Stoker - 5 min blower off versus turn off


 
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Pat McCreight

TVWBB Pro
Does anyone else just turn the stoker off when they need to lift the lid? I find it easier to just shut it off, work on the meat, turn it back on. Rather than going through the menu to turn the blower off for 5m. Just wondering.
 
I just set the pit temp in Stokerlog to 32. When I'm done, put her back at 225. I know others use the lid open feature but I haven't had much luck with it.
 
If you are using the stokerlog software, turning it off will make the software go into error condition. If not, just do what you are doing, turn it off. Just don't forget to turn it back on like I did. No harm done, turned it back on 20 minutes later, it had dropped a few degrees, no big deal.

Ken
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> If you are using the stokerlog software, turning it off will make the software go into error condition. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sorry, I should have clarified. I only turn it off when I'm running without stokerlog. This would be at a competition, for example.

I just find it easier to shut it off with one click, versus the 4 or so buttons you need to press for the 5 min off. Plus, sometimes I'm taking meat out, foiling, putting it back, etc. Takes more than 5 minutes sometimes.

I have not tried the open lid feature. Like Larry, I just set the target to 50 and then bump it back up afterwards.
 
The way I understand it, the Stoker uses some kind of computer logic to zero in on the temperature. This takes a bit of time and a little overshoot/undershoot before it locks in. If you turn the Stoker off and then turn it on again, all the calculations are wiped out and the Stoker starts the process all over again.

Is that a big deal? I have no idea.

Bill
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Freiberger:
The way I understand it, the Stoker uses some kind of computer logic to zero in on the temperature. This takes a bit of time and a little overshoot/undershoot before it locks in. If you turn the Stoker off and then turn it on again, all the calculations are wiped out and the Stoker starts the process all over again.

Is that a big deal? I have no idea.

Bill </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I have limited experience with my Stoker, but over a 30 hour 2-burn period (continued on from the same start) I turned it off/on a couple times, it seemed to recover and continue maintaining the temp. The temp on the probes came right back and it started doing it's thing. The only downside is that the blower comes on for a few seconds when the unit is turned on, when it detects the devices, so it seems.

The bigger danger is in opening the lid if you forget to bump the temp down or turning it off, since not only do you get the air coming into the pit from the top, but the blower kicks in and assists, giving a turbo-boost to the pit. You can jump the pit up 20-40 degrees in a very short period, it seems.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bill Freiberger:
The bigger danger is in opening the lid if you forget to bump the temp down or turning it off, since not only do you get the air coming into the pit from the top, but the blower kicks in and assists, giving a turbo-boost to the pit. You can jump the pit up 20-40 degrees in a very short period, it seems. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Did that on my first cook and fried a probe.
 
While we're on the topic, has anyone had luck using the "lid off" feature in Stokerlog? I've used it a couple of times but it was hit and miss. If memory serves me correctly you can adjust the setting, anyone have this dialed in?
 
I've used the auto lid detect and had good success. The auto lid detect is calibrated in temp drop/sec. I have mine set for 6°/sec. and that seems to work most every time on my low temp cooks. This is an absolute setting while in real life it probably should be relative. Meaning that for a lower temp cook, 200-225°, you should probably use a lower number from 4-6 degrees. On a 220° cook, a 5 degree drop in one second would indicate something big happened and it should react. However a 5° drop on a 350° cook might mean nothing, so adjust accordingly, I use 7°/sec at 350°. With Amir's program, you have the control. BTW, I think he just sets the control temp to 32 when a lid open is detected.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pat McCreight:
Did that on my first cook and fried a probe. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, the probes are only good to just over 400 degrees, and John said he's having problems with the high temp probes, having a hard time getting the braid to stay attached...he told me that before I got my Stoker a couple weeks ago, and I bought it used so didn't talk to him.

Did you get yours that hot? I don't think I've ever got mine over 300.

The high temp probe would last up to about 1000 degrees, per John of Rock's BBQ.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ken Brown:
I've used the auto lid detect and had good success. The auto lid detect is calibrated in temp drop/sec. I have mine set for 6°/sec. and that seems to work most every time on my low temp cooks. This is an absolute setting while in real life it probably should be relative. Meaning that for a lower temp cook, 200-225°, you should probably use a lower number from 4-6 degrees. On a 220° cook, a 5 degree drop in one second would indicate something big happened and it should react. However a 5° drop on a 350° cook might mean nothing, so adjust accordingly, I use 7°/sec at 350°. With Amir's program, you have the control. BTW, I think he just sets the control temp to 32 when a lid open is detected. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey Ken,

When stokerlog sends the lower temp setting, does it also send the alarm settings? I'm only asking because I don't like setting the stoker alarms to on for fear of disturbing the neighbors.

Roger
 
In version 5, all alarms are local to the program and are never sent to Stoker. If I recall, I even turn off any alarms which may be active in the stoker.

So you should be good to go.
 
The lid open logic is in dire need of a rewrite
icon_smile.gif
. If someone wants to propose some logic, I will implement it in the next version. Ken's suggestion is a good one and I will look at using that if there is no other one....
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Did you get yours that hot? I don't think I've ever got mine over 300.

The high temp probe would last up to about 1000 degrees, per John of Rock's BBQ. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm not sure. I've been known to knock a couple beers down while smoking. I recall I had all sorts of trouble with routing the wires and I was maybe trying to turn meat on the lower rack. Anyways, the smoker got out of control really quickly and flames were shooting up past the water pan (empty). The probe was close to the edge of the top grate, so it probably experienced some higher than acceptable temps. At first I was upset with the probe, but I have just learned how to make sure it doesn't happen any longer - turn it off.
 
Pat,

I did the same on my cook last week, resorted to turning it off a couple times as the fan kicked in when I opened it...I agree that is easier. I was also having some network issues, but that's resolved now, or I would have used the web interface to do as you suggest. The front panel is slightly cumbersome to adjust the temps.
 
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