comparing factory temp gauge to digital?

skywarrior

  Just wondering if anyone has tried to compare the wire wound factory temp guage to a digital. I was thinking of somehow attching my digital probe to the factory probe on the egg to see if there's much difference. I have owned many smokers and grills over my lifetime and have yet to find a wirewound one that was very accurate.

CP92

Easy enough to calibrate most analog thermos. Never found mine off too terribly, and a simple adjustment is all it takes.

lousubcap

The BGE supplied Tel-Tru analog thermo is quite accurate (especially given this is BBQ).  Boil some water and insert the dome thermo.  Should read around 212*F (adjusted for altitude).  Note the reading.  If necessary adjust out the off-set using the nut on the bak, then check again.
For me I find the need for a quick read digital thermo when doing hot and fast cooks.  FWIW-
BTW-welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, have fun.

Hansm

Once calibrated in boiling water, the supplied BGE dome thermo is spot on

Langner91

A wise man once said "A man with one dome thermometer always knows what temp his egg is, a man with two dome thermometers is never quite sure."

Just like watches, use only one.  Don't worry if it is precise, worry that it is directionally correct.

Langner91

Hansm said:

Once calibrated in boiling water, the supplied BGE dome thermo is spot on

ICASIL

danhoo

I use an ambient probe on the grate for long cooks, mostly so I can look at the temp on the remote and not have to go outside.   I use a thermoworks Smoke X4 which is very accurate. The grate temp is 10 to 30 degrees lower than the temp on my therma-tru, which I've calibrated with boiling water. 

The temp difference is because the temp at the top of the dome is slightly hotter than temp at the grate.

I have also clipped the ambient probe to the therma-tru temp gauge up in the dome and then they are within 5 degrees. 

I have also used more than one grate probe as an experiment to see the temp difference from front-to-back, and the back of the grate was a few degrees warmer than the front. This was for a 250F grate cook, indirect, platesetter legs down with a 16 inch SS drip pan on the platesetter.

RyanStl

danhoo said:

I use an ambient probe on the grate for long cooks, mostly so I can look at the temp on the remote and not have to go outside.   I use a thermoworks Smoke X4 which is very accurate. The grate temp is 10 to 30 degrees lower than the temp on my therma-tru, which I've calibrated with boiling water. 

The temp difference is because the temp at the top of the dome is slightly hotter than temp at the grate.

I have also clipped the ambient probe to the therma-tru temp gauge up in the dome and then they are within 5 degrees. 

I have also used more than one grate probe as an experiment to see the temp difference from front-to-back, and the back of the grate was a few degrees warmer than the front. This was for a 250F grate cook, indirect, platesetter legs down with a 16 inch SS drip pan on the platesetter.

I have learned the delta changes throughout the cook. I have long sense used dome temp and meat probe only.

Legume

Langner91 said:

A wise man once said "A man with one dome thermometer always knows what temp his egg is, a man with two dome thermometers is never quite sure."

Just like watches, use only one.  Don't worry if it is precise, worry that it is directionally correct.

This is my wife with GPS in the car.  Why not run it on the phone too?  Well, you can’t get there if you split the difference between the two routes, that’s why.

Sometimes I stick a thermopop or ‘pen in the dome therm hole to cross check if I haven’t calibrated in a while, but I rarely care if it’s +\- 20 from my target.

Hansm

I clip 1 probe to the grate and and one into protein. If the dome thermo says 350, the grate is around 500

Ozzie_Isaac

Fair warning, pedanticism ahead:

You cannot calibrate the BGE thermometer.  You can set the offset, but the calibration is controlled by the bi-metal spring, which is not adjustable.

When everyone says "recalibrate" by putting in boiling water, what they are referring to is setting the offset.

Pook

Hansm said:

Once calibrated in boiling water, the supplied BGE dome thermo is spot on

100%. 

Langner91

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Fair warning, pedanticism ahead:

You cannot calibrate the BGE thermometer.  You can set the offset, but the calibration is controlled by the bi-metal spring, which is not adjustable.

When everyone says "recalibrate" by putting in boiling water, what they are referring to is setting the offset.

ICASIL

nolaegghead

I don't bother with that nut at all.  I just ignore the thermometer.

nolaegghead

I think this is a digital….

lkapigian

Adjust to the temp, temp will not adjust to you 

Slkegger

The temp is different in every part of the egg. The dome thermo is slow responding and perfect to show an average of the bbq temp. If cooking direct it can be showing radiant heat, not dome temp and drop significantly when food goes on. or dome temp but not grill temp if indirect. Indirect cooking can have a higher grill or dome temp depending on how vents are set, bottom more open gives high heat low in the grill, top more open gives more heat high in dome. Learning how your egg cooks with different  setups and being within 25-50f of wanted temp will help more than targeting an exact temp. 

Slkegger

Just re read the op. The temp of the fire will fluctuate, exact thermo accuracy would have you constantly chasing vent settings. For fun I do brisket with a Meater probe in one side and a thermoworks smoke on the other. The the two grill and dome temp never match and both meat probes never match. A tenderness probe tells me when the food is done.