Maverick ET-732 Pit Probe & WSM


 
Marty W

Marty W

TVWBB Member
I have a question for everyone that uses a Maverick ET-732 or any other digital pit probe in the WSM. I was doing my first cook this weekend on my 22.5" and everything was going I brought the WSM up to temp nice and slow it was pretty steady at 250 when I decided to put the two 9# pork butts on the lower cooking grate. That is where I had the pit probe placed and I was going to be putting spares on the top rack later.

So I put the butts on and to make room I slide the pit probe all the way to one side of the grill and the butt was about 1/2" away from the probe.

The question I have is could the close proximity of the butt and the inner wall of the WSM effect the readings I was getting on the pit probe? Should I keep the pit probe as close to the center of the cooking grate as possible? My pit probe was reading 230 but when I went outside the dome temp was reading almost 340. I know the pit and the dome temps will not match but I haven't read about one that was over 100* off. I pulled the Maverick and tested it in a ice bath and it was good. So I put it back in the WSM this time on the top rack right in the center and the dome and Maverick probe was 15* off. Just looking for some suggestions of what might have went wrong.

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The answers to your questions are "yes" and "yes" but...

Infrared photos have shown that there are lots of air currents constantly changing in the WSM. But two areas that you can be sure will affect your probe are near the outer edge (that's why many wrap the ends of brisket or rib racks in foil -- otherwise they burn) and anywhere near your freshly loaded cold meat (that's a big mass of heat control you just put in).

Basically, it's well documented that the WSM therm will be something like 25 - 50* LOWER than your Maverick probe IF the probe is dropped through the upper vent. The lower rack will always be different than the upper (lower, I think?). You'll have to experiment to find a good location (for you) for the cooker probe.

All in all, it mostly doesn't matter much. You'll get used to smoking and pick up on the differences and almost always your meat will be just fine. Your experience will count more than the gadgets though they can always help you "ballpark".

Rich
 
I put my pit probe as close to the center of the cooking grate as I can, and as far way from the meat as I can.

The dome thermometer usually reads at least 25F lower than a grate level pit probe. It's normal for them to differ, even by a lot.
 
The little metal clip for your pit probe works upside down just as easily and then the probe is there but out of the way. It's about 1 inch either above or below the grate depending how you want to install it.
 
The last cook I did I stuck one of my probes in through the top vent and set one on the grate. The factory therm never read any where near what the 2 Maverick probes did. When I first started the cook the one on the grate between the butts was as mentioned 10-15 degrees lower but as the meat came up to temp both therms balanced out to within a couple of degrees of each other and of course the original factory therm was about 20-30 lower. The probe I stuck in the vent is one of the longer meat probes that comes with the ET-73 that has the longer lead wire so it sticks down in the cooker. I have come to trust sticking it in the vent.
 
When you have a cooking grate it's hard to find a spot for the Maverick pit probe. However, as the meat heats up you will start getting a more accurate reading. That's one of the problems with depending on a temp probe on the grate. I do it so I'm not knocking it. Sticking the probe through the top vent avoids that problem.

The more you cook with the WSM the more you'll get a feel for the grate temps relative to the Weber therm. I'm anal about temp and it's gotten easier to deal with it over the last year. You'll get it.
 
Originally posted by Gary S:
The little metal clip for your pit probe works upside down just as easily and then the probe is there but out of the way. It's about 1 inch either above or below the grate depending how you want to install it.
Click to expand...

Sometimes you can see the forrest for the trees. I never thought of that
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I'm guessing you have done that. Any issues with drippings on it?
 
My grommet is below the top grate so it's straight in and attach. I always use a soft pot scrubber to clean both probes at the end of the cook. I never get much on it but I have just started doing this because it makes sense to keep it out of the way but on the other hand it's right there where you need it! After all it's just a reference. Of course I do not immerse it in water.
 
I started off attaching my probe to the center of the top grate. But I noticed my temps fluctuated too much and my food was cooking a lot faster than I wanted it to. So I have changed strategies and moved my probe to the top vent. So far its been good but my real test will be when I do some ribs. I have some on deck in the freezer and will be cooking them soon. But so far I would say go with the probe in the top vent.
 
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