Do I NEED a Remote Thermometer?


 
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Dan Crafton

TVWBB Member
I'm just learning the art of smoking. Doing my third cook this weekend-my first Boston Butt.

I would prefer to keep it simple for the time being and just use the OEM lid thermometer, however, the more I read it seems most everyone uses some sort of fancy remote/probe thermometer. Are these necessary? I've read on the TVWB that the oem lid thermometer is 10dg higher than the top grate (I can handle that). Is this true?

I have a Thermopen for checking my meat temps and would prefer to just use the oem lid thermometer if its only 10dg off.

Thanks,
Dan
 
depends, if talking to bros, "I'd like a remote thermometer" if talking to the wife "Honey, I really need a remote thermometer"

They are purely just a luxury. I dont have to go outside to see that my wsm is exactly were I left it 3hrs ago. so anything that helps you be lazy, Im all for. Remember for the most part, temp gauges are all relative. I spent a good chunk of time thinkng that I was turning out my best ribs at 240. used a remote and found out it was more like 265. doesnt really matter what temp it actually is as long is "240" is always "240" on the gauge
 
I honestly believe your better off learning if you don't get all hung up on temperatures at the beginning. Learn to cook by feel and instinct. Only thing I would suggest is making sure your dome thermometer is accurate and use that thermopen more as a probe than a thermometer.
 
A remote thermometer is a luxury. As long as you have tested your oem therm and know it's accurate, you should be fine. When its needle is in that gray band that signifies "smoke," you're doing good.
I don't know how or why it happened once, but after I foiled some ribs and returned to the WSM, my remote therm read a perfect 250ish, but the temp on my oem therm kept dropping.
In this case, it turned out that the oem therm was right.
 
I agree with the above ..no need really for the remotes..I spent a bunch of money on these rigs and currently none of them work. Once you get things dialed in (make sure your lid therm is close as mine is about 20 degree's low) you will be fine! With that being said...a cooking log is invaluable! Keep records of your cooks so you can refer back if needed! Always nice to look back and see how long something took or what rub was used!
 
I have too much fun hangin' around the WSM on warm sunny days (we get a few of those here in Arizona) and drinking a beer (I have a few of those in my fridge), so I'm content with dropping a Weber thermometer through a hole in the top vent to keep an eye on temps. Plus, there's that "something in the air" thing that my nose always zeroes in on....
 
Well my 2 cents. I LOVE my remote...Sure im in on the second one in 2 years. But i rather do whats "needs" to be done(wathcing tvwbb) and so on. And @ the same time i know were my smoker temp/meat temp is. Do you need it?! NO...OFC not. Lern to cook by dome temp and you are solid. Get another temp @ the grate and lern to cook by that...You are solid. The only thing is that you GAIN is that you have a remote reading on the temp. Lazy = Yes! Works great = Yes!
 
I would echo what has been said. It is needed? No it not needed but it makes things nice. Something nobody else has touched on is the overnight cooks. The Maverick has a feature where I can set alarms for both my pit and food. So unless the alarm goes off I never go out and check the pit. It I didn't I would probably make two or three trips out during the night.
 
I'm 100% in the no "need" camp. In fact, though I have two meat probe and a Thermapen, I mostly depend on the lid therm which typically reads 25* less than a lid vent inserted probe. Mostly I enjoy sitting and "watching" the smoker (or grill) cook. If it's a long cook, then I do like that my Maverick will let me sit indoors with the football game or go to bed for an overnight or spend time in my shop and not lose track of what happening at the smoker. But, no I don't "need" it. In fact, I'm trying to learn to operate without it so that when it goes, I won't be tempted to throw more money in.

Your first post said, "I would prefer to keep it simple". By all means do -- you don't need a remote probe. If you discover a true "need", then consider it. But I doubt you will really "need" it.

Rich
 
Thanks all. Several of you mentioned checking the accuracy of the oem lid temp gage. How do I check this gage for accuracy? Do I simply stick my Thermapen in the lid vent and compare?


Thanks again,
Dan
 
There is a word that is rather important to the art of smoking. That word is "Range" you will see that "Range" on your Weber therm. It's where you need to be or should be during the cook. The other word...is exact...that is the minimum temp your meat should be for safety! Anything between those is luxury. Use the range for smoking but be exact before you eat. How you arrive at exact is up to you.
 
My experience has been that my dome thermometer is about 30* less than temp at grate. The difference between the upper and lower grate can be about 10*. Do you need a remote therm? No. Do you need to know about where your "true" temp is? I would say yes....more or less. I would define true temp as temp at the grate where you are cooking. If you are not cooking for a competition or anything like that, then I agree with some of the other posters that you can learn a lot by look and feel, but it is good to know a close range of where your temps are at. This just makes it a little easier to troubleshoot later on.
4what it's worth...
 
Gary S said:
There is a word that is rather important to the art of smoking. That word is "Range" you will see that "Range" on your Weber therm. It's where you need to be or should be during the cook. The other word...is exact...that is the minimum temp your meat should be for safety! Anything between those is luxury. Use the range for smoking but be exact before you eat. How you arrive at exact is up to you.
Click to expand...

exactly. with variances in meat weights, cooker temps, and the ability to hold meats, I dont care as long as Im within +- 20 degrees in which my wsm seems to hold flawlessly.

heck, even with a Guru controlling everything, it doesnt mean your cooking at the set point 100% of the time
 
Dan,

As some others have done, I went the full 9 yards. Stoker system with pit and 3 meat probes. Were they really necessary ? No ! With a life long background in electrical,electronics, and industrial process control, the stoker system is my play toy (if you will) that allows me to *try* to control temperatures to the nearest degree. Is such tight control really needed ? No ! But... it is fun to try (grin).
 
Dan Crafton said:
Thanks all. Several of you mentioned checking the accuracy of the oem lid temp gage. How do I check this gage for accuracy? Do I simply stick my Thermapen in the lid vent and compare?

Thanks again,
Dan
Click to expand...

Dan, There are two parts to this response. One is, yes, stick your Thermapen in the lit vent about 3-4 inches (but not near any large meat you are cooking) and compare. Do this a few times and on different cooks -- that'll give you an idea.

But the other part is to verify that you lid therm is accurate to at least within a few degrees -- if not contact Weber to for a replacement. Just loosen the nut inside the thermometer, get a pot of water to boiling and use tongs to dip the end of the therm into the boiling water. I should be within a few degrees of 212*.

BTW, the Thermapen site has a link to a chart that shows where the boiling point should be at different elevations. I'm at 500 ft. above sea level and even that affects the boiling point. And my Thermapen was spank on at 211.5*. :) Don't expect that degree of accuracy from you WSM therm.

Rich
 
I use mine mostly during Winter. It's nice to monitor meat & smoker temps from the indoors instead of bundling up and slip/slide through the snow. My WSM/OTG are set up about 25' from the backdoor, so it's a luxury but well worth it IMO.:wsm:

Tim
 
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