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Jeepster & DigiQ - Up in flames
Well, that didn’t go well … I need some help … just with the
DigiQ please.
So far all my cooks have been above 300 degrees. Today I was/am going to explore that scary
region around 250 degrees. Needed 250
for just a few hours, so it seemed like a great opportunity to test drive the
DigiQ. To say that it didn’t go well is
an understatement.
Played with the DigiQ yesterday with several glasses of
water at different temps to verify that it and I knew what we were doing. So, the DigiQ works correctly and I had the
settings correct today.
Set up is a large egg, plate setter and grate on the
Woo. Lump is RO piled almost to the top
of the fire ring. Fire started on top in
the center of the pile. Added the DigiQ
before the fire really took off. Here’s
the sequence of events:
0:00 DigiQ installed, SW cap half open, dome temp @ 190 …
DigiQ proceed to do it's thing to bring temp up
0:15 DQ @ 264, dome @ 270 and the DigiQ shut down … for the rest
of the day
0:20 DQ @ 275, dome @ 280 … closed the SW cap to 3/8” open
0:30 DQ @ 290, dome @ 305 … closed the SW cap to 1/8” open
0:40 DQ @ 295, dome @ 330 … closed the DQ and the SW cap completely
0:50 DQ @ 294, dome @ 315 … opened the DQ a crack and SW cap
@ 1/8” open
1:00 DQ @ 300, dome @ 300 … no changes ... just watching
1:45 DQ @ 295, dome @ 290 … pulled the DQ and reverted to
manual operation
Can you see any obviously mistakes?
My suspicion is that there is too much leakage around the
bottom vent and DigiQ. You can see how
much the DigiQ was throttled down for the last hour and still the temp didn’t
approach 250. Have you had this problem
and what did you do about it?
After pulling the DigiQ I’ve been able to hold it at 260~
275 with SW cap at 1/8” open and the bottom vent almost completely closed.
It looks like the top vent might be better at temp control for the below 300 degree temps … yes/no?
Smokeware cap opened 1/8 inch:
Ignore the clip that is out of position ... I reinstalled the DigiQ to take a picture, but missed the clip being out of position. It was fully shoved up during the cook;
Vent setting on the DigiQ for the last 50 minutes:
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
Comments
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What was the intake vent setting for the first part of the cook?
Once you shoot past Temps it's hard to get back with all the hot ceramics. Closing down vent at end might have been to late.
Assume you DO was not running after your temp went past target.Thank you,DarianGalveston Texas -
Ii have no stoker- but have wondered since the is no "damper" on them, just the fan ( I think) would seem just the natural draft through the fan and the openings which are much larger than when NOT using a stoker that lower temps would be hard to hit...I know with my bottom vet 1/8-3/16 open and same on top I will run 250-300...if I opened it up 1/4-3/8 it will blaze
I know they work and they are loved but unless there is a way to throttle the draft when the fan slows I would think it would do what it is doing
Visalia, Ca @lkapigian -
I see your problem! The way you have the adapter fitted onto the egg, there are gaps. Those are not there the way I position the adapter.I am looking for a picture to post...hold please!
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Brother Jeepster. My thinking is that your 'over thinking' things. (with all due respect)I use a Pitmaster IQ ... same general thing as the Guru. I start my fire, If my target temp is oh say, 325 ... I set the IQ for 225, then 250 .. then 275 and slowly bring it to my desired temp. I control the temp in my Kamado ... it doesn't control me. But, this is just me.I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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Half open ...Photo Egg said:What was the intake vent setting for the first part of the cook? ...
Nope it shut down when the temps went past the 250 degree setting.Photo Egg said:... Assume your DQ was not running after your temp went past target.
Understand ... that's why I left it for 50 minutes with the DQ almost closed tight and the SW cap at 1/8 inch open. Right now I'm controlling it manually with the SW cap at 1/8" open and the bottom vent at a "hint" of being open ... temp has been between 260 and 275 for the last hour and 45 mintues.Photo Egg said:
... Once you shoot past Temps it's hard to get back with all the hot ceramics. Closing down vent at end might have been to late. ...
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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There is a dampener ... look at the picture "down the barrel" of the fan unit. There is a slide mechanism that will take the draft from full open (3/4" diameter bore) to fully closed. My picture shows the slide cracked just a little ... very little.lkapigian said:Ii have no stoker- but have wondered since the is no "damper" on them, just the fan ( I think) would seem just the natural draft through the fan and the openings which are much larger than when NOT using a stoker that lower temps would be hard to hit...I know with my bottom vet 1/8-3/16 open and same on top I will run 250-300...if I opened it up 1/4-3/8 it will blaze
I know they work and they are loved but unless there is a way to throttle the draft when the fan slows I would think it would do what it is doing
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
-
So he is missing the expansion clipTheShaytoon said:
Visalia, Ca @lkapigian -
So they do have a damper, my badlkapigian said:Ii have no stoker- but have wondered since the is no "damper" on them, just the fan ( I think) would seem just the natural draft through the fan and the openings which are much larger than when NOT using a stoker that lower temps would be hard to hit...I know with my bottom vet 1/8-3/16 open and same on top I will run 250-300...if I opened it up 1/4-3/8 it will blaze
I know they work and they are loved but unless there is a way to throttle the draft when the fan slows I would think it would do what it is doing
Visalia, Ca @lkapigian -
You need to make sure the damper door is pushed closed till flush with blower tube (hope that makes sense). Then push clip up to fill upper void. Once all that is closed up leave the cap vent slightly open (like in the pic) and let the fan/blower do the rest.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
And keep vent on blower open 1/2 - full
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
No he has the expansion clip, but he is not installing it correctly... The clip should be positioned all the way to the left side of the adapter, then the BGE door slides over the adapter and closes the right gap.
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No offense taken. Over think it? Probably. I'll keep that in mind asking the DigiQ to ramp up in increments nest time.SoCalTim said:Brother Jeepster. My thinking is that your 'over thinking' things. (with all due respect)I use a Pitmaster IQ ... same general thing as the Guru. I start my fire, If my target temp is oh say, 325 ... I set the IQ for 225, then 250 .. then 275 and slowly bring it to my desired temp. I control the temp in my Kamado ... it doesn't control me. But, this is just me.
The main thing is that, for 50 minutes, I couldn't get the temp below 290 with the DigiQ in place. Once it was removed, I brought it down to about 260 degrees very easily. Thus, think that I've too much leakage around the DigiQ.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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Might even be the wrong adapter. Expansion clip should not have to make up for that much gap?lkapigian said:
So he is missing the expansion clipTheShaytoon said:Thank you,DarianGalveston Texas -
Interesting. The picture that came with my unit has the black tabs pulled off the stop and the screen, but has the screen in place. Your picture has the screen removed. I think you're right though that I have to spend more time on the installation to alleviate extraneous gaps.TheShaytoon said:
Is your adapter door still straight, or did you bend it a little. Mine is straight and the screen/door simply wouldn't slide over it.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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Yep, I agree ... thank you ... have to work on getting the screen/door to cover the right side of the adapter door. When it cools down, that is.TheShaytoon said:No he has the expansion clip, but he is not installing it correctly... The clip should be positioned all the way to the left side of the adapter, then the BGE door slides over the adapter and closes the right gap.
Firecraft knew that I had a BGE, so doubt they would have sent the wrong adapter.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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The screen door is in place.I bent the adapter to fit the curvature of the egg door...It should be TIGHT...I use a flat edge to slide the clip up.That is the correct adapter if you have a Large egg.
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It'll slide over it but you have to work at it. I can post pics when I get home if needed.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
Yep, a large it is. Thanks for the input on bending the adapter door ... will do that ...only on the right side? Looks like bending on the left side of the tube will cause problems with the slide clip.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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I'll post some pics when I get home...this gives me a good reason to leave work early!
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I know many on here love their Smokeware cap but I can't keep the temp down with mine. It just lets way too much air out. It was worse when it was new but isn't really much better now that it's all gummed up. I use it for anything 300 degrees and up but for anything lower, it just leads to a run-away fire from my experience. When I go low-n-slow, I put the daisy wheel back on.The other thing I noticed is (like @Shaytoon already stated), you have some sizable gaps around your adaptor at the bottom of the egg. I actually bent and curved my adapter so it sits pretty tight in the lower vent channel. As you can see from my pictures, I didn't get mine installed perfectly today (the top slide piece is slightly crooked) but it has held 250 for the first 2 hrs and 275 for over the past 3 hrs and those are exact temps I had it set for. My guess is you're fire is drawing plenty of air around the adapter. Does your adapter plate have any curve to it? I have my draft control slide at 1/2 open and my fan is running in the 20-30% range most of the time.Also, I attached a picture of my daisy wheel for reference. It is NEARLY closed, and I think much less opportunity for draft on the daisy wheel than the 1/8 inch gap in the Smokeware when you look at the open surface area of both. I'm not trying to be an expert here, all I know is that my setup is working today and this is how mine usually works. I hope it helps @Jeepster47.
L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....eggAddict from MN! -
I got mine to fit without having to bend it.
"Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
-Umberto Eco
2 Large
Peachtree Corners, GA -
@minniemoh his pics are great...CRAP now I have to stay at the office.I use the Smokeware and I have no problem holding 250 Dome with the CyberQ.... @minniemoh do you have a gasket for the Smokeware?
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Here's a screen shot of my CyberQ data from the brisket that's cooking right now. I'll bet that if you can get what looks like potentially leaky drafts closed up, you'll have better luck with your pit controller.
L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....eggAddict from MN! -
I put the set up on before I light it. I keep the fan fully open and the Smokeware barely cracked. Over running temp is allowing too much air in. The fans not doing that, it shuts down.Jacksonville FL
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I'm holding in the 260 to 275 degree range with the SW cap at 1/8" and the bottom vent just a "hint" of open, so probably will stick with the cap.minniemoh said:I know many on here love their Smokeware cap but I can't keep the temp down with mine. It just lets way too much air out.
No curve, yet that is. Will work on that when the egg is cool.minniemoh said:The other thing I noticed is (like @Shaytoon already stated), you have some sizable gaps around your adaptor at the bottom of the egg. I actually bent and curved my adapter so it sits pretty tight in the lower vent channel. As you can see from my pictures, I didn't get mine installed perfectly today (the top slide piece is slightly crooked) but it has held 250 for the first 2 hrs and 275 for over the past 3 hrs and those are exact temps I had it set for. My guess is you're fire is drawing plenty of air around the adapter. Does your adapter plate have any curve to it? I have my draft control slide at 1/2 open and my fan is running in the 20-30% range most of the time.
Thanks for the pics on the daisy wheel ... I can use that as a reference to tighten up the SW cap if I still have trouble after modifying the adapter plate.
Washington, IL > Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max
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@Shaytoon - I do have the gasket installed around the inside of the lower half of the Smokeware cap (just like @RRP's pictures from his thread a while back). Mine has a lot of play between the top and bottom pieces. It fits perfectly around the top of the egg too. It's pretty gummed up now so maybe it will work better - I just have a lot of faith in my setup with the daisy wheel.I really only use it when it's raining anymore since I have trouble getting it to hold temp the way I want. I seem to find some of my own best/successful practices contrary to many on the forum anyway. For example, I love my platesetters and use them all the time. I rarely use my CGS Spider for indirect because I like to put food on the grid above the platesetter legs to keep it shielded from the heat. We cook large batches of chicken legs quite a bit and I can fit 5-6 more legs above the platesetter without burning them than I can with the spider and round stone. I know... I know... I'm just weird that way.Oh, and I'm sorry to keep you at the office!
L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....eggAddict from MN! -
It's past 4 now, if I stay any longer, the rest of the office will get suspicious!
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It looks like you have the adapter installed the wrong way. Turn it once to the right and you should have a tighter fit.
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@dstearn - Actually he has it is oriented properly but not fully installed. See my photos in previous post.L x2, M, S, Mini and a Blackstone 36. She says I have enough now....eggAddict from MN!
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