First cook with the BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2

bocaboy2591

I have had a medium BGE for almost 20 years and have prepared hundreds of meals with it. The biggest issue I have, and that I hear from other BGE owners, is about temperature control. Catching the rise, maintaining the temperature, and getting it back to temperature after having to add wood are skills that only come with experience. 

I had heard about the BBQ Guru devices for controlling temperature, and they sure seemed to make sense, at least on their web page. When my wife and kids asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I volunteered that I'd like to try the BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2 so that I could have a bit more freedom from the BGE when doing a cook, especially a long one with a pork butt or brisket. They told me to go ahead and order it and they'd pick up the tab!!

Today is my first cook, and I have to admit I am pretty impressed with this device. My very first concern was that the adapter would be hard to install. I had seen the kit on their web site and mistakenly thought that I'd have to remove the damper to install the adapter. Wrong. The adapter simply snaps into the damper. I had no problem installing it. My first fear was put to bed.

My second concern was the obvious one of whether it would really work, or if I'd still have to babysit the Egg. I've learned over the years that what manufacturers say, and what their products do, are two wildly different worlds. So far, that hasn't been true with the DigiQ. Setup of the device, which is the size of a pack of cigarettes, is simple. You do have to use the manual to understand how to use it, and honesty demands that I reveal I'm very good with technology, but I was able to get the setup finished in less than 5 minutes.

After starting the fire in my Egg, I put the plate setter in place along with the grill and hooked up the fan to the adapter I had installed in the damper. The DigiQ works by monitoring the temperature on the grill (not the dome, which is what the BGE dial thermometer monitors) and then carefully controls the draft into the firebox by puffing air into it as needed to stoke the charcoal. The unit came on at 100% power to help get the temperature up to what I wanted, in this case 225˚, and then maintain it there. I watched with a bit of trepidation as I watched the temperature continue to rise, and then, magically, stop at 225˚! I opened the lid of the Egg, and as expected, the temperature dropped. I removed the grill and plate setter, added the wood, put everything back in place and added the St. Louis ribs I wanted to cook.

The DigiQ has a built-in feature that senses when the lid is open. I suspect it does this by the algorithm in the controller software recognizing a precipitous drop in temperature as a lid-opening event, and temporarily shuts the fan off. Once I closed the lid, the DigiQ quickly brought the temperature up to what it was set for and it's been that way ever since. Folks, it has not varied even one degree! There is about a 5-10˚ difference between the dome thermometer and the DigiQ, so I know I'm not getting some sort or ersatz reading and that my food is actually burning to a crisp.

I'll report back to everyone at the end of this cook how the DigiQ did and how the food turned out, but after the first few hours, I just had to tell the forum how amazing this device is, and what a great addition I think it will be to my BGE. I can only imagine how much easier it will be to cook a butt or brisket over 15-18 hours at a very low temperature. It even solves the problem of having to add wood for additional smoke in the middle of a cook since it can sense that the lid has been opened and get the fire re-stabilized very quickly.

Here are a couple of pictures of the unit. The fan looks a bit larger in this photo than it really is due to the angle I shot it at.

six_egg

I hope you end up liking it. I really love mine.

Duganboy

I've got one and love it.  Like you I'm a long time egger, but only got the DQ last summer. It has been foolproof.

BuckeyeBob

Love mine too. Makes things so much easier on longer cooks.

Charlie tuna

Burnt up a set of probes - my mistake - always wrap your probe wires inside the egg with a few layers of foil! And route the cables over one of the feet of your PS.. Y

bocaboy2591

Last nights dinner of St. Louis ribs was delicious. The ribs were juicy and falling off the bone. This morning when I checked the Egg to see how the coal were after 7 hours at 225˚, I still had 2/3rds of my charcoal. Man oh man, the DigiQ is definitely going to change the way I cook on my BGE!