Smoking Pork Butt and Thermometer Placement?

bbrock293

Fire Starter

Original poster

Aug 1, 2012

54

10

Pittsboro, Indiana

• Aug 9, 2012

• #1

I am in need of a temporary solution until I can get the ET-732. Can I buy a cheap meat thermometer (dial kind) and just stick it probe down on the edge of the smoker and put the lid on? I have a Taylor one that is accurate, but it is digital and would work for the smoker temp monitoring. Suggestions are appreciated! Thanks guys,

 

scarbelly

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Jul 26, 2009

14,315

73

• Aug 9, 2012

• #2

There are some very inexpensive thermos at Home Depot and Lowes that will work for you until you get the ET - then you have a back up 

 

chef jimmyj

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

★ Lifetime Premier ★

May 12, 2011

22,172

7,150

• Aug 9, 2012

• #3

When I first started I would stick an Fryer Oil Thermometer through a hole in the lid. I would imagine you could slip the probe under the lid, maybe a couple wraps of masking tape for padding. There are also really cheap Digital probe therms, like Gary said, that will get you by...JJ

 

frosty

Master of the Pit

Oct 25, 2011

1,666

32

Houston, Texas, USA

• Aug 9, 2012

• #4

I used a fryer thermo for a while, wrapped with a piece of paper towel to insulate the lid from it, and it worked fine. 

Just try to test it by holding the tip in a glass of boiling water to make sure it is reading correctly.  Mine was about 10 degrees low at ~212 degrees F.

I even used the oven type for a short time, just had to resist lifting the lid to take a peek.  I used a loop of heavy wire to hange the dial from at about the height of the meat.

Whatever your come up with, Good Luck to you.

 

bbrock293

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Aug 1, 2012

54

10

Pittsboro, Indiana

• Aug 9, 2012

• #5

Well I bought a 4.95 meat thermometer from Wal Mart, about 6 or so inches long. I am going to put it in, and try keeping it pretty vertical and wedged in the lid. It reads a little low, maybe 5-10 degrees. This should work for the next couple of weeks. Got a 5 pound pork butt to smoke tomorrow morning/afternoon/evening! Thanks. 

 

mr500

Meat Mopper

Dec 30, 2009

281

12

Auburn Al

• Aug 10, 2012

• #6

 i bought a wireless one from wally world and is yet to fail me. 2+ years. cals in 212 water every cook.  its grey in color, digital with a receiver and the wire is braided like the mav is. I insert the wire down through the top vent hole and  put it in the meat. Works great.

 i also have the mav but I do not hesitate to break out the wally world one.

 

berninga87

Smoking Fanatic

Jul 13, 2011

330

32

SW Wisconsin

• Aug 11, 2012

• #7

mr500 said:

 i bought a wireless one from wally world and is yet to fail me. 2+ years. cals in 212 water every cook.  its grey in color, digital with a receiver and the wire is braided like the mav is. I insert the wire down through the top vent hole and  put it in the meat. Works great.

 i also have the mav but I do not hesitate to break out the wally world one.

Click to expand...

I have two of the same therm along with the et-732, and they work just fine, calibrate before every cook and they check out fine. They actually respond to temp changes a little bit quicker than the maverick I've noticed also. Either way, no matter what thermometer you use, make sure you know the actual temp in relation to what the therm is telling you, that way, even if it's off by 10 degrees, you can still use it accurately