Help figuring out what's wrong - won't burn all the fuel


 
OK, Maybe I led you astray. Keep the P at 4.5 (maybe 4) and go to the old setting of the I at 0.02. PIDs are a beotch! You just have to play with them to get it right, and a true cook is the only way to do it.

Someone please STOP me if I'm leading RK astray with my suggestions.

Of course, if you make PID changes in mid stream, you really don't know the results for a while, as you are, in a way, re-setting the algorithm.
 
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WBegg said:
When you open the lid to take the ribs off and slather with tasty BBQ sauce, I would suggest self invoking the "lid open" mode before opening the lid, and let the lid open run it's course after closing.
Click to expand...
I did not do that (didn't see your post until afterwards).
Within about 15 seconds, the HM detected the temp drop and went into Lid Open mode for the 3 minutes it's programmed to. Is 3 minutes adequate for the lid open timer? .
I have it activated on a 9% temperature drop below set point and to stay in Lid Open mode for 180 seconds.
 
I think this is a key setup where you would benefit from a Fan/Damper set-up. It appears your smoker can make fast changes in temp, thus the damper setup would be beneficial. I still think you could do "low and slow" with the MicroDamper. Just looking at your cook with a 6.5 CFM blower running at 80%, I think you could get better results with your blower at much less, maybe around 50%. This is well in the realm of the fans that SteveCK suggests. And if you run it servo only, until fan is needed mode, I think you can dial that in to a degree accuracy.

Looking at your graph, It's pretty good. If you were to put a food probe in, it would level out out the "appearance" of the pit probe in a pretty much straight line. Your deviation from set is only a few degrees, so try it. Plug a food probe in to measure ambient temp, and it will expand the graph to a more realistic visualization.
 
RKHanso said:
I did not do that (didn't see your post until afterwards).
Within about 15 seconds, the HM detected the temp drop and went into Lid Open mode for the 3 minutes it's programmed to. Is 3 minutes adequate for the lid open timer? .
I have it activated on a 9% temperature drop below set point and to stay in Lid Open mode for 180 seconds.
Click to expand...

Your pit probe is suspect. It went into lid open at 224 degrees. And that funky low spike is a bit suspect as well. Bottom line is, your pit probe, or your TC circuitry on the board is F&$%ed. Stick a food probe in there to compare.
 
I put a food probe in next to the pit probe.
I just opened it up to wrap the corn in aluminum foil now. - more lid open time.
 
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No idea why it can't keep the temp up now. Well, my food is about done. Time to close up shop for the night.
 
PM me. I'll send you a free thermocouple. I build them, and am always looking for testers that are having issues.
 
RK, I'm running a test of the TC I'll ship you. It's not a control, just the TC in my oven measuring the temp.If anything, it shows how the Heatermeter can control a smoker/grill much better than an expensive oven.

http://beggbq.servebeer.com/
 
that is pretty amazing. And, when you figure in that with the HM, we're using wood/charcoal as the fuel.
Your graph shows a typical furnace-type temperature control. On at a certain temp, off at another.
 
that is pretty interesting, but I suspose expected when you think about how a home furnace works.

And, when you figure in that with the HM, we're using wood/charcoal as the fuel, it does show the difference between it and a different temperature control. Constantly watching/adjusting vs. on at a certain temp, off at another.
 
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Cooking a turkey today.
http://heat-makarios.ddns.net/

Using the Standard HM Blower instead of the Micro-Damper.
I currently have only the daisy-wheel part of the BGE exaust vent open, not the whole opening slid aside.

WBegg,
I'm using the pit probe you sent me.
 
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Here's the graph. It started raining about 5:15pm and it rained for about 10 minutes. I'm wondering if my coals were cooled off too much or running out of fuel.
Took the turkey off at 6:15pm

Turkey.PNG
 
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