the one you'll use the most.
 
CaseT said:
For a fix mounted therm I'd still put it right below the upper cooking grate, as that's the one you'll use the most.
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I sure do like my thermometer to measure the temp right near the food. so I like to have the end of the probe must under the cooking grate.

@CaseT - love that mini-za oven - gonna copy it :wsm:
 
rich langer said:
I sure do like my thermometer to measure the temp right near the food. so I like to have the end of the probe must under the cooking grate.

@CaseT - love that mini-za oven - gonna copy it :wsm:
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Thanks! My boys do too! Its our go to camp mini now. With the door on I can smoke whatever I want and the boys can have pizza in the woods! Only thing I wouldn't do is paint the pot. Even using 1200° high temp The area below the pizza stone burnt off! It does make a nice ZA!
 
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