temp gauge on 18.5 wsm


 

elmo

TVWBB Fan
i am doing my 2nd smoke on my 18.5 wsm and also trying my maverick redi chek temp monitor for first time.

At first, the smoker temp on the maverick was same as shown on the wsm but after about 45 mins or less, the temp on the wsm showing about 25F less than that showing on maverick.

I thought the maverick was defected but tried the temp gauge that came with my performer and gave me similar temp to that shown on the maverick.

It seems like the WSM temp gauge is off.

Dis anyone have defected temp gauges on their WSM?

elmo
 
I wouldn't worry about a 25 dif in temp at all Elmo.
Pick one temp, lid or grate and you will be fine.

Tim
 
Towards the end of the cook, the difference was as big as 40 F.

I was doing some reading and it is supposed to be hotter temp at the lid and not at the grate. I am getting the opposite. That is weird.

elmo
 
Reminder.... Check your thermometers in boiling water so you know how they read. If they are bimetal with adjustment screws, calibrate them.
 
Yes. My other 2 therms were calibrated in boiling water. Both read 211, so they are very accurate.

The dome is reading 40 degrees UNDER. Heat rises. I'm no scientist, but the laws of thermodynamics say that if the grate is 250, the dome... which is higher... should read 250 or more.

Now is it THAT big of a deal? Maybe not to some, as long as the cook comes out right. But I grew up poor, gentlemen, and I have made all my money the hard way. Working for it.

If I paid $360 for a grill with a built in therm, the **** therm better work.

The way I see it, Weber owes me a thermometer that's accurate.
 
If you check the Maverick probe in boiling water, make sure that you don't immerse the probe/cable interface. If you do, dry it out in a 250F oven. If you get water in it, it will read high.

Are you using a water pan full of water, or one of the mods without water. Generally, a probe just above the water pan will read low due to the shielding affect and stabilizing features of the water while a probe higher in the smoker will read higher since it is reading the temp of air mixed with the hotter air that came around the water pan. If you have something other than a water-filled water pan as the heat shield, you might actually measure a higher temp on the lower grate that at the dome.

Have you placed the Maverick probe as close to the Weber probe as possible to compare?

I am not clear as to whether you removed the Weber thermometer to test in boiling water.
 
Originally posted by ShawnW:
Yes. My other 2 therms were calibrated in boiling water. Both read 211, so they are very accurate.

The dome is reading 40 degrees UNDER. Heat rises. I'm no scientist, but the laws of thermodynamics say that if the grate is 250, the dome... which is higher... should read 250 or more.

Now is it THAT big of a deal? Maybe not to some, as long as the cook comes out right. But I grew up poor, gentlemen, and I have made all my money the hard way. Working for it.

If I paid $360 for a grill with a built in therm, the **** therm better work.

The way I see it, Weber owes me a thermometer that's accurate.

Shawn I'm having the exact same problem. I've had two smokes on my new WSM and wondered why everything was getting overcooked or taking less time than it should.

I bought the Maverick Redi Check ET73 and it is also reading roughly 30-40 degrees hotter than the built in Weber therm which makes sense.

So now I just always add about 30 degrees and go from there.
 
I am having the same issue. Little back round, I have been helping/cooking with my neighbor on his WSM for the past few years. His will get to 250 bang on all the time. I finally bought my own (with the built-in thermo) and the first few cooks I was having a problem keeping 250. Well we did a big cook and had both going at the same time. Did everything the same and his hit 250 but mine was sitting at just under 220. Did some checking and figured the thermo must be defective. Called Weber and they sent me a new one. I did a check in boiling water with two other probes and found the new one was again 30+ degrees lower. I called Weber to see if they were getting calls on this, their response was no and there is nothing wrong with the thermo. Their next statement was "Well is your food turning out ok" Now that I know its off I can adjust for what I want but I guess that when I did my first few cooks I was just use to my neighbors and kept trying to get my 250 when actually it was 280 and the food was a little over done. Live and learn.
 
"Well is your food turning out ok"

NOT the point. Obviously there are a number of us having this issue. It's a problem. They should fix the dang problem, not ask you how your food is turning out.

Ridiculous.
 
Originally posted by ShawnW:
E-mail them, Paul. They're sending me a new one.
Shawn,

Did you get your replacement thermometer from Weber yet? If so, does it work any better? Thanks -- KC
 

 

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