Yep. All three Webers I've bought in the last few months (a kettle, an 18" WSM for myself, and another 18" WSM for my dad) all had oil on the charcoal grate. The cooking grates were clean though.
Silly (probably) question on temperature probe grommet
- Thread starter Howard Warren
- Start date
Yep. All three Webers I've bought in the last few months (a kettle, an 18" WSM for myself, and another 18" WSM for my dad) all had oil on the charcoal grate. The cooking grates were clean though.
Shawn Gardner
TVWBB Fan
I use the grommet all the time. Isn't the long slot grommet for when you pull the wires through and then the little small one for pushing a probe through and leaving it like you are talking about? I find the small one holds a probe tightly and doesn't leak air or smoke then.
Howard Warren
TVWBB Member
I tried using the small hole but the resistance to letting the probe through was pretty high, so I chickened out. My Maverick probe is an older one, it might be a bit thicker.
Many years ago I bought a professional tire repair kit that allows me to fix tire punctures just like they would at a garage. The kit included a bunch of what amount to heavy strings coated in rubber, a radial wire separator, a patch insertion tool, and a small jar of lube. You're supposed to thread one of the rubberized strings through the eyelet at the business end of the insertion tool, dip the tip in the lube, and then push it into the hole in the tire. As you remove the tool the string drags with enough force from the tire that it pulls out of the tool and stays in the hole. You re-inflate the tire and drive away. The heat from friction on the tire vulcanizes the rubber in the patch string and fuses it with the rubber in the tire. The excess hanging out of the hole wears off.
Why did I mention this? One time I forgot to use the lube on the tip of the patch insertion tool. I pushed and twisted and shoved for all I was worth and I could not get that tool to go through the hole. I must have worked at it for ten minutes and got absolutely nowhere. Then I noticed the jar of lube. Facepalm! I dipped the tip of the tool in the jar, picking up just a tiny bit of the lube, and gave it one more try. With almost no effort at all the tool slipped right into the hole. Innuendo aside, the point here is a little bit of lube applied in the right place can really make things a lot easier. I suggest a quick wipe with a paper towel containing a few drops of vegetable oil. I suspect you'll find the probe vastly easier to get into that small hole.
Arun L.
TVWBB All-Star
How have you lost the clips?
Would you have to get a new probe?
I'm asking because I noticed today my pit probe is missing its clips. I guess it got burned off or something.
- - - Updated - - -
About the main topic, I'm making a vertical roasted whole chicken. I'm putting my meat probe under the top lid, since I'm using the top rack.
Hubert Kee
New member
Bumping this with a question so I don't have to make a new thread.
Originally I was running my temp wire through the top vent and placed the prob on the top grate...I was kind of getting annoyed everytime I wanted to lift the lid to check or do something.
So I tried just running the wire underneath the lid and set the probe on the middle grate.
Is there anything wrong with the temp wire being pinched under the lid? Also would it be possibly to run the wire from a bottom vent and mount it on the middle grate? I feel like if I can do that then I can freely open the lid and freely access both gates
Thanks for the feedback!
Originally I was running my temp wire through the top vent and placed the prob on the top grate...I was kind of getting annoyed everytime I wanted to lift the lid to check or do something.
So I tried just running the wire underneath the lid and set the probe on the middle grate.
Is there anything wrong with the temp wire being pinched under the lid? Also would it be possibly to run the wire from a bottom vent and mount it on the middle grate? I feel like if I can do that then I can freely open the lid and freely access both gates
Thanks for the feedback!
Bob Correll
R.I.P. 3/31/2022
Many of us have cut a notch for the wires.
I like it much better than the grommet.
I like it much better than the grommet.
Hubert Kee
New member
Many of us have cut a notch for the wires.
I like it much better than the grommet.
Yeah I think I have a model that doesn't have the grommet and Im not sure I want to cut the slot just yet. Wondering if its alright to run underlid or through bottom vent for middle grate probe mount.
Lew Newby
TVWBB Guru
Yes Hubert, it's OK to run the wire under the lid. When I first got my WSM there was no way I would cut a slot or hole in it anywhere. When I finally put the angle grinder to it and cut a 1/4" slot in the side I've been smiling ever since. Don't do any cutting or drilling on yours until you're comfortable with it.
Lynn Dollar
TVWBB Gold Member
I got my WSM in 2002 before Weber used grommets. I ran wires under the lid until recently when I bought a cheap angle grinder at Harbor Freight. Which made it easy to cut a narrow slot for the wires. Never really had a problem running them under the lid, but the slot is much better.
Dan Lutter
TVWBB Member
If you are worried about heat or smoke loss, use a thermowell.