BBQ Guru DigiQ - used LOTS of charcoal

ILM

I just bought a BBQ Guru DigiQ II for my large BGE and did my first all-night cook last night with it at 225 degrees. When I have done similar length cook (10-12 hours) before at 225 degrees I put a normal amount of new charcoal in at the beginning and still had about a quarter of the charcoal left at the end.

However, last night, I heard the low temp alarm go off twice during the night on the DigiQ, and both times the charcoal was almost completely gone.

Do these power draft fans cause the charcoal to burn faster or for some reason mean more charcoal is used? Anyone else had this experience?

I guess the only solution is to fill it up with 3 times the normal amount of charcoal but I've never done that before and am not sure whether I'm creating more issues by doing that than just getting up in the middle of the night to refill charcoal.

Just seems strange to cook at the same temperature for the same time period but use 3 times the amount of charcoal.

FatMike

I just cooked a butt with my new DigiQ last night..Used BGE lump and had plenty of it left this morning. 15 hour cook...could it be the lump burning up faster?

greenfan

Okay, I need to get a guru or a stoker. I have one XL egg to run. I need a food probe and a dome probe. What do I need to get????

greenfan

Okay, I need to get a guru or a stoker. I have one XL egg to run. I need a food probe and a dome probe. What do I need to get????

Canugghead

Can't speak for guru but I ordered a SToker system to control two eggs recently.

For your need, first add this to shopping cart:
http://rocksbarbque.com/product.gc?ID=7

However, the above comes with 5 CFM blower, if you want/need (I can't answer that question since I don't have XL) 10 CFM blower, add this to shopping cart to upgrade blower in system package from 5 to 10 cfm:
http://rocksbarbque.com/product.gc?ID=20

Finally, you need to pick the XL blower adaptor for the 5 or 10 cfm blower:
http://rocksbarbque.com/product.gc?ID=2

RU Eggsperienced

I've had a stoker for two+ years and have never had anything like this happen. I'd tend to think it had something to do with the lump you were using rather than the auto temp controller....

Wish you the best of luck.

Grandpas Grub

 
If you can fill the egg 3 times more than you did, you are not filling much lump in the egg.

For an all nighter, fill to the top of the fire box minimum and it wouldn't hurt to fill to the top of the fire ring.

Possibly you had a vertical burn.

Any Powered Vent System should not use any more lump than if you had a vent open. The heat of the dome thermometer is controlled by fuel (lump) and oxygen. It doesn't matter where the oxygen comes from, either natural draw or forced by a PVS.

GG

Gator Bait

 
Hi ILM,

I would check the calibration on the DigiQ. You probably want to down load the DigiQ II USER GUIDE. Last I knew it was more complete then what was shipped with the DigiQ. This version has the instructions for checking/setting the calibration. The DigiQ should not have caused you to use the extra charcoal. If you haven't done it yet you might want to check the calibration on your dome thermometer by inserting it into a cup of boiling water and making sure it reads about 212º. If it is off turn the nut on the back of the thermometer till it reads right. Remember that the water is going to cool fairly fast once it is removed from the heat.
Also make sure the damper on the blower (I am going to guess that you have the 10 CFM fan) is not open to far and letting to much air to flow into the egg. Half way is probably about right. I have a medium egg so I am not sure, it isn't rocket science. I can run my DigiQ with the top vent completely closed. Many people open it just a sliver but it isn't needed. The blower will have no trouble forcing air through the grill, it isn't air tight to any pressure.
I have been known to burn test fires with no food on them just for educational purposes.

Good luck and keep warm,

Gator

 

Lei'd-n-Egg

ILM, what kind of lump are you using? and how much did you have loaded for this lo-n-slo cook?

ILM

I was using the BGE brand charcoal and had it filled about 1-2 inches above the side holes. I was using the plate setter - up to how many inches below the plate setter can I safely fill the BGE?

I'm also wondering whether it had anything to do with external temperature - it was 20 degrees outside overnight, but the last time I did this when I burned far less charcoal, it was about 65 degrees outside. The temperature on the DigiQ seems to match pretty closely 2 other calibrated sources so I don't think that's it.

I had the damper on the blower fan (the 10 CFM one) about halfway closed and the daisy wheel small vents cracked about halfway open. Maybe next time I will close those entirely as someone suggested.

bubba tim

I have never had a problem with the GURU using lump like you do. I fill, with fresh lump, right above the fire ring. light in 4 - 5 places and open the fan just 1/8 to 1/4 inch depending on how hot the fire is. I can do and have done 24 hour cooks with no issues. I have dumb question, are you using lump or briquettes?

BBQMaven

I've fill my LBGE so full of lump that the PS was just touching the top of the pile when it went in legs up... you can't load too much, but you found out you can load too little...

Load it, Light it, Love it

2Fategghead

ILM, I'm curious what position did you have your daisy wheel?

This is where I set my daisy wheel when using my CyberQ II for a low and slow 250° cook. Tim

ILM

I had it open more than that - it looks like in the picture you had about one-quarter of the small hole open - I had it more like three-quarters.

Anyone think it the cold outisde temps (20 degrees) contributed to using significantly more charcoal than 65 degree outside temps?

ILM

I used the BGE brand lump.

2Fategghead

ILM, I set my daisy wheel cracked so you can only slip a tooth pick in the holes and I also set the damper on the 10 cfm pit viper fan to the first line closing the damper to 1/3 or 1/4 open how ever you define that. I am a dumper as far as the lump goes. I dump lump into the cleaned out egg all the way to the top of the fire ring and lit it in several places and set the plate setter on top of that and sometimes the plate setter is sitting on the burning lump because I want to be sure I have enough lump to fuel this cook...I am wondering one more thing how do you put your lump in your egg? Are you a stacker or a dumper? Tim

I burn royal oak lump and I am in 20° weather. I am planing an overnight cook tonight with temperatures in the 20°'s. I will be using my CyberQ II in ramp mode so I'll see how it goes.