OK Joe Highland factory thermometer off by 30 degrees. Any fix?

[Tallbald]

Hello I'm new here. I have a new and significantly modified (by me) OK Joe Highland. Exhaust stack duct extension I made from a modified bread loaf pan trimmed and rolled over at cut end with a couple fabbed clamps to hold in place (open end at grid level), firebrick linings, lid gaskets, food chamber lid clamps, welding blanket insulation cover, and all gaps and joints sealed well.
Problem for me is that the factory OK Joe thermometer reads 240 degrees F. in stovetop boiling water. I'm on a snug budget and wonder if anyone has ever disassembled the factory thermometer to rotate the dial and correct temps. Would love to correct the readings instead of buying a new thermometer.
Brand new here so please forgive me if this is in wrong sub-forum. Only saw a "meat thermometer" section, and this is abut a smoker temp thermometer.
Thanks. Don.

 

[bluewhisper]

Welcome to the board! Just about everyone here says not to trust the factory thermometers. I'm not familiar with the OK Joe thermo, maybe there's some kind of adjustment screw. You're doing the right thing with the boiling water test.

Most people get another thermometer for a better reading. Even a cheapo oven thermo might be an improvement. Pits tend to have different temps in different areas anyway so a moveable thermo might help you understand where your hot and cold spots are.

 

[Tallbald]

Thanks. I wonder if that's the route I'll end up having to take.
Also considering installing a thermometer in the food chamber lid low and close to the cooking grids, midway left to right. I need to see here if this has been done before and how it turned out.
I look forward to participating here in learning the smoking arts. Yesterday, despite temps outside in the single digits, I could wait no longer to fire up my new smoker again (second smoke). Smoked a small chuck roast and a small tray of boneless chicken thighs with hickory and oak. The felt welding blanket laid across the food chamber lid helped a great deal. Still had to keep the firebox door itself open 1/2 inch to keep the temps up, but total wood used was 2, 18 inch split log equivalents and 1 pound of charcoal (to get things going) over the 6 hours. Meats turned out very nice and I relished the process, except for the squeeze bottle of apple juice which turned to ice slush after the sun went down. It dropped to -1 F. here in Southern Kentucky overnight. But remember. it "doesn't get cold in the South" (ha).

 

[bluewhisper]

Yeah my offset is out there cold and waiting but I don't want to hang out in that cold if i don't have to. I'd rather have the cooking heat in the house.

It seems your mods are working well because that's a pretty low fuel consumption for these conditions.

 

[Tallbald]

Yes I was pleased and surprised with the low fuel use. But then I learned today testing my thermometer as I shared above, I was only really running at about 190 F. or so instead of the 220 F. I thought I was running. The chuck roast was small, and the thighs were butterflied so maybe that's why they still cooked well at the lower (unbeknownst to me) temp. Don.
** Late note. My loving wife suggested I contact OK Joe and ask for an exchange thermometer. Remembered that today is not a holiday so I called their toll-free number. Char-Broil answered. The fella was extremely nice, thanked me for my purchase of the OK Joe. He took the serial number of the smoker, asked the model too. I didn't know the model and couldn't lay my hands on the owner manual (rooted around maybe 3 minutes in the very very cold shop) so he looked it up on the Walmart site. They are sending me a replacement thermometer at no cost! That's very good service in my book.
I'd still like to know if I can adjust the original one. May have to fiddle with it. Can't hurt I don't reckon. Don.

 

[Tallbald]

I was at Walmart the other day and in the off-season grill and smoker accessory rack there was one of the same thermometers that came with my OK Joe Highland. The needle was significantly different in the room temp resting position from where the needle sets on the 30 degree off thermometer. At just under $15, I decided to buy the new one and test it. Tried the boiling water test, and after checking boiling water temp for the elevation of where I live (211 degrees F.), I found this new one was showing 207 degrees F. . That's pretty close for a cheap mechanical I guess so I'm keeping it, and hoping the replacement Char-broil is sending is that close too. Might end up with twin thermometers after all. Will now seek out an accurate oven thermometer to check cooking grid temps periodically too. Don.

 

[bluewhisper]

If you have the serial number, you have a lead on getting an owners manual online. I was able to find a copy of mine just by searching for a Sears Masterbuilt offset, turns out to be Model 20042111. (Mine was a display model so I never got the manual.)

The manual should include a full parts list with part numbers.

BTW since mine was on display I got it for $100. Definitely got my money's worth.

Edited to add, the manual includes this warning:

• The use of alcohol, prescription or non-prescription drugs may impair the user’s ability to properly assemble or safely operate this grill.

 

[Tallbald]

Replacement thermometer from Char-Broil arrived this evening. Boiling water test shows it is dead-on accurate, at least at that temp. Thanks Char-Broil. Don.

 

[SmokinAl]

First off welcome to SMF!
Glad to have you join the group.
It's good to know that Char-broil has such good customer service.
I think as a back up I would get a couple of those $5 oven therms to put on the grate, maybe one at each end.
It will give you a better idea of how much difference there is from one end to the other.
Another tip I will give you is when contacting customer service, tell them that you are a member of SMF & that you are going to report your experience with their customer service to us. Believe me when I tell you that all the major smoker builders know about SMF, and none of them want to get a bad rap on here.
Al

 

[Tallbald]

Excellent thermometer idea I will do. And I'm not above letting big corporations know that I can share the results. As I have here, shared the good report on their service. I was really pleased with their response. Don.