WSM dome thermometer accuracy


 
S

Steve-Calgary

New member
So I've read a number of threads indicating the WSM's thermometer is nothing more than a hood ornament. I just received my replacement thermometer from weber and did the boiling water test against a known accurate thermometer and found that the replacement gauge from weber is actually spot on. Do the thermometers over time just fail or become more and more inaccurate? I was so worried about cooker temperatures that I invested in a grate thermocouple to go with my weber igrill 2 just to be sure. I am aware that grate temperatures can vary from dome temperatures but I've seen people flat out say that that the thermometer is WAY off on these things which isn't what my testing has shown.

What are the experiences of others with the WSM's thermometer?
 
Good on you for checking yours for accuracy. I think it's accurate until it's not...they're not very expensive and I suspect they can fail for any number of reasons. One day it may register much lower or much higher than expected, that's when you should do the boiling water test again to see what's up.

These thermometers can fog-up during use, something that many believe to indicate a defect. Weber's official statement on this is:

"Condensation forming in your thermometer can happen from time to time throughout the cooking process and is considered normal. The condensation should go away when not being used. If the condensation does not go away, the thermometer should be replaced."

Another thing that can fool people is when they place a highly accurate probe on the grate and it says 225*F while the stock lid therm says 275*F and they assume the lid therm is defective. Again, the boiling water test is the only way to know. There are so many possible explanations for differences between grate probes and lid therms that it's a fool's errand trying to figure it out. At some points during a cook, the lid may read higher than the grate, a few hours later it flips and the lid reads lower than the grate. This is why I recommend that you pick a spot and stick with it, either lid or grate, but don't try to reconcile one to the other, you'll drive yourself crazy!
 
I'm no help, but I feel like posting anyway:D
My old WSM's were modded with the Tel-Tru thermometers. They were a big step up from the candy thermometer stuck in the top vent. They, the Tel-Tru's, are pretty spot on. I was clued into those from this place way back when. I use my WSC for smoking nowadays. The thermometer on the WSC is pretty accurate. When I was using the Maverick digital probe thing the grate temp and lid temp were pretty close. Now I use the lid thermometer and a instant read thermometer exclusively and ditched the probes. Simpler is better for me, meat turns out about the same.
 
Mine went bad on my 22, whether it was condensation or old man winter, I replaced it with another original from Weber & it went bad! Regardless my 2012 WSM, has always been covered & out of the elements. I upgraded to a Tel-Tru, & never looked back, very precise & in-line with my ATC (BBQ Guru) & my Maverick. See link below:

 
When I got my used 22, the thermometer was accurate, checked with a thermoworks DOT,... then it wasn't, lol
I ignore the stock one, it's half full of water which I'm sure doesn't lend itself to accuracy...

I just use the DOT and monitor temps at the grate.
 
Geo S said:
I just use the DOT and monitor temps at the grate.
Click to expand...
My dome therm has a mind of it's own. I never reference it as it reads all over the shop at any given cook. I'll use a dual probe for long cooks, but just the ETI/Thermoworks DOT & Thermalite 1 pocket therm for short cooks.
I use the DOT more than any other temp probe/monitor. At the grill outside, and inside the kitchen. Grate unit, grate price.
 
interesting responses. While it isn't overly critical for me to have accurate temps using the stock dome thermometer that it would be nice to know how its accuracy tracks over time. I may just embark on an experiment to see just how "true" it stays to the actual temperatures and see at what point will it fail. My WSM is stored in the garage so it won't be exposed to the elements very much at all which I'm sure, will help with the thermometer's (and the cooker's) long-term longevity.
 
Mine is properly calibrated and consistently reads 35° cooler than grate temps. I'd say it's accurate to what the temp is in the dome but I aint' cooking food up there.
 
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