Temperature controller / blower - recommendations

I started without a controller, then got the PartyQ (which worked great), but eventually wanted to be able to watch it from work and have it ramp the temperature down in case it finished before I got home.

I looked at the CyberQ wifi but hated the interface, and I ended up emailing Jonathan @stlcharcoal because I kept seeing people mentioning him on here.  He was extremely helpful, and ended up selling me the Flame Boss wifi unit at a great price, much lower than anywhere else online.  It's been absolutely perfect, really easy to use, etc., so that one gets my vote.

Just ordered a flameboss 200, I like the modern simple interface and from what I can tell its the only one using Platinum type sensors instead of K type (most common).  Higher level of accuracy.  Not a big deal, but to me it is a good indicator the device is made to higher than normal standards... or at least I hope ;-).  Great thread.  I have used the Stoker 1 wifi and 2, the older wifi is very unreliable.  New works great.  For 2 smoker comp set up its a must.  The Flameboss has a much better visual interface.

Carolina Q said:

Over the years, the consensus seemed to be, learn how to use the egg without a crutch before you decide if you want/need one. I don't see that opinion expressed as often these day, but I still think it's a good idea....

I've had two Eggs for several years, now, and LOVE them, and I have a Maverick so I can keep an eye on temps without having to go outside, but no gizmo to keep the temp stable. I do have to nudge the air flow every now and again, but I'm practically in awe of how stable the temps are in BGEs.  Once it gets stabilized, I'd have no qualms at all about walking a dog or making a quick trip to the store.

The main reason I'd want one of those things is if I did overnight cooks, but the main reason I might do an overnight cook is a big packer brisket, and I've never even seen a packer in my area. And my sense of it from my own cooking and from reading this forum and the original one is that you probably won't be able to tell the difference if a brisket or a pork butt was cooked at 200 degrees or 275, or maybe even higher, so I'm not convinced that an overnight cook is ever necessary.  It even seems to me that I get more wood smoke at 225 or 250 than I do at 200, and I've read that the BGE is "a low oxygen environment" which tends to cut down on the wood smoke.  I actually wonder whether a 250 or 275 cook might even be BETTER on a BGE than a 200 degree cook, because there's a little more air flow, a little more oxygen, a little more smoke.

dflores said:

Now I want a temp controller lol. This forum is gonna make my wallet hate me.

We're all different.  I'm having a ball cooking the way I cook, and others are having a ball cooking the way they cook.  I guess all I'm trying to say is that for anyone who reads these discussions and starts getting the idea that they HAVE to spend a lot of money to get more electronic gadgets to smoke food in a BGE, no, you don't.  If you'd like one, by all means, do what you enjoy.  But there are a bunch of people having a ball cooking all kinds of stuff without electronic gizmos to control the temperature.  The temp on the BGE is amazingly stable without them.

dlk7 said:

I started out with a DigiQ DX2 and recently purchased the CyberQ.  Really easy to use. Like the WIFI a lot.

Yeah, I don't see the CyberQ getting much love here. I've enjoyed mine from the moment I received it.

ar15203 said:

I just got the cyberq and was amazed at the accuracy of the controler.

I've been pretty impressed as well. WiFi is a nice feature because I like seeing what my cook is doing wherever I happen to be. I've left cooks overnight with confidence. Tomorrow, I'm putting on a pork butt for burnt ends, and I'm going to be in the garage most of the day brewing beer. It's nice being able to monitor the cook and change setpoints as needed. And if I forget something and have to run out (which occurs about every time I start brewing or doing just about any other project), I can just pick up & leave without any worry about what my Egg is doing.

I used my Egg for around 3-4 months before I considered a controller. It's a nice add-on, but definitely not a must-have.

Tier.. the PID loop thing  is the smarts of the controller unit..  It uses math to predict how much blower to use to get/keep temperature.   it will run the fan at the various %'s  as it gets to, maintains  the desired setpoint   cool thing.. pid loops used in a lot of continuous process mfgr.      it detects when u open dome and doesn't freak n try to blow more air  immediately causing u to overshoot temps  "lid detect"

FWIW I continue to be very happy with my Stoker I  Wi-Fi.  I am able to control the temps in my LG BGE and KJ Jr, simultaneously.