Tel-Tru BQ300 Thermometer Installation


 
Rocks BBQ makes some sleeves for polder type thermometers to pass thru. Remove the screws that hold the grill support and install these. Lot less trouble and no drilling. Better yet, buy their system and watch the smoking procesws and make changes form your laptop while watching the game on the couch.
 
Originally posted by Mike Freeman:
Rocks BBQ makes some sleeves for polder type thermometers to pass thru. Remove the screws that hold the grill support and install these. Lot less trouble and no drilling. Better yet, buy their system and watch the smoking procesws and make changes form your laptop while watching the game on the couch.
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Mike,just curious how you control the heat from the laptop. Are you saying that you can automate the dampers with hardware and software?
 
Jeff, yes one can get very good combustion control with the Rocks system. There is a pit sensor that controls a fan for combustion as well as set alarms for low or high temperature. Rocks has an adapter for the fan that fits the WSM prefectly. This works for meat temperature too. The system has an ethernet connection that plugs into a router from your computer and the system then gives you a website address. From that site you can change your pit temperature and meat temperature alarms. I also have the Guru system but prefer the Rocks BBQ Stoker. My cooks rarely vary more than 4 degrees + or -, and on the Big Green Egg I can get 18 hour cooks and never open the lid, 12 hours on the WSM.

Smoke em if you got em.

WSM
X-Tra Large Green Egg (an old one)
Large Green Egg
 
Mike, can you post a picture of your WSM and describe all the modifcations that you made to it? Sounds very interesting.............
 
Originally posted by Jeff Calhoun:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rob J.:
I also rec'd my tel-tru therm and installation kit and plan to install it in the lid.

However, instead of drilling the hole slightly larger than the threads of the thermometer and using the installation kit to hold it in place, I am considering drilling the hole size based on the size required to tap the hole. So, the hole would be very slightly smaller than the threads to allow for the tap to thread the hole. In other words, the hole that the thermometer screws into would be threaded. The installation kit would be optional, but I don't think you would need it as the thermometer would screw in tightly without it.

The tapped hole would allow you to easily remove the thermometer without tools. You could also buy a stainless plug to fit the hole when you were not using the thermometer.
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Are you saying that you are going to tap a hole into the lid? Sounds like a good idea but I'm wondering how many threads you will have since the material is very thin. Has anyone tried tapping a hole into their lid? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes...I used a 1/2 inch pipe tap. You'll only get a thread or two but it's all you'll need since it's tapered. I kept running the tap down a little further each time until I got the orientation that I wanted with the dial.
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I just received my second Tel-Tru for my new WSM and will be modding it tomorrow...will post pics.
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Great J D McGee. I'm trying to figure out the best method to install a BQ300. Too many good options for me to sort out.

I would love to see some pics. I'm a little scared to drill a hole into my new WSM. I guess I can always buy a new lid if I screw up--lol.........
 
Jeff, I'm with you. I would like a better way to measure temps. but am worried about screwing up my smoker.
 
Originally posted by Jeff Calhoun:
Great J D McGee. I'm trying to figure out the best method to install a BQ300. Too many good options for me to sort out.

I would love to see some pics. I'm a little scared to drill a hole into my new WSM. I guess I can always buy a new lid if I screw up--lol.........
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6 years ago I drilled a hole in my lid for my thermo. Well there's no rust and if you use a Unibit drill bit, there's really nothing that can go wrong, unless power tolls Ain't your bag. If the later, find someone wwho can do it for you.
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Put tape on the spot you are going to drill through to minimize chipping and have at it.
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I finally mounted my Tel-Tru BQ300 with 2.5" stem using a #4 Unibit and drilling a 7/8"hole. I used the mounting kit from Tel-Tru to secure it. I mounted it opposite the lid vent, the same distance from the handle.

Everything went just fine, but I do have a question. I am smoking a brisket as we speak and am a little confused about the temperature readings I am getting. I have the brisket on the top grate and have my Maverick smoker probe about 2 inches to the side of the brisket, but still over the water pan. The temperature at the lid has been running 15-25 degrees below the top grate temperature for the entire cook.
The obvious thought that comes to mind is that I need to test the accurace of the thermometer and probe. I am currently running approx. 250 degrees at the top grate according the the Maverick and 225 at the lid according to the Tel-Tru.
Anyone that may have thoughts on this, please let me know. Many thanks.
 
Originally posted by Brent Bristle:
I finally mounted my Tel-Tru BQ300 with 2.5" stem using a #4 Unibit and drilling a 7/8"hole. I used the mounting kit from Tel-Tru to secure it. I mounted it opposite the lid vent, the same distance from the handle.

Everything went just fine, but I do have a question. I am smoking a brisket as we speak and am a little confused about the temperature readings I am getting. I have the brisket on the top grate and have my Maverick smoker probe about 2 inches to the side of the brisket, but still over the water pan. The temperature at the lid has been running 15-25 degrees below the top grate temperature for the entire cook.
The obvious thought that comes to mind is that I need to test the accurace of the thermometer and probe. I am currently running approx. 250 degrees at the top grate according the the Maverick and 225 at the lid according to the Tel-Tru.
Anyone that may have thoughts on this, please let me know. Many thanks.
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Brent, I'm having the opposite problem. My top grate temperature is much lower than the lid temperature.

I'm not an expert, but I would put both thermometers in boiling water. I believe you should read around 212°F. Check out my post.

Temperature problems
 
It's the weirdest thing, because after I pulled the brisket off, I left both probes on the top grate. After 15 minutes I checked and the grate temp and lid temp are within 5 degrees of each other, with the lid temp still being slightly lower. This makes me almost think that either the meat was somehow shielding the heat or the 20-30 mph variable winds swirling across my patio had a strange effect on the draft thru the WSM. Ay any rate, I will check the probes and thermometer for accuracy with the boiling water test and see what happens.
 
Hi guys...I've noticed on several occasions that my dome temp is 20-25 degrees hotter than my grate starting out. They tend to get closer to each other after a few hours...getting as close as 5 degrees or so apart.
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That's quite normal J D, nothing to worry about. On longer cooks you might even see a point where the lower grate is a little hotter than the top grate...don't ask me why, couldn't tell you, it's all good though.
 
Decided to finally install my tel tru last night. Went well. I just need to pick up a couple washers to finalize it.

I figure I can always drill it bigger if I want to and just mount the thermometer directly in the lid later if I want to. This way I can easily remove it to get it out of the weather or if I decide to take the wsm somewhere, it will not get banged around.
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Thanks for the idea JD McGee!







 
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