Just got done installing Tel-Tru

I have been wanting to install a Therm. ever since I saw the pictures and procedure on this web site. Let me tell I was nervous at first and followed the advice from posters here. Man O' Man it was a lot easier to do than what I expected!!! The unibit #4 made the job so much easier and the total install took less than 30 minutes. I took some extra time measuring and putting masking (the blue stuff) on the lid just in case the Unibit wanted to take a little walk. Needless to say this did not happen.. For those of you who are hesitant about this modification, I recommend doing it. My new WSM has a nice look to it now!!

Brian D

Hi Brian,

Do you happen to have a picture of what your WSM looks like with the Tel-Tru installed? Where did you install it on the WSM?

Thanks!
Jesse

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by jgabbard:
Hi Brian,

Do you happen to have a picture of what your WSM looks like with the Tel-Tru installed? Where did you install it on the WSM?

Thanks!
Jesse </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Jesse,

I will take and post a picture tommorrow.

I installed it on the opposite side of the top vent. Measured from the center of the handle to the center of the vent and then took that measurement to the exact opposite side. Taped it up, center punched it and drilled. Like I had mentioned in the post, as do many others who have done this install, the #4 unibit worked wonders!! When I got close I stopped drilling and made sure I was not over doing it and made sure the Tel-Tru fit... Wham Bam, that's all she wrote.. Very simple install and I had no chipping or damage to my WSM...

Brian D

I recently installed a lid thermometer in my WSM also, opposite the vent. I used a 3 inch dial Ashcroft (Grainger has em on sale). I bought both a 4 inch stem and a 2.5 inch stem because I really couldn't make up my mind which one I wanted. I also have a straightened polder probe inserted through a center drilled top grate bolt so the probe sits under the top grate. Yesterday I experimented a little while making a rack of spares. Interesting, after the WSM stabilized, with no meat in it, both the polder below the top grate and the 4 inch stem Ashcroft read within 1 degree of each other. The 2.5 inch stem ashcroft however read 30 degrees colder. All thermometers have been tested in boiling water and are within 1 degree of each other. Also interesting to me is that after placing a rack of spares on the top grate and letting everything re-stabilize I found that the under grate polder probe read 12 degrees hotter than the 4 inch stem Ashcroft in the lid. This 12 degree diff stayed as long as the ribs were on the top rack. After the ribs were done and removed both lid and under grate read the same again.

Tim,

Just out of curiosity, were your spareribs rolled or were they laid out flat. Just wondering if the slab itself caused a "heat tent". How did you mount the under grate probe holder? Do you have any pics? Did you stick with the 4"? I haven't had any problems with my Tel-Tru BQ300. Works like a charm.

Brian,

The spares were laid out flat. I am sure that they disrupted airflow inside the cooker or created a "heat tent", but I bet putting any meat on the rack disrupts airflow. I will experiment over the next several cooks to get a feel for how it is affected.

To mount the Polder probe I center drilled a 1/4 28 bolt in the lathe with a #23 bit and used this drilled bolt to replace one existing 1/4 20 original bolt holding the top of one of the cooking grate mounts. I also used a tubing bender to straighten the bend out of a polder probe allowing probe to be slid in all the way. This way it reaches the center of the cooking grate. A 1/4 28 bolt was used as the thread depth is less than a 1/4 20 allowing a thicker wall section and thus a stronger drilled bolt.
I also fabricated a small aluminum shield to keep hotter air around perimeter of cooker from affecting probe. I have pictures of this but they are on a hard drive that has been causing some problems. I want to get another drive and back this one up before I run it any more. I will try to take some new pics but it might be a little while before I get the chance.

Something I failed to mention earlier was that I mounted my Ashcroft using a modified (shortened) Watts A-177 coupler which raises the thermometer about 3/4". I did this so I could easily screw thermometers in and out. I think as long as I have it mounted this way I will use the 4 inch stem. I will probably at some point mount the thermometer directly, and at that point I will play with the shorter stem version again. Unless it finds its way into some of my homebrewing equipment first haha.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim Jensen:
Brian,

The spares were laid out flat. I am sure that they disrupted airflow inside the cooker or created a "heat tent", but I bet putting any meat on the rack disrupts airflow. I will experiment over the next several cooks to get a feel for how it is affected.

To mount the Polder probe I center drilled a 1/4 28 bolt in the lathe with a #23 bit and used this drilled bolt to replace one existing 1/4 20 original bolt holding the top of one of the cooking grate mounts. I also used a tubing bender to straighten the bend out of a polder probe allowing probe to be slid in all the way. This way it reaches the center of the cooking grate. A 1/4 28 bolt was used as the thread depth is less than a 1/4 20 allowing a thicker wall section and thus a stronger drilled bolt.
I also fabricated a small aluminum shield to keep hotter air around perimeter of cooker from affecting probe. I have pictures of this but they are on a hard drive that has been causing some problems. I want to get another drive and back this one up before I run it any more. I will try to take some new pics but it might be a little while before I get the chance.

Something I failed to mention earlier was that I mounted my Ashcroft using a modified (shortened) Watts A-177 coupler which raises the thermometer about 3/4". I did this so I could easily screw thermometers in and out. I think as long as I have it mounted this way I will use the 4 inch stem. I will probably at some point mount the thermometer directly, and at that point I will play with the shorter stem version again. Unless it finds its way into some of my homebrewing equipment first haha. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Tim,
Yeah, I would agree with the air circulation aspect of laying the ribs flat or any meat that is placed on that top grate. Can't wait to see pictures of the probe install, I am really curious to see how this works. I love to tinker with stuff so doing something like that is right up my alley.. Some homebrew sounds real good right about now, guess I will stick to the store bought!!! Have a good weekend.

Brian D

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim Jensen:
I recently installed a lid thermometer in my WSM also, opposite the vent. I used a 3 inch dial Ashcroft (Grainger has em on sale). I bought both a 4 inch stem and a 2.5 inch stem because I really couldn't make up my mind which one I wanted. I also have a straightened polder probe inserted through a center drilled top grate bolt so the probe sits under the top grate. Yesterday I experimented a little while making a rack of spares. Interesting, after the WSM stabilized, with no meat in it, both the polder below the top grate and the 4 inch stem Ashcroft read within 1 degree of each other. The 2.5 inch stem ashcroft however read 30 degrees colder. All thermometers have been tested in boiling water and are within 1 degree of each other. Also interesting to me is that after placing a rack of spares on the top grate and letting everything re-stabilize I found that the under grate polder probe read 12 degrees hotter than the 4 inch stem Ashcroft in the lid. This 12 degree diff stayed as long as the ribs were on the top rack. After the ribs were done and removed both lid and under grate read the same again. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I have had the same experience. I first ordered a Tel-Tru BQ300 with a 2.5" stem and found it to be 20-30 degrees off of my grate probe. Not satisfied, I installed a 4" BQ300 and it's within a degree or two.