Auto Temp Control Systems - Just Want an Overview

Hi All,

I know there is a separate section for this but I just wanted a quick layman's rundown on what this is? I've read about computers and more and want to know if this is relevant to a weekend smoker. I doubt it's anything that I will ever use but just a Nice to Know.

Thanks,

James

I used to think that before I owned one.

With an automatic temp control you set the cooking temp and the unit keeps it there durning the entire cook. They eliminate the need to stay up all night to monitor the smoker's temperature. They also have other useful features, but the primary job is to keep the temp steady.

I'm a weekend smoker and love using my Stoker. Can't imagine doing an overnight without it; it's great to look at the graphs the next morning and seeing what went on in your cooker overnight. I also like Twittering and receiving emails of the current status of my cook. It's a great toy . . . I mean tool for my cooks.

Thanks Guys, but can you give me a quick understanding of how it would work with a WSM? Really just a quick What it Does and How it Works. All I've been able to gleen is that it blows air to stimulate heat within a range. What happens if temps get too high and wouldn't it stir up ash blowing air at covered coals?

Kind of seems like it would take some fun out of the process but I don't really know enough to make that comment properly.

Also, do people use these in Comps?

James

James, The controls all work on the same principle. They must be able to control the oxygen in the firebox.

So on a WSM you close all of the vents by closing them, taping over them or closing two of them and covering the other one with a dog food bowl with the Stoker fan attached.

All other parts of the smoker should be sealed up to prevent air from leaking in and stoking the fire. The units cannot stop a leak which is providing oxygen to the fire resulting in run away tempatures. Mind you the top vent does need to remain open, but you don't have to leave it fully open and a lot of folks will close it down some. The units force air into the chamber resulting in forced air coming out.

If the temps get too high you have a leak that needs to be fixed. If you start with just a few coals lit the unit's (stoker and guru) both seem to keep the temps in a very narrow range. Not sure why everyone feels the need to constantly be tweeted, e-mailed, or to stop at any random computer on the way to the grocery store to look at the temp. But that group includes me, so there may be no explaining it.

I haven't heard anyone complain about ash blowup. They seem to blow gentle air and it's not a direct burst onto the fire. There is a diffuser on the Guru's and the chamber of the bowl on the stoker seem to calm the air down.

I bought mine last week (BBQ Gure CyberQ II, buthaven't used it yet. I did study the heck out of them and part of me thought the NanoQ was the best option, it was the cheapest, no internet, no e-mail, no display, just maintain the pit at a set temp and I'll decide when it's done.

I bought mine for one reason. I want to do overnight cooks and sleep. I can pretty much dial in my WSM for four to six hours and ignore it. I'm hoping to be able to ignore it for up to 8 hours. I may buy the silicone jacket sold by the guru to achieve even longer burn times with a load of coal and I live in Kansas so I have smoked when it's below freezing before.

Yes, a lot of comp cooks use this type of control. Both companies have great teams that use their equipment.

Hope this info helps.

James,

I use a Guru Digi-Q DX with a 10 cfm fan mounted on one of the bottom vents on my 22" WSM. There is an inexpensive Weber adaptor you can use if you get a Guru. The fan gently puffs air onto the lit charcoal to keep a controlled air (oxygen) supply in the unit. The only vent you will ever adjust is the top vent. Other 2 bottom vents are closed since the Guru is aspirating the unit from the one bottom vent with the adaptor. You will love either a Guru or Stoker.

How about also telling us newbies what are the preferred brand of these units, the price range, the level of computer expertise needed to install, and where to get them?

Darrel Williams, there is a dedicated forum on this site to talk solely about these controls. I would recommend that you go over there. You can read for hours. Both companies have their supporters.

As this is the newbie section, no question should be too simple to ask.

There are two companies that make ATCS. Stoker and GURU. GURU was the first one and the ATCS section was just called GURU. Stoker came along and add many bells and whistles, multiple cooker control, connect to a computer, display on web, etc.

All of them control the temperature the same way. Monitor pit - Low temperature, blow air. Correct temperature no air. If you q'er has air leaks, you will not be able to keep your temperature down.

The simplest device is the NanoQ from GURU. Monitor the pit temperature and keep it at your set temperature.

Most sophisticated is the Stoker with multiple ports. Control 4 cookers and the meat temperature at the same time.

"preferred brand of these units"
In the ATCS section you will find mostly posts on the Stoker. As you can do many more things with it, you will get more questions. I am a GURU owner from before the Stoker came out. So that's my preference. What other people prefer shouldn't make your decision, what you want the ATCS to do should be how you decide.

"the price range"
You can get a basic GURU for $189. Pit controller, no meat temperature.

A Stoker Dual Cooker with 2 meat probes is $420.

"level of computer expertise needed to install"
No computer experience necessary. Computer expertise is only needed if you want to track you pit's progress or view your temperatures via the web.

"where to get them? "
BBQ Guru - BBQ Guru
Stoker - Rocks BBQ

Now go out there and browse the ATCS section -
ATCS

Darrel;

The long and short of deciding whether you choose a Guru or Stoker is your cooking goal and your technology goal. IMHO, Guru is more straightforward and has fewer bells and whistles. Less to program, almost can push your target pit temp in and walk away.
Stoker is much more technophile oriented. It can work from a wireless laptop, blackberry and give alerts. Pretty detailed but can be complicated to use.
I can give you a quick run down of the system I use and what I got in it from a $$$ standpoint.
22.5 WSM
Digi-Q DX $179 includes one pit and one meat probe
Then you need a fan: 10 cfm pit viper fan
(My Guru system complete was $265.)
I wanted remote monitoring so I could go inside and watch a game or sleep on longer cooks. I have a Maverick et-73 which reads my meat and pit temp and sends a signal to a remote receiver which I keep with me inside. This is the same thing the Guru reads and displays, but the Guru had no remote tramsmitter capabilities. The maverick will audible alarm if anything get out of wack or meat gets to desired doneness.
Maverick on amazon is around $45.
This system as I described it, is very relaxing and allows me to sleep during 14 hour slow cooks with minimal concerns. For $300, you can cook efficiently and rest well.
However, if you are a newbie to WSM cooking, I strongly suggest you learn to cook on the WSM before you start adding other stuff to it. I completely burned out my first WSM before I ventured into the draft control aspect of cooking.