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Digi Q pit temp issues

Focker
Focker Posts: 8,364
in EggHead Forum

First cook with ribs, blower damper was 1/3 open, daisy wheel slightly open for probe wires to feed through the top. 

Tel-Tru was recently calibrated.  Pit temp probe was attached to the stem from above.  Going by feel of the ceramic which I do at various temps, the Tel-Tru was accurate, Digi Q was off.  

Dome temp was 275 while the programmed pit temp was 225.  Is this common?  Can, or should a Digi Q be calibrated?  Really don't think this is the issue. 

Does the Digi Q let in too much air on the BGE to achieve 250? 

Installed an adapter yesterday for the WSM, going to try a rib cook to see if there are temp differences with a unit that has more airflow.

Any tips on egg use are appreciated, thanks.

Brandon
Quad Cities
"If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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Comments

  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Brandon, I always set the DigiQ for 250° and clip the pit probe to the dome thermo probe, routing the wire past the gasket, not thru the top vent (though I don't see why that would matter). Blower 1/3 open, DFMT about a toothpick open. The temps never match, but they are +/-5°.

    Don't know if you can calibrate the DigiQ or not. I'm imagine it CAN be, but you may have to send it in. When you calibrated your dome, did you put the probe in the water all the way to the notch? I understand that's where the most accurate reading is (though I could be mistaken).

    I bought the WSM adapter too and installed it in my kettle. Did a butt with lump and the DigiQ. This was late fall, early winter and it was pretty cold and quite breezy. Didn't work so well, even with the crutch. I was chasing temps the whole time. Tasted fine, but was a pain. On a nice day without wind, I think it would be ok, but I haven't tried.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Thanks Michael.  I don't have a manual, so I may have to look around on the bbqguru site to find one?  50 degrees off seems a bit much.
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Here's one for the DX unit...


    Looks lie a pain. I would recheck my TelTru first. Good luck.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Buckegg
    Buckegg Posts: 13
    Close the bottom damper all the way.
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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,191
    @Focker
    Brandon, close the bottom flow gate on the fan further to restrict the air flow.  Even when the fan is not running the air will be pulled through it due to the chimney draft effect of the Egg.  I run my probe wires between the gaskets over the platesetter leg to protect them from direct heat.  I have run with the daisy wheel completely shut and the fan pressurizes the Egg and air still comes out around the daisy wheel as it is not air tight even when shut.  I suspect that is why the Egg comes with the ceramic cap for shutdown.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    Put your DigiQ probes in some boiling water.  I've had one that was off before - and it was erratic.  Bad probe.  Try not to get any water on the lead side of the thermocouple.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Cowdogs
    Cowdogs Posts: 491
    bettysnephew said:
    @Focker
    Brandon, close the bottom flow gate on the fan further to restrict the air flow.  Even when the fan is not running the air will be pulled through it due to the chimney draft effect of the Egg.  I run my probe wires between the gaskets over the platesetter leg to protect them from direct heat.  I have run with the daisy wheel completely shut and the fan pressurizes the Egg and air still comes out around the daisy wheel as it is not air tight even when shut.  I suspect that is why the Egg comes with the ceramic cap for shutdown.
    x2  The digi can run the egg at 190 this way.
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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    ^^^yes yes yes.  Good point.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    Thanks guys.  Going to calibrate and run with the daisy closed. 
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited June 2014
    147 in boiling water for the pit probe after calibration of the food probe.  Could be a bad probe even though it is still functioning and no - - - are displayed?
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    I believe you get the - - - displayed if there's an open or short on the probe.  Switch the probes.  Should just switch the problem telling you it's the probe.

    Try drying the probe out in the oven at 250F.  Also, check the solder joints on the jack.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364

    @nolaegghead,

    Thanks man, will do.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    You ARE olugging the probes in before powering up, aren't you? Istr recall the manual saying you had to do that. Dunno what happens if you don't though.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364

    Yes, even letting it "warm up" for 15 minutes as stated.

    When calibrating, you only calibrate the food probe.  Naked Whiz's section goes into detail about calibrating the unit vs each probe.  May need to call the guru folks Monday.  Everything leads to a bad probe.   

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Are the probe wires plugged in securely? If not, you get sporadic temp readings as well as temp reading low, causing the pit tp get excessively hot.

    Above is paraphrased. I would have pasted it from the manual, but when I tried, I got...

    AF>*T%9YZZ\%"W^.6[%[_.%`65c.^%"W[5%[_.%]5W[65Z0%EY^_%[_.%`ZY#%"W[5%[_.%]5WW.]["5W%^.]Y6.Z\%YW["Z%"[%^W<`^% "W%`Z<].0%-4%[_.%`65c.^%<6.%W5[%`ZY##.a%"W%^.]Y6.Z\V%^`56<a"]%[.:`.6<[Y6.%6.<a"W#^%:<\%5]]Y6%<Wa%[_.% !"#"$%;"ZZ%W5[%]5W[65Z%[_.%`"[%<]]Y6<[.Z\0%>_.%[.:`.6<[Y6.%:<\%<Z^5%6.<a%Z5;%]<Y^"W#%[_.%`"[%[5%#.[% .b].^^"/.Z\%_5[0%% %

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,109
    I had a grate probe go bad.  I just used my food probe until I got a replacement.   I just used my DigiQ for the first time in 6 months recently with a wagyu brisket.  I'm kind of settled on just using the grate probe for the DigiQ and hooking up the Maverick for a 2nd grate probe (keep the DigiQ probe honest) and food.  And I have the Mav remote to keep an eye on everything.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364

    Yes.  Calibrated twice, still the same issue.  Thanks for the help Q.  May need to get a pit probe replacement.  Will talk to them first, something is f'd up.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    nolaegghead said:
    I had a grate probe go bad.  I just used my food probe until I got a replacement.   I just used my DigiQ for the first time in 6 months recently with a wagyu brisket.  I'm kind of settled on just using the grate probe for the DigiQ and hooking up the Maverick for a 2nd grate probe (keep the DigiQ probe honest) and food.  And I have the Mav remote to keep an eye on everything.

    Excellent point, use food probe as pit probe, carry on.  Stick it through a tater or onion on the grate.

    Thanks brother.

    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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