BBQ Guru for a Large BGE

Big Papa

What size fan do i need for the BBQ Guru on a large Egg?

WileECoyote

Based on all of my reading most people opt for the 10 CFM pit viper fan on a large egg.

I recently picked up a BBQ Guru Competitor rig with a 10 CFM pit viper and I am glad that it came with the bigger fan. Even with 10 CFM it was a little slower to heat up a cold egg than I had expected. Once the cooking temp is reached then it probably doesn't matter as much because the fan only pulses briefly to maintain a cook temp. The bigger fan is probably only important when you cook at higher temps and/or cook with a dirty egg that has poor airflow. For the small difference in price why not get the bigger fan and have no worries?

Big Papa

What is the hook or no hook option?

I noticed that the Pit Viper 10 doesn't have a hook.

WHat does that mean?

Celtic Wolf

10 CFM is plenty. The 25 CFM fan is meant for the big pits.

Celtic Wolf

Actually the 10CFM Pit Viper does have the hook.

It is just a place to attach the Controller too

Big Papa

Do these have the option of running on Batteries?

That way i dont have to worry about plugging it in.

Celtic Wolf

They require 12Volt DC and yes they have a DC adapter. There are many a competitor that use car batteries to back up the AC power at competitions.

Ross in Ventura

I have a 10 CFM for my lg Egg for a year, it's great for low and slow and hi heat cooks.
Ross

Big Papa

Thanks for your help

WileECoyote

I installed a 12V DC 1AH rechargeable lead acid battery in my egg table. It powers the two sets of LED lights for night cooking, the BBQ Guru Competitor, and an exhaust fan for the enclosed portion of my table. I also connected a solar panel charger to it so that it will recharge itself during the day. Works like a champ and only cost me $29 for the battery at a local Radio Shack.

TNmike

I have the 10cfm for my XL and usually only have the damper 1/4 to 1/2 open for low and slows. Love the DigiQ, lets an old man cook and sleep at night. :laugh: Mike

jonboy

Can you explain how to hook the controller to the pit viper?
I have been laying it on its side on the table
Thanks for the help,
jon

smokin n jokin

what is the difference in the guru and an eggcelerator? Same concept of starting your lump and getting it up to temperature faster? Or does it have anything to do with maintaining temp?

Celtic Wolf

The Guru is electronic temperature control device. The Eggcelator is a Spiral piece of metal.

Celtic Wolf

{smartass mode}

Plug it in!!

{end smartass mode}

It should have come with a bendable mounting bracket. I just bent the bracket so it slipped under the hook

WileECoyote

The 10 cfm pit viper looks like this:



The bent tab on the top of the fan with the slot cut in the middle is where you mount the controller. To attach the controller to the fan you need to use the bolt, washer, and wingnut which came with the controller. Alternatively you can use a separate stand which comes with the controller.

The DigiQ II stand looks like this:



And the Competitor or ProCom stand looks like this:



Hope this helps.

Fidel

You are mistaken.

The eggcelerator is a fan that is battery operated and mounts to the lower draft opening to get the egg up to temp faster. It does not regulate temperatures like the Guru devices, but just blows air in the bottom vent.

You are thinking of the turbo grate offered by the BBQ Guru folks.

Celtic Wolf

I sit corrected and yes I was thinking of the Turbo Thingy

WileECoyote

Fidel is right. I knew about the turbo grate but crossed the terms based on CW's post.

If you decide to use only a fan without a controller then just go to Radio Shack or any computer store and buy a small computer case fan which you can sit in front of the bottom vent. They blow enough air that you won't need to connect it directly to the egg, and you can hookup a potentiometer to the DC supply line to vary the speed if needed. Or just buy one of those cheap small desktop fans, some of which run on battery. No need to pay more for a fancy fan that mounts to the egg.

After using the Competitor a few times I can already see how valuable it is. No more bouncing out to tweak the vents several times during each cook when the Maverick remote monitor alarm sounds. In fact I don't need to use the Maverick much at all now since I can count on the Competitor to keep the temp rock solid under most conditions. The only annoying thing is that the Competitor alarm is not remote or loud enough to be heard indoors and the egg does sometimes surpass the top end of the pit temp setting, however I was able to minimize that by adjusting the sliding damper control on the fan to let less air in when the fan is idling.