Thermometer Probe Port in OTG?

[R. Hutchins]

I did a search on this topic but the hits were mostly for the Performer and WSM grills instead of kettles; so I'm posting in the certain knowledge that these questions have been asked and answered before.

First, the pros and cons of drilling through the kettle (base not top) vs letting the probe cable ride over the rim and under the top: What say you? My OTG is a mid '90s model in very good condition that I picked up for $25 a couple or 3 years ago. It started out with no bells and whistles, but I've changed that over time. My first mod was to drill a hole and add a good oven thermometer to the lid. My SIL gave me the master grill, sear grate, and cast iron skillet and the Weber table last Christmas. Since then, I bought the lid holder. The lid leaks smoke and heat pretty badly even when I get the lid on the rim all the way around the perimeter. I use a Maverick 733. When I'm monitoring both cooking heat and meat temp, the wires often get tangled or otherwise in the way. I was thinking of drilling a hole in the kettle bottom and placing all-thread for a lamp through the hole. That would allow me to run the probes into the grill and allow me to place the heat chamber probe where it is not directly over hot coals, as recommended. As part of my cook set up, I would place one probe through then the other after grill was placed and before the fire gets too hot. Good or bad idea? Why?

If I decide to do this, what diameter and what length all-thread will I need? I remember reading some time ago on this or another forum that if done carefully, the all-thread can be screwed through a hole and no nuts are needed to hold it. I think that shorter is better here so as not to interfere with placing the grill and a shorter length would accommodate the curved probes better. This presumes one can drill a hole of the correct size. Has anyone done this or read about it? I have a wide variety of drill bits and could do some trial-and-error holes in scrap metal, but it would be great if someone who has done could advise me.

Finally, I seek your wise counsel regarding where to place the hole for the port. I'm thinking just below the rim but above the grill when installed. What say ye O' Wise Ones?

 

[Chris Conro]

Since you want to run the cable up through the bottom, how close do you think the probe cables would come to hot coals when you're cooking? Most probe cables are only rated to about 550F, and few are rated above 700F. That's the first concern coming to mind.

If you do cut into the bottom, make sure your hole that the all-thread will go through is up above the reach of the One Touch ash sweepers.

Personally, for temp monitoring on a kettle, all I do is drop a pit probe through the top vent hole, and fish it down to the same level that the food is sitting at. When I need to lift the lid, I just pull the probe out and then replace the probe when I replace the lid.

Another note, I think the sheet metal thickness of the kettles is thinner than the pitch of the threads on the lamp pipe, so my gut tells me you'd need to use nuts to keep it from being jiggly.

Since you have the slide-aside lid holder that sits on the rim of the kettle (you mentioned your kettle leaking), maybe you can just run the probe cable in the same area as the lid holder, and then when you put the lid down, it shouldn't pinch the probe cable too much.

Just a few random thoughts...

 

[Robert McGee]

I have cut a groove in all three of my smokers and they work extremely well. If I needed clearance for a temperature wire on my Performers I wouldn't hesitate to do the same. I would cut the groove near the table, for obvious reasons, then you could just slide the top away without issue.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53

 

[Dwain Pannell]

I cut a notch in the bowl with a Dremel for the wire to rest in while the lid is on. Works great.