How do you use the grommet?


 
T

Troy Reimche

New member
I’m just curious to see how most use the grommet. I use a FireBoard and fan for temp monitoring/control on my 14.5”, so I typically feed the temp probes from inside the smoker and route the cables around the grates to the meat and clip the pit temp probe to the top grate. I was thinking about trying to insert the pit temp probe into the round hole in the grommet from the outside as that would be much easier. I think I’ll try this today while smoking some ribs and compare temps between 2 probes.

I’m going to guess that measuring temp at the grate will be more accurate than through the hole in the side.

Thoughts?
 
Never use it. Slot/notch >>>>>> grommet. And even without the slot/notch, just put the wires under the lid.

My first ever WSM cook the grommet fell out when I was trying to put the probe through. Ever try to replace the grommet in the side of a hot cooker spewing smoke out of the grommet into your face? Never again.

Also, using the grommet means you have to snake/unsnake wires up through the grates. Blerg.

And if you want to use the grommet just to monitor temp only, the probe winds up in the hot zone perimeter. So those readings are bad/off as compared to measuring in the middle of the grate. Where the food is located.

TL/DR -- grommet is completely worthless. Weber should eliminate the grommet and add the notch/slot factory installed.
 
It's been a while since I used a WSM but I started out and then transitioned exactly as you're describing: fishing the probe wires along the grate and then exiting outside the cooker. And then I began inserting only the probe through the grommet hole and liked that approach. Even if that position results in different readings, once you become accustom to that placement, it provides a good reference point.

What Jim referenced is detailed here: https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/cutting-probe-thermometer-slot/

Good luck!
 
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I feed my Thermoworks smoke through it. It's a bit of a pain to feed two probes in but it works well.
 
I just feed the probes through the slot in the grommet, no big deal. I tried putting an ambient in the grommet hole and the temp was WAY off from grate level. Oddly in my case it was low.
 
I use it for the grill temp probe and i setup pre cook. I don't for the meat probes as I don't want to faff about threading, taking out a hot grate. I usually put the meat probes in before I open up meaning I can just quickly throw on the WSM.
 
Ask Wallace…
Aardman reference, I can’t help but be a wise apple!
I don’t have anything like that, my WSM is old, and previous owner cut the notch so, my life is about as easy as it gets on those lines.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
I just feed the probes through the slot in the grommet, no big deal. I tried putting an ambient in the grommet hole and the temp was WAY off from grate level. Oddly in my case it was low.
Click to expand...
I also feed my probes through the slot in the grommet. I do it before starting the fire so its easy.
 
As a test after posing this question, I used the pit temp probe clipped to the top grate in the smoker like I usually do, then I slid one of the meat temp probes into the little round hole of the grommet to measure temp there. To my surprise, the temp was about 15-20 degrees cooler on average from the probe inserted through the grommet, versus the pit temp probe on the top grate. I thought it would be the other way around, but I'm glad I experimented a little.
 
I put a probe in the hole to monitor the pit temp - it hold the probe nicely inside the 'ring of fire' over the heat deflector. I don't sweat temp differences too much - as long as its reading 225-275 I know I'm smoking and can tell as it trends down telling me to add more coals. Ever since I got an instant read I've stopped feeding a probe in for the meat -- it got old having to clean the probe cable after each cook -- but I will use it if needed. Just monitoring the pit from the probe hole means only the tip of the probe needs to be scrubbed after the cook,
 
Troy Reimche said:
To my surprise, the temp was about 15-20 degrees cooler on average from the probe inserted through the grommet, versus the pit temp probe on the top grate. I thought it would be the other way around, but I'm glad I experimented a little.
Click to expand...
I also had some variation, the grommet read about 20-30 degrees hotter. I opened up the access door and had a look. In my case, the fire was mostly burning on the grommet side of the wsm. This made sense, the fire burned towards the only open bottom vent.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Never use it. Slot/notch >>>>>> grommet. And even without the slot/notch, just put the wires under the lid.

My first ever WSM cook the grommet fell out when I was trying to put the probe through. Ever try to replace the grommet in the side of a hot cooker spewing smoke out of the grommet into your face? Never again.

Also, using the grommet means you have to snake/unsnake wires up through the grates. Blerg.

And if you want to use the grommet just to monitor temp only, the probe winds up in the hot zone perimeter. So those readings are bad/off as compared to measuring in the middle of the grate. Where the food is located.

TL/DR -- grommet is completely worthless. Weber should eliminate the grommet and add the notch/slot factory installed.
Click to expand...
This!!!
 
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