Temperature management systems

Jeepster47 · May 2016

Griffin said:

I can't remember what he said. I've had many drinks since then. He did tell me it would survive much higher than it was rated and pretty much dared me to try and kill it and that he would replace mine for free. Kind of as an experiment. But that was something he told me to try, not everybody else. I never tried it over 550 and wouldn't suggest others try it either.

@Griffin ... now that is funny. When I asked the question, he said 450 degrees. Then I said that was probably on the spec sheet, but how much margin is built in to that number. I swear I could hear him break out into a sweat over the phone ... marketing folks don't like engineers asking about pushing the limits. Made me laugh then, and more so now that you mention his comments to you.

Toxarch · May 2016

I use the Stoker all the time. Technology is my friend and I like to know the Temp is perfectly where I want it to be. I can fire up the egg, go prep the food, hook up the Stoker, set the Temp on my phone, then go continue prepping the food. I know that the fire will be exactly at the Temp I need and when it is there just by checking my phone and looking at the smoke color out the window. It's not for everyone, but I like to use mine.

BBQBuddy · May 2016

I love my DigiQ. Bought 2 more as gifts - recipients love them as well. A friend just got a Flame Boss and is delighted with it. It's wonderful not to have to run outside and check the temp every 1/2 hour. I've had my egg for 20 years and the DigiQ for about 3 years - won't go back to doing without.

stompbox · May 2016

The concerns of the cost of a controller get quickly erased after the first good night of rest you get from it.

I am a light sleeper so i used to get no rest and be a zombie when I did overnight cooks and I generally only do overnight cooks when company is coming or for a party. I found that I was always exhausted or in a bad mood just from getting no sleep that it wasn't fun for me.

I also hated having to wait so long and having to stay awake until midnight just for temps to stabilize. Having a maverick beep at 2 or 3AM only to have to go outside in the snow or rain, my wife being mad that the maverick woke her up, etc.

My experiences so far are with Stoker Wifi and SmoBot. I have used the Stoker a lot and had had no ssues once set up, it had a pretty in depth set up. SmoBot couldn't have been any easier to set up and get running right away. I have only used this three times and am going to put it to test tonight. Both have been dependable for me thusfar.

The only negative for them is see what temps the probes are rated for on whatever unit you look for and protect the leads. The rating on the probes/leads is the only limiting factor for what you can cook with them in my experience.

Get one and don't look back on what you paid.

Toxarch · May 2016

Forget the Stoker probes, they use a horrible wire. Get the K-type probe adapters and buy K-type probes. Adds a little to the initial cost but beats having to buy twice. Stoker with K-type probes is awesome. I think my dome K-type probe is rated for 950 degrees.

OhioEgger · May 2016

FlameBoss was the first such gadget I've used, and had it for over a month now. I'm very impressed with how close it keeps the temp (within 2-3 degrees of set point). Great for low and slow cooks, and I'm very happy with it.

The big advantage for me is that instead of checking my BGE every 15 minutes or so, I can just set it and forget it. Maybe others can regulate their temp without regular checking, but the FlameBoss was definitely worth its price for me.

SmokingPiney · May 2016

Flame Boss 200 here, and I love it. My first use of it was during the blizzard here in January with 50 mph winds. It kept my Egg within 3 degrees of target for the entire cook..............and I monitored it while staying warm in the house.

Kurrgo · May 2016

bigalsworth said:

if you want to start out cheap get something like the maverick, it may meet your need and save you a bunch of cash. I have the digiq II but I bought it before my maverick. All I really need is something to wake me up at night if something goes wrong so I don't really feel like I need a controller to get a peaceful sleep.

Which one wakes you up if it goes out of temp range?

Captainjimpark · May 2016

billt01 said:

My two cents, you ABSOLUTELY do not need one...but if you cook for more than your family and have several hundred dollars of meat on the smoker..I like to have that insurance policy I get with my Stoker...ESPECIALLY if its windy outside.....

@Jstroke
@THEBuckeye....

Roll Tide gents!

The wind where I live and where I have my egg at is a problem for me,which is why I'm fixing to pull the trigger on a temp controll system.for example:I put a brisket on last night at 7:30 pm at 235-240 .the wind was blowing like 10-12 mph,I checked the temp every hour or so till a little after midnite.i woke up at 6:30 this morning and my dome temp was 125."the wind had quit blowing" took 15 or so minutes to get it back to temp and is holding steady now.could I make some kind of wind deflector? Sure.but I'm going for a control system instead

Ladeback69 · May 2016

@Jstroke, I basically agree with you that I would maybe only use it for brisket cooks. Like @stlcharcoal said, he came home to an egg that the fire went out, but I try to be around when I am doing a look overnight or day cook especially brisket. I have a brisket on right now and set the egg at the normal vent settings, but at 7 am this morning after it went on at 12:30 and it dropped from 235 to 180. I got up and had to open the vents up a little more. Going good now at 262. If I got one I wouldn't spend a lot on one, maybe get the Pitmaster IQ120. @stlcharcoal sells the Pitmater's and other kinds, @Richngreen. I bet if you IM him he could give you a good deal.

Jeepster47 · May 2016

Kurrgo said:

bigalsworth said:

if you want to start out cheap get something like the maverick, it may meet your need and save you a bunch of cash. I have the digiq II but I bought it before my maverick. All I really need is something to wake me up at night if something goes wrong so I don't really feel like I need a controller to get a peaceful sleep.

Which one wakes you up if it goes out of temp range?

The Maverick 732 and 733 will both beep at the receiving unit for meat or pit temps out of range. Haven't played with a 735, so will have to let others speak up.

The DigiQ II and the Flameboss 100 both beep at the computer head next to the egg. A baby monitor will get the beeping into the bedroom.

The Flameboss 200 sends a text to your smartphone alerting you out of range temps. Add a loud and long ring tone to Flamebosses text number and it'll wake up even sound sleepers.

Focker · May 2016

SmokingPiney said:

Flame Boss 200 here, and I love it. My first use of it was during the blizzard here in January with 50 mph winds. It kept my Egg within 3 degrees of target for the entire cook..............and I monitored it while staying warm in the house.

The biggest virtue IMO, if I decide to brave the elements.
Will only have to go out and reload the WSM with lump once, in the AM.

No brisket here, and rib cooks it's kind of worthless to hook it up after things have stabilized. Handy if you have to leave the crib though.

It's worth it for butt cooks alone. Have had 3 fire snuffs, all on the egg. Got lucky, didn't have to chuck a bunch of meat. Worth that insurance policy alone.

Kurrgo · May 2016

Jeepster47 said:

Kurrgo said:

bigalsworth said:

if you want to start out cheap get something like the maverick, it may meet your need and save you a bunch of cash. I have the digiq II but I bought it before my maverick. All I really need is something to wake me up at night if something goes wrong so I don't really feel like I need a controller to get a peaceful sleep.

Which one wakes you up if it goes out of temp range?

The Maverick 732 and 733 will both beep at the receiving unit for meat or pit temps out of range. Haven't played with a 735, so will have to let others speak up.

The DigiQ II and the Flameboss 100 both beep at the computer head next to the egg. A baby monitor will get the beeping into the bedroom.

The Flameboss 200 sends a text to your smartphone alerting you out of range temps. Add a loud and long ring tone to Flamebosses text number and it'll wake up even sound sleepers.

Thanks for the info! It sounds like the Mavericks are the compromise. I'd really love just a thermometer that will notify you on your phone if out of range.

Focker · May 2016

Jeepster47 said:

Kurrgo said:

bigalsworth said:

if you want to start out cheap get something like the maverick, it may meet your need and save you a bunch of cash. I have the digiq II but I bought it before my maverick. All I really need is something to wake me up at night if something goes wrong so I don't really feel like I need a controller to get a peaceful sleep.

Which one wakes you up if it goes out of temp range?

The Maverick 732 and 733 will both beep at the receiving unit for meat or pit temps out of range. Haven't played with a 735, so will have to let others speak up.

The DigiQ II and the Flameboss 100 both beep at the computer head next to the egg. A baby monitor will get the beeping into the bedroom.

The Flameboss 200 sends a text to your smartphone alerting you out of range temps. Add a loud and long ring tone to Flamebosses text number and it'll wake up even sound sleepers.

Great phone setting tip. Thanks

blind99 · May 2016

Kurrgo said:

if it goes out of temp range?

The Maverick 732 and 733 will both beep at the receiving

The sleepers.

Thanks for the info! It sounds like the Mavericks are the compromise. I'd really love just a thermometer that will notify you on your phone if out of range.

@Kurrgo if you're a tinkerer you can roll your own pretty cheaply. For $20 you can get a little microprocessor with built in wifi and cloud access, called a photon. Program it to read a thermistor and you're on your way. I went through this exercise and quickly realized that the flame boss is very well priced even if I valued my time at $10/hr!

20stone · May 2016

I've had two of these gadgets, and liked them both for different reasons:

Stoker - The most versitle that I've used, with multiple meat probes and also very rugged construction
Flame Boss 200 - The very simplist (by a good distance) for remote contol. This is what I'm using now and am very happy. Being able to check without getting out of bed (or getting in a car, in my case, is worth a lot

bigalsworth · May 2016

Kurrgo said:

bigalsworth said:

if you want to start out cheap get something like the maverick, it may meet your need and save you a bunch of cash. I have the digiq II but I bought it before my maverick. All I really need is something to wake me up at night if something goes wrong so I don't really feel like I need a controller to get a peaceful sleep.

Which one wakes you up if it goes out of temp range?

@Kurrgo the maverick is a wireless monitor and it wakes me up. The digiQ II sits by the egg

MN-Egger · June 2016

Question:
Has anyone ever had the Flameboss fail to hold temp?
Does it attach and unattach easily for cleaning?
Finally, on the top vent, is there a default position you set that at and let the FB take over?

stlcharcoal · June 2016

MN-Egger said:

Question:
Has anyone ever had the Flameboss fail to hold temp?
Does it attach and unattach easily for cleaning?
Finally, on the top vent, is there a default position you set that at and let the FB take over?

Wind, rain, probe placement, start-up technique, etc. can all affect how accurate or effective the unit is. The temp under the dome changes quite a bit even though it's a small area. The unit does a pretty good job for all the variables. But it doesn't matter how much computerized stuff you strap to a BGE, it's still a 3000 y/o design without convection--so there's a margin of error.

The only thing you're installing is a metal plate that slides into the draft door--the fan plugs in to that. Nothing to clean, just pull it out when you're done. The meat probe needs to be cleaned, but that's it.

On the top vent, I usually leave it open a little to let the BGE do it's normal thing (and the fan kicks on if it needs to.) Some go the other direction, close the daisy wheel, and let the fan kick on/off constantly to keep the fire going after it gets snuffed out......I'll do this if it's windy or raining as it's more accurate.

Jeepster47 · June 2016

@MN-Egger ... Have yet to have the Flameboss fail to hold temp. You have to remember that it's only purpose is to bring the egg up to target temp with the blower. Once above target temp all blower based controllers are helpless to lower the temp.

The blower assembly is easy to install and remove. You'll need to remove the blower assembly to shut down the egg ... about a 10 second operation.

Yep, there is a "default" position you need to find for your egg. The top vent is set to "hold" the pit temp at or below target. I prefer to set the top vent a little tight so that if the Flameboss is shut off, the pit temp will fall below target. Thus, the blower has to work about 20~30% of the time to keep the egg at target. For me, that yields the best control.

Take a look at this thread ( http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1194766/fixed-venting-with-a-blower-control/p1 ) for more verbiage and an idea for achieving a consistent top vent setting.

MN-Egger · June 2016

On the FB200, is the MAC address printed on the unit somewhere or retrievable thru the unit display?

SmokingPiney · June 2016

MN-Egger said:

Question:
Has anyone ever had the Flameboss fail to hold temp?
Does it attach and unattach easily for cleaning?
Finally, on the top vent, is there a default position you set that at and let the FB take over?

I used my FB in a blizzard with 50 mph+ winds and 2 feet of blowing snow, and it held target temp within 3 degrees. I just made sure the blower was out of the majority of the wind blasts. It's never let me down tracking and holding temps.

Attaching and removing the blower is a snap.

The FB comes with an illustration of where you should set the daisy wheel.

The FB has been the single best investment I've made for my Egg.......worry free low and slows.

SmokingPiney · June 2016

MN-Egger said:

On the FB200, is the MAC address printed on the unit somewhere or retrievable thru the unit display?

I never bothered with the MAC address. To set up the FB, you enter your wifi name and password into it and you're ready to rock. You monitor and control your cooks through the MyFlameBoss website. You just need to enter your controller ID number and that is displayed on the unit.

MN-Egger · June 2016

I only permit certain MAC addresses onto my system so I was asking if the manufacturer provides it or the unit will display it.

DaveRichardson · June 2016

Egging naked for 3 years + now. I do like the rest that I get when I used a thermo to watch my pit temp and alert me when it drops below where I want it. But not having to get up 3 times at night to adjust a vent because of the crazy winds is getting more and more appealing!

Ya'll might have seen my post yesterday about my little fire from my ash bucket..... Did it stop me from egging yesterday? Nope. Fired old Agnes up and let her smoke on a boston butt that I vac-sealed and will be taking to the beach this weekend. Lit her up, got her stabilized, tossed on the meat, and headed out to the other side of town for 6+ hours and never sweated the egg's ability to hold temp in calm winds. Would it have been nice to peek in on it from 50+ miles away via wifi, heck yeah!

I'm a gadget geek. I think we all are in one way or another (kinda like what @STLchacoal Jonathan) said......

Im on the fence with a SV unit next for the FB200..... Are either one of those NEEDED, no, but its another good toy to have in the toolbox.

SmokingPiney · June 2016

@MN-Egger Just looked at mine - no MAC address on the label and I don't see it displayed on the unit.

fishlessman · June 2016

i use the origional guru, no wires,batteries, fans, plugins etc. just a simple 240 dome device. they should make these again

BYS1981 · June 2016

I use an auber 110, basic, but I can sleep like a baby with my egg, or if I do a day time cook I can go run errands etc.

I recommend having a controller, if you want to use your egg without one and that you're a purist for it, more power to you.

northGAcock · June 2016

Sorry to be a smart-ass.....but I need a huge on for the south. It was hot as he!! this past weekend.....outside much of it. Sorry for venting....I feel better now.

stlcharcoal · June 2016

MN-Egger said:

I only permit certain MAC addresses onto my system so I was asking if the manufacturer provides it or the unit will display it.

I do the same. It's not on the unit, nor displayed, but I just opened my router admin and watched for a new MAC address to pop up when I turned it on. It started "08:00:28:59:xx:xx" Mine is one of the oldest ones there, so they may have changed those numbers.

BTW, if you want to log into mine and play around with the app, just send me an email and I'll give you the username/password.

Temperature management systems

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