Port for cookshack smoker

CS electric smokers have a vent hole at the top that most of us use for our probes. Do you have a smoker that can't accommodate that?

Yes I do, I have an older model. I want to buy Thermoworks smoke thermometer but they recommend you do NOT run the probe wires threw any vent hole because of the excess heat . Not sure what to do? Has anyone had any problems with probes burning out because of the wires going down the vent hole of the cookshack smoker?

Short answer, yes. With my SM066, the outer sheath of the probe wire burned through pretty soon after I started using the smoker. It hasn't affected the probe operation yet, but just as insurance, I recently bought a new probe, which CS has just modified to have a "high temp" cable (they also cut the price by about 60%). I think if you search the forum, you'll find others have had the same problem. I remember one member's solution was to wrap the probe wire in some foil to protect it from contact with the sides of the vent hole. That seemed to work for him. My experience is that if the same point on the probe gets hot each time, which can happen if you usually cook on the same level, it happens quicker. I think lots of people here use thermoworks probes, so hopefully someone will chime in here. My simple thermoworks probe (no connectivity, just a readout that sits on the smoker) has a metallic probe sheath and I haven't had a problem. (OK, long answer, sorry.)

I run my ThermoWorks probes through the top vent hole and haven't had a problem with them burning.  I did have a problem getting the bent probes through the hole.  They have a different bend shape or size that simply didn't work for me.  I had to buy the straight probes.  I have both the Smoke and the Signal.  Yes I do use all 4 ports several times a year.

I bend the L shaped probes slightly so they are just a little more than a 90 using my fingers (no pliers).  It doesn't take much and they go through the vent then.

Ok. I will try that. Thanks!

Here's a picture of the probe I use that I opened the angle on compared to a new probe (the shiny one).  You can see it didn't take much straightening.

I run the cable UP thru the vent from inside the smoker and then connect to the controller.

No fair  - that's cheating!

Saves buying another work around doo-dad