Which thermometer reading is more accurate?


 
Arun L.

Arun L.

TVWBB All-Star
The WSM thermometer said it was 240-250.

The pit probe on my Flame Boss, in which I put the alligator clip on the top rack, said it was around 330.

How does the WSM thermometer get its reading?
 
WSM Thermometer is a bimetal thermometer type. Basically two strips of different metals that expand/contract at different rates which causes the needle to move. They're not known for being the most accurate. I use my lid thermometer as a guide to see trends up and down. I use a RTD style (electronic) for actual temps.
 
Yep, it gives you a reading at that location. Is that location more accurate than reading at the top grate?
Depends. Top grate probe placed too close to cold meat, or towards the hotter outer edge will give different readings.
That's why i stick with a turkey fryer therm stuck in the top vent. It isn't affected by the amount of cold mass because it's reading the exhaust and that's usually 12-15 degrees higher than top grate.

Tim
 
Did you have the Flame Boss probe near the edge of the grate? When I started with the WSM I logged my grate temp and lid temp and the temps varied by as much as 40° but usually the lid temp was higher.
 
Lew Newby said:
Did you have the Flame Boss probe near the edge of the grate? When I started with the WSM I logged my grate temp and lid temp and the temps varied by as much as 40° but usually the lid temp was higher.
Click to expand...

Yes, it was near the edge of the grate.
 
The heat rises around the edge of the water pan and is the hottest air. If you haven't calibrated the Flame Boss probes you should and that's the boiling water and ice water temp test.
 
Lew Newby said:
The heat rises around the edge of the water pan and is the hottest air. If you haven't calibrated the Flame Boss probes you should and that's the boiling water and ice water temp test.
Click to expand...

Thanks. That explains why it registered a higher temperature, when I had put the probe on the edge of the grate.

If I do the boiling water and/or ice water test, I'll update with my findings. I'll use my IR laser thermometer to validate the temperature of the water, before checking the probe temperature.
 
I personally replaced my stock thermometers to ones that I can adjust to dial in my temps close to the temp on the top grate.
 
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