4" Tel-tru... use cork when cooking large meat?


 

Hans Lain

TVWBB Member
I want to get a Tel-Tru thermometer for my WSM. Planning to mount it opposite the vents at the same height. Drill hole with a step bit so the tel-tru threads in to the hole. With a 4" probe it might hit the food if it's large. Thinking in that case I could remove the temp probe and reinstall using a cork so I only insert it in to the dome as far as I need to.

Which begs the question - how much of the probe needs to be in the dome to get an accurate reading?
 
I use the top vent for my therm., and it sticks down into the lid about 2". I have never had any issues with it.
 
i have 4" tel tru thermometers in all of my wsm's (3) and haven't had the thermometer touch the meat maybe one or twice doing bcc's. i just rotated the lid a bit and the problem went away.
 
Hans,
I put a TelTrue in the same position you are talking about. I also "domed" a couple of large washers so they matched the countour of the WSM lid, and bored them out with a step bit and painted them with black hi temp paint as well. (Put the washer on a large socket, then used a smaller socket and hammer to put an "arc" or "dome" in the washer.) Placed a washer on the outside, one inside, and then used a 1/2" NPT nut on the inside to secure. Works perfectly, and the washers cover the porcelain chipping that is certain to occur when you drill the hole.
 
I was going to mount a thermometer by drilling a hole in the top but I wasn’t ready for that yet so I got a Tel-Tru 2.5” length and used a hole in the top vent. On my first cook with it, I found the thermometer gave a reading of 30°F lower at 200°F. Has anyone noticed if my type of thermometer needs to be calibrated before the first cook?
 
NO! The therm doesn't require recalibration. My Tel Tru has exactly the same stem length and was mounter similarly. I got the same readings as you, significantly lower than the grate temperature. As long as its mounting is consistent, mounter in the same place and in the same way, then there's nothing to worry about.

For my next cook I plan encircle the stem with aluminum foil prior to insertion into the vent hole. That way the hole will be sealed and then we'll see what the results are.
 
Maybe I got one that didn't get calibrated, but I'm glad I had one that was correct. I then used boiling water to adjust it. It works great now.
 

 

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