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electronic temperature control devices

I'm a new owner of a large egg.    I plan to occasionally do overnight slow cooks of brisket and pork butts, but haven't done so yet on the egg.  If I get the egg steady at say 225 degrees at 10pm, it is likely to stay there for 8 or 10 hours without further manipulation of the vents?  Or would one of the electronic devices like the BBQ Guru (or perhaps a more basic version) be helpful or maybe necessary?   Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

Comments

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If you're asking if it's necessary to cook brisket or butt, no.  If you want to cook overnight at 225F dome, it's doable, but you need to have ideal conditions - clean egg, good pile of lump, light properly, no problems with wind, etc.  Consider cooking at 275 - the egg is less likely to be stable and not go out at that temp. 

    The stokers will definitely do it, and they're more forgiving if you do a poor job lighting and loading the lump and aren't the best at cleaning out the old ash.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • I did a few overnight cooks (usually pork butt) setting my alarm twice throughout the night to regulate and make adjustments. I always wake up tired and grumpy, and the last time when I woke up the egg was down to 180 and we had to abandon the butt to go to the Bama game. BBQ Guru should be here monday
    Killen, AL (The Shoals)
    XL, Small, Minimax, and Mini BGEs
  • U_tarded
    U_tarded Posts: 2,042
    225 is a hard temp to hold.  it can be done but I and it seems like most others find the sweet spot between 250 and 275 dome.  I have ran over 15 hours on a brisket without fidgeting the vents or reloading coal with maybe 10 degree swings here and there but nothing to worry about.  it takes practice to figure out your vent settings but thats part of the fun in the adventure.  

    here is a link i like to reference for rough idea on vent settings its never steered me wrong. 


  • If you start one at 7:00AM, the egg will hold the exact temp you want until at least 6:00PM, 11 hours not a peep out of it. 
    If you try and sleep starting one at 10:00PM to be ready by noon, your low temp, high temp alarm will wake you every hour on the hour like a child with colic - guaranteed!

    If you want to cook overnight, turn your egg into an oven, get a stoker. 
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    Is it doable?  Yes.  Do I do it anymore?  No.  Get a Guru, Stoker or what you can afford.  I sleep well and awake refreshed because of my Guru's.  I bought mine after a night from hell.  I was smoking eight butts on my two larges for my friends daughters college graduation party and winds and rain kept me up all night.  With my Guru's and Maverick remote I sleep like a baby now with no worries of not being able to deliver a meal.

    Mike

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

    Omaha, NE
  • makis
    makis Posts: 81
    I have a Party Q that runs on batteries( for summer camping) and it's perfect for L n S as well as high temp cooking.
    It costs $130 or so and it is money well spend.
  • My overnights are at the command of my Stoker Wifi.  I sleep soundly knowing it is under control.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
  • I agree with all these egg chef's.  I cater parties and would not get any rest without my Party Q.
    Thomas Bubba's BBQ and Harris Family Catering Pigs on the Run Competition BBQ Team Medic-Que BBQ Team, LBGE, Party Q
  • definitely check out the ique110. Great product, simple and reliable

  • mimauler
    mimauler Posts: 136
    Take the time to learn your grill first before you purchase those items...and like most here have said 225 is a little low try to keep it 250-270 it'll be much easier.
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    edited December 2012
    No one has mentioned that you SHOULD go to the naked whiz website.

    He has reviewed them all better than anyone else, or any other site mentioned. A lot of guys are new to the forum and do not know about it. Go to the site and educate yourself. Best advice in this thread.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews.htm

    With that said, I love my guru dx2



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

  • lmd
    lmd Posts: 17
    edited December 2012
    Thanks for the tips.    Anyone purchase one of no frills models like the partyq or the ique110 and wish they had gone for the dx2?   Seems like double the price (more features, of course) for the premium models yet the more basic models perform the primary objective.
  • no buyers remorse here. The ique 110 works as advertised, and doesn't need batteries. Only thing that stinks(slightly) is that it's not waterproof. The good thing about the ique, which isn't true for the guru products or stoker. Is that you can build a breathable waterproof box for rainy days. The ique attaches to the egg adapter with a rubber house that's about 2 feet long, the guru and stokers all attach the fan directly to the egg without any chance of decent waterproofing.
  • I've learned a loooonnnngggg time ago that you get exactly what you pay for. I have wasted literally thousands of dollars trying to buy stuff on the cheap only to return and buy the better product later. Should have bought the better stuff in the 1st place and saved a pile of cash.

    1 large BGE, 2 small BGE, 3 Plate setters, 1 large cast iron grid, 1 pizza stone, 1 Stoker II Wifi, 1 BBQ Guru Digi-Q II, 1 Amaze N pellet smoker and 1 empty wallet.      Seaforth, On. Ca.

  • I've learned a loooonnnngggg time ago that you get exactly what you pay for. I have wasted literally thousands of dollars trying to buy stuff on the cheap only to return and buy the better product later. Should have bought the better stuff in the 1st place and saved a pile of cash.
    My Dad did that a lot and I never understood it.  Sure he skated by a lot, but there were some epic failures because he went cheap instead of quality.
    Flint, Michigan
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    We buy quality stuff when we expect it to be used a lot.  If I need something for a one-time or occasional use, I might just buy a cheap-o harbor freight tool.  Example - fish tape.  I'll use it once or twice a year, so why buy the Greenlee pro reel for $85 when I can buy the Harbor Freight one for $8. 

    http://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-fish-tape-38156.html
    http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00930822000P?sid=IDx01192011x000001&kispla=00930822000P&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=35-11722453-2

    That said, stuff I use a lot, I try to buy the best.  I have tools from companies most people never heard of, my machine bits and saw blades are from Sweden, Germany or New Jersey, and they ain't cheap.

     
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..