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BBQ guru. How tight is it?

Got the party q. Just curious how tight these things hold. I'll have my maverick set up for alarm. If the fan is programmed for 250, what can I expect?? 240-260? 230-270? Or 250??


_______________________________________________

XLBGE 

Comments

  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    I just got mine back from Centex a couple of days ago and giving it to Travis in the morning. I have no luck ( user error) with them.
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Mickey said:

    I just got mine back from Centex a couple of days ago and giving it to Travis in the morning. I have no luck ( user error) with them.

    Ship it to me next. I'll ship you some beer for rent payment.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    With the DigiQ, I've seen it hold dead on.  That's probably + or - 0.49F. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • My DigiQ2 holds steady in calm winds.  If windy, I notice it likes to creep up upwards of 10 deg.
    Flint, Michigan
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    My DigiQ2 holds steady in calm winds.  If windy, I notice it likes to creep up upwards of 10 deg.
    Do you have the DW on almost or completely closed?  I find that helps if you make it force air through the thing.  But I find wind to sometimes do that too.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    @nolaegghead

    So have daisy wheel on, but just cracked?


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    I wonder if you build a wind break, would that fix that? I see it on offsets all the time. I don't think 10 degrees is worth it though.
  • I have a hard time maling myself only crack the DW. I keep thinking the fire will go out. As far as a windbreak goes, this winter I've been Egging just inside the garage door. The attached house is my northern windbreak and still I fight the wind sometimes.
    Flint, Michigan
  • Solson005
    Solson005 Posts: 1,911
    For my digiQ the most I have ever been off is 2° and it usually is dead on. I have just the petals open on the daisy wheel no matter if I am doing 225° or 350° and put the fan and adapter in once I know the fire is going to be enough, same time I put the platesetter or woo with stones and grate. 
    Large & Small BGE, CGW Two-Tier Swing Rack for BOTH EGGS, Spider for the Wok, eggCARTen & and Cedar Pergola my Eggs call home in Edmond, OK. 
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I've had the daisy wheel on but totally closed.  There are enough cracks that it can power air through and it helps with wind.  I did a couple of butts through hurricane Issac once.  Got it set up to hold pretty steady, even though the wind was going nuts. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • RLeeper
    RLeeper Posts: 480
    Mine holds steady at temp with little to no variation, I keep daisy wheel barely open and another important control is the draft door on the fan. For low and slow cooks my fan draft is open about one third.
    Extra Large, Large, and Mini. Tucker, GA
  • Maybe I need to close the viper damper more?
    Flint, Michigan
  • Bullibe
    Bullibe Posts: 132
    I close everything almost all the way down, until I see that the fan is running 100% then open the damper on the Guru up a little. I have to remind myself that the Guru can add air but can't reduce it beyond what can free flow through it.

    Redneck Riviera, Gulf Shores, Alabama
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    It's not too tight...you can always use a little K-Y if needed.  


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • chainsaw19
    chainsaw19 Posts: 257
    I was having trouble with my new CyberQ for the first few cooks, but finally realized I hadnt shut the bottom up tight enough around the stoker, I set up a cook for 250 this past weekend and it held that temp +/- 1 degree for about 16 hours, when I shut the cooker down still had a good amount of charcoal.  The other change I made was sorting and stacking the lump large in bottom, up to small on top---I had always just poured it in.  between these two changes, I was amazed at the performance and feel pretty confident now that I could set it up and leave with no worries especially with the ability to monitor it online.  Very happy with this purchase.
    Large BGE Middletown, MD
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    My DigiQ2 holds steady in calm winds.  If windy, I notice it likes to creep up upwards of 10 deg.


    Freddie,

    There is a damper on the barrel of the blower assembly. It needs to be down to at most a quarter moon shape otherwise you will get air through when the fan is not running.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If you're looking for stable temps, an egg equipped with a stoker like the DigiQ is more stable than the oven in your kitchen.  You don't want to use it for temps over 400 or for anything direct because you'll trash the temp probe (although I suppose you could put the end of the probe in the thermometer hole). 

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    My DigiQ's fan damper is wide open -- i have never adjusted it.  It holds a temperature to the degree it is set at.  I will try to assist it with the top damper - say if it is running "a lot" trying to maintain a temperature, i will open the damper to help the fan hold on temperature..
  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    Little Steven is spot on.  On my larges I have the DFMT barely cracked and the fan damper set to 1/4 open.  Once it locks in on the temp it holds right on.

    Mike 

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • FlyingTivo
    FlyingTivo Posts: 352
    I agree on the FORCED AIR theory. You need to open DW just a hairline and only adjust the damper. For the 200-300 range, it holds dead on! I also try to keep the fan working half the time by adjusting the damper.

    Felipe
    Men, easier fed than understood!!
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    My digiq dx2 is always spot on, daisy wheel cracked maybe 1/16" to 1/8" tops. If you are having trouble with temps jumping in winds use the damper and close it to 1/3 or 1/2 tops.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    thanks guys!


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    I've got Mickey's Party Q going right now. I also have my Maverick as redundant temp reading. 

    So far, It has held +or- 1degree for 3 hours. It is rock solid.

    I'm doing a 16lb turkey at 240. 
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • MrCookingNurse
    MrCookingNurse Posts: 4,665
    @travisstrick

    thanks man, this is what I am going to do, set maverick up as backup.  


    _______________________________________________

    XLBGE 
  • bigphil
    bigphil Posts: 1,390
    edited March 2013
    My digi holds rock solid very little change in it. i usually hook it up start my fire and let it bring  the egg to temp . 
    Large Big Green Egg , XL Big Green Egg . BBQ Guru, Weber Kettle, Weber Q grill for road trips.
  • My digiq is rock solid for a 17 hr butt cook. You need to take time to gradually ramp up. I also use it at 350 for indirect chicken cooks. It takes 1-2 Shiner Bocks to stabilize. That is a standard unit of measurement I use.