I measure the temperature of my WSM with a 4" stem bimetallic thermometer that I mounted in the lid, just opposite from the lid vent. Rarely do I ever measure temp at the cooking grate.

Where do you measure the temperature of your WSM?

Regards,
Chris

P.S. Thanks to Rita Yeazel for suggesting this poll.

Question:
Where do you measure the temperature of your WSM?

Choices:
At the lid
At the top cooking grate
At both the lid and top grate
Between the top and bottom grates
At the bottom cooking grate
At both the top and bottom grates
I'm "old school"--I don't measure temperature

 

Man I'm an idiot, clicked the the wrong one.

I do the bottom grate with an old oven thermometer, works well for me. I don't use many gadgets maybe I'll buy one or two. But then, I think about these guys who have been cooking Q for 30, 40 years or even longer. They have reached the point where they just know when the stuff is done. I hope to reach that point someday - without electronics. I know I'm in the minority but I had my WSM about two years before I came across this site and had done quite a bit of trial and error before being "enlightened" by this resource. Maybe if I had checked the site sooner I would make a lot better Q now.

I have to say the monthly feature about temp control was helpful to me. It talked about the differences between temps on the upper and lower grates. I had pretty much fiqured out what it said but, it was nice to read it and re-assure myself.

Tom

Tel-Tru 3" dial and 4" stem mounted in the lid opposite of the vent. Use Maverick's for meat temps.

Feel like the WSM has a nice look with a quality thermometer mounted in this fashion.

Stoker temp probe clipped to the top grate, or wireless Maverick probe clipped to the top grate. Occasionally, just for nostalgia's sake, a candy thermometer inserted through the Guru eyelet just below the top grate.

I debated whether to vote lid and top grate or just lid. I have a tel-tru w/ 3" stem mounted in the top vent, and have started using that alone. Sometimes I will still use my wls maverick clipped to the top grate since I have the meat probe in there anyway, but getting away from that.

When I got my WSM as a gift last year I was so excited to start smoking I just pulled the thermometer out of my Weber gasser and put it through the lid vent. I had been meaning to replace it with two others so I could have temp. readings on both grates, but a year later I am still using it and am smoking just about anything I can get my hands on!

If someone were to ask me what the temp of my WSM was, I would always give a lid temp. However, I'm an info geek and measure both grate temps through eyelets. I always like to know how any of my modifications affect the temps everywhere in my WSM (i.e. a clay saucer).

I selected the top cooking grate but on most cooks, I clip my pit monitoring therm to the end of a meat therm that is sticking out the top of a piece of meat which places it pretty much between the top grate and the lid position.

Bill

I did the same thing. I pushed my weber grill thermometer through a cook and trimed the cork to fit in the lid vent. then i trimed 2 more corks for the other open lid vents.

quote:

Originally posted by B. Elias:
When I got my WSM as a gift last year I was so excited to start smoking I just pulled the thermometer out of my Weber gasser and put it through the lid vent. I had been meaning to replace it with two others so I could have temp. readings on both grates, but a year later I am still using it and am smoking just about anything I can get my hands on!

At WalMart and many other places you can buy a turkey fryer thermometer that is about 12-inches long. It's around $ 10. It reads from 100 to 750 F. It also comes with a clip that can be snapped onto the WSM lid handle. The probe will go into the vent hole about 5-inches at a slight angle, avoiding food on the top rack.

Deep fry 12" thermometer with clip

You can also purchase Trend bi-metal thermometers that will attach in the same way. That's what I'm using.

Thermometer Attach #1
Thermometer Attach #2
Thermometer Attach #3
Thermometer Attach #4

In addition, I sometimes use a Maverick 73 remote digital thermometer.

Rusty

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rusty Barton,

i picked at the lid. but i would also pick old school and not mesuring. since on my big trailer pit i dont use a thermometer as i have to tend it up to once an hour. the wsm i basically just use the temp gauge to make sure its going right as i am new to the thing and dont have as much experience with it as i do on a old school smoker.