What to do with Maverick ET-732 Probe Wires?

[RangerOne]

Hello everyone,

For my first real post, I am looking for the most up to date advice on what to do with the probe wires for my Maverick ET-732. I have read most, if not all, of the threads about this, but many are years old, and things change. I am not completely happy with the things I have tried and scared to do some of the things that might be better. Here is a list of what I have tried, what I have heard about, and my concerns.

1. Running the wires through the top vent.
I have been doing this and it works great if I never have to lift the lid. When I do have to lift the lid, I disconnect the wires from the unit, and when I open the lid, the wires are stretching from the top vent to the grill. This makes it difficult to move the meat around and I know it rubs the wires against the vent. Bottom line is, it works, but is a PITA.

2. Running the wires through the bottom vent.
This sounds like a good idea, but wouldn't this prevent me from sweeping the ash on long smokes? I use my Smokenator and it recommends sweeping the ash every 4 hours.
The other concern I have is that a few, small, hot, coals might fall through and touch the wires.

3. Running the wires under the lid.
I have done this a few times and it seems to work fairly well as long as I only run one probe. There is some leakage, but it seems manageable. Here, I worry about damaging the wires from the bending and pinching.

4. Cutting a notch in the kettle.
I do not have the equipment to do this, and I just can't seem to convince myself to give it a try. I worry about rust issues on this "open wound" and I am not sure I like the idea of using any type of paint on the "inside" of the kettle. On the other hand, it seems to be best in terms of easiest to run the wires through.

5. Drilling a hole, using a grommet.
This one I have come close to doing a few times. Putting a silicone or metal grommet in the hole makes it a "covered wound" and seems like it may not need any paint to prevent rusting.
Maverick sells a pair of silicone grommets for the ET-732 probes. It would require one hole per probe, and looks very neat and clean. My only worry here is that the silicone grommet is meant for smoking temperatures (225F - 325F) and may not stand up to grilling temperatures that can get to around 500F at least for a time. Using any of the various metal grommet options seems safer for the internal temperatures, but looks a little less clean and neat. However, I would only need to drill one hole, which I could close up when not using it. Together, these are a great bonus. Another concern I have is cracking and chipping of the porcelain coating if I drill. I have seen one such case where the chips were quite large after drilling the hole. I am not sure if it was the result of bad luck, or not using the correct equipment or bad technique, but I am wondering if my battery powered drill is good enough to get the job done. Years ago I owned a Smokin Pro and I took my battery drill to that without any hesitation. Put two holes in the lid near grill level to add extra thermometers. There was no chipping or cracking of the powder coat finish. I am worried the the Weber porcelain-enamel finish is harder and more brittle.

Well, I think I have covered most of the options. I would really appreciate hearing your opinions on what works or does not work, and any other alternatives/consequences I may not have thought of.

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Allan aka RangeOne

[jdefran]

I have some photos in this thread of what I did: http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/what-to-do-with-probe-thermometer-cables/

[RangerOne]

Thanks for the pictures jdefran. That looks like a very neat and clean job. I like it a lot. I am guessing you did not have any cracking or chipping of the enamel, so can you tell me what type of drill and bit you used? I am also interested in your technique. Did you go low and slow with the drill speed or crank it up? I have had someone give advice that I should go in at full speed but my better judgement is telling me low and slow might be better.

[CharliefromLI]

I've done two kettles recently. One I drilled a probe using a water tight service connector from Home Depot. I like this because the rubber housing leaks little to no air.


I've done that on my sj  mini wsm as well It works perfect. But it's a bit larger than I would prefer.

I sold that kettle and recently cut I small notch into a new one. It was a two minute job with Dremel. I went shallow, just enough of a notch to get wires through. Used once and was fine but you have make sure to secure the cables when you close lid. A larger cut might fix this but I tried to go as small as possible.

[RangerOne]

Hello Charlie,

I really like the look of the water tight service connector, thanks for sharing that. I will have to go and find one at my Home Depot. The fact that it leaks little to no air is a big plus in my book. Drilling the hole without cracking the finish is still my biggest worry, but I have only really heard of one case where the cracking was quite bad, so maybe I will be one of the many without any issues.

Thanks again for sharing this!

Allan aka RangerOne

[CharliefromLI]

Cover the area with painters tape on both sides and use a step drill bit. Any chipping was very minimal. Good luck!

[Bman]

The fact that it leaks little to no air is a big plus in my book.

Not trying to be an ass, but why?  We're dealing with numerous metal-to-metal connections which are not air tight. 
(lid vent, bowl sweeps, entire lid/bowl connection and if you have a performer - add the gas tube)

*I* did the notch (a few times/few different cookers) and after you cook ont he thing, the cut gets coated with a coating just like the inside of the grill does.  As long as you use the grill a few times a year, I can't see how it'll rust.  Conversely, drilling a hole and inserting a grommet of sorts probably won't allow the gunky coating all the while allowing moist humid air to the exposed metal.  No proof to the latter, but I'll listen to someone explain how that's not the case.

As for drilling, Charlie is right on.  Painters tape to get started and use sharp bits.  Instead of a stepped drill bit, I just use various sizes as that's what I already have.  And they were new/sharp.  I've done all of my drilling with battery powered drills with zero issues.  (I rarely pull out the corded drill.)  Just go slow - drilling metal is a slow twist w/ low friction heat if you can.

[DirectDrive]

First, I will say that the notch is the most convenient method to get therm cables into the cooker.
Using Nomex gasket on the lid and leaving a gap in said gasket would be another way to keep the cables safe.

If you want to drill a hole, blue painter's tape will not stop chipping, but it will do two things...

1) Provides a contrasting color for layout marks....recommend Sharpie.
2) Provides traction so your pilot bit does not need a punch mark to nest in....drilling through the tape will help you keep the pilot bit on target.
Using a punch is not recommended when dealing with these porcelain-coated kettles.

The Unibit (or step bit) is the best bit for cutting a clean hole in sheet metal...which is what the kettle is made of.
These bits were designed specifically for this task.
You can use conventional bits but you will have a greater chance of chipping if the bit fouls.

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/therm-port-for-pre-2014-wsm/

[RangerOne]

The fact that it leaks little to no air is a big plus in my book.

Not trying to be an ass, but why?  We're dealing with numerous metal-to-metal connections which are not air tight. 
(lid vent, bowl sweeps, entire lid/bowl connection and if you have a performer - add the gas tube)

Also not trying to be an ass, but I was under the impression that controlling air flow was key to controlling the temperature, and reducing or preventing air leaks was a good thing. The one time I tried to pass the probe cables under the lid, I lost control of my kettle, as the temperature kept climbing.  However, I am very new at this, and I appreciate all the help I can get.

[RangerOne]

First, I will say that the notch is the most convenient method to get therm cables into the cooker.

The Unibit (or step bit) is the best bit for cutting a clean hole in sheet metal...which is what the kettle is made of.
These bits were designed specifically for this task.

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/therm-port-for-pre-2014-wsm/

Thanks for the response DD. As someone who has done both methods, what is the biggest drawback of the hole/grommet method, other than having to feed it through each time, and the notch method? Of course, I am assuming they both have drawbacks. The silicone grommets look good and have a small profile. Would you recommend them over the metal types? I appreciate your advice.

[DirectDrive]

The drawback to the grommet is fishing the cables through.
Gets worse if you forget and have to deal with hot surfaces.

The grommet that I used is good up to 500F....perfect for the WSM.
For a kettle, it may not work if you run your kettle above that.
On my kettle, I use the charcoal baskets and don't run much over 350F so I would be able to find a spot for the grommet, although the Cajun Bandit (or similar) metal grommet would be a better choice for a kettle.

[jdefran]

Thanks for the pictures jdefran. That looks like a very neat and clean job. I like it a lot. I am guessing you did not have any cracking or chipping of the enamel, so can you tell me what type of drill and bit you used? I am also interested in your technique. Did you go low and slow with the drill speed or crank it up? I have had someone give advice that I should go in at full speed but my better judgement is telling me low and slow might be better.

As someone previously mentioned I used painters tape to protect the area I was drilling. I did not have a step bit so I just used several drill bits and increased the size gradually. I just drilled carefully..didn't really pay attention to the speed in which I was going.

I initially looked at the water tight connections that someone mentioned but they're humongous and kinda look like a wart gone bad.

The hole is only 1/4" so getting to much or losing heat isn't a concern of mine, I have successfully BBQed, grilled, and smoked on it since.

[1buckie]

  In trying to be an ass, at this point, several things occur to me......

One, this thread could become very valuable in terms of future assistance and reference.....

Two, Direct Drive has done some of the tightest, best drilling in Weber metal I've seen anywhere.....check this addition of a Tel-Tru with bezel in a kettle :

http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/weber-kettles-accessories/lid-therm-mod-for-kettle/msg108306/#msg108306

Three, trying to control temperature in an extremely tight fashion is the surest way to destroy enjoyment of a BBQ experience that I know of......
 -Time after time I see people getting nutty over minor swings in the temp.......it's the nature of burning fire, charcoal, wood products.....to light, heat up & at some point begin to fade & dissipate.
there's a big discussion @ Bretheren right now about "When you started Q, what was your biggest challenge?" 20 of the first 24 responses are basically: Don't fret or freak out about temp swings......I've seen more or less the same conversations at Smoke Ring for years......
 -The only real trick to it is being mentally 'in tune' with your fuel source & the cooking machine enough to understand approximately where you stand at any given time.....
 - Your home oven swings in temp as it cycles on & off around a set pivot point.....back & forth, up & down.......stuff still usually comes out pretty decent, even with all that goes on there...........
 -The air gaps that the Bman noted are something to consider......my sense is if those gaps were to have a major cook-destroying effect, Weber might have already addressed them in the area of design somehow....

Consider this :




Tool hooks, condiment racks, side tables.....all pretty coveted accessories as far as I can tell from what folks say about them (generally speaking, maybe not everyone is thrilled).......what about the gaps created there?
I'm sure they have some effect, just from my own fairly minor experience with them.....

The sense I get there is that fuel & setup, including intake vent settings are just a bit different using anything that allows some air through from any point.....again, "only real trick to it is being mentally 'in tune' with your fuel source & the cooking machine enough to understand approximately where you stand at any given time..... "

My only Performer doesn't have the gap for the gas assist tube, but it seems that's a decent size air gap right there on most Performers..........how to deal?

Compensate by way of fuel setup & vent settings, I would guess......people who are really familiar with those need to chime in here.....do you have trouble shutting down entirely because of the air leaks?
Anything majorly noticeable?


Now, to the idea of the Maverick in the first place.......these units are to be set up as a parameter thing, right?
To aim for a window of high & low, with some kind of alarm to alert to too wide of a temp fluctuation?
 Or is it more like just a monitoring so one can check in more easily from time  to time? Or both?
I need to get this understood maybe a little better, as I have one but it's never been out of the package.....saving it up for the big cured sausage debut, I guess.....there's a place where a tight temp control is necessary....too fast of a rise & you melt out all the fat & have dried out links....not a  correctly stepped rise in temp & I guess your run the risk of not working the cure well enough & having it goofy the other direction.......

 School me up on the temp control idea using the Maverick, as i've only started using thermometers in the last few years & don't maybe totally understand the whole concept......


 

[MacEggs]

All very good advice from everybody.  Now, with that said ....

I first got influenced by 1buckie when it comes to all-things cooked on the Weber kettle.
I will admit that I have used, and still have a Maverick ET-73, and also the ET-732.

I used them initially, then tossed them aside.
Once one makes note of vent settings, amount of charcoal being used, ambient temperature, etc. etc...
Cooking on a kettle becomes very easy ... IMHO.

All of the above is me being an ass ... sorry.  Outdoor cooking should be fun and easy.
The remote therms are a great tool to use when first learning cooking with charcoal.

Drilling into a lid or bowl is ultimately the decision of the individual.  I have never done it ... yet.

YMMV

[Johnpv]

If I may say, I think the amount of ease, and set it and forget it, is really going to depend on the weather in your environment.  Some where like San Diego, where it's mid 70's with a cool breeze going at about the same speed 360 days of the year, yeah do it a few times and forget it.  On the other end of that spectrum I think not so much.  Where I live, specially being higher up in the area, the wind can change, and can change what's going on in the kettle at any time.  Being able to monitor the temps, while inside prepping something is a really nice feature of the Maverick.  I'm not saying you need to jump on every temperature change, or anything like that.  I have had times though where the cook started with no wind, and ended with some pretty hardcore winds that need vastly different vent settings.