Useful Tips for Cooking
over the Grill or Smoker

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

While each tip can mostly stand alone, it is best to read them all and incorporate them into an overall assault on the grill. Be sure to have your assault well fortified with your favorite beverage! Today's tip is: Checking The Accuracy of Your Thermometers

I know that there are about "10 kazillion" folks out there who have had their smokers and grills just about forever. If you are fortunate enough to have a chamber thermometer which reflects "degrees", when is the last time you took a wrench, removed the thermometer and tested it for accuracy?

Well, that's too long . . . . and besides this is a great time to spruce up your grill!

We spend a TON of time talking about the correct temperature of cooking this or that, and never even suggest the thermometer be checked for accuracy! Well, we are addressing the matter, here and now. It only takes a second. Get a wrench, or other tool and carefully remove the thermometer from the grill/barbecue pit. This will only work if it has a stem that can be immerged into water with out damaging the unit.

One easy test is to check the temperature outdoors and see if they are the same! Keep in mind that direct exposure to the sun will obviously raise the temperature being reflected. Next, get a pot of boiling water. Carefully suspend the thermometer stem into the water and it should read 210 to 212 degrees. Next place the thermometer stem in ice cold water. It should read about 33 to 34 degrees. It it is off by 5 degrees or more, consider replacing it. The outcome of future outdoor cooking events is at "steak", my friends!