First HM4 Cook!!

Ok so I finally got everything working perfectly despite my being so stubborn during the process. The HM did its job perfectly. Heat was well maintained and did not fluctuate much. With the HM, I feel comfortable to do an overnight cook tonight with a brisket and a pork butt. The only problem I had was not placing my temp probes on the wrong place on both beer can chickens. After finishing them in the oven they were great. Very good flavor and my wife was very impressed with the moistness of the chicken. Just had some for lunch and the flavor was great and the hint of smoke made my day. I have told my wife that it makes more sense to do our own chickens rather than buy the hot roasted chickens from costco.

Anyway, the Heatermeter did a perfect job and I am very happy. I do have to figure a few things out but that will come. Still haven't figured out how to make it send emails to my phone or how to make my ipad beep when following my HM from it. These things will come.

Thank-you Bryan for this great project.

Hooray! After the issues you were having with the networking I thought for sure you were just going to throw HeaterMeter into your next BBQ rather than using it. Glad to hear it worked well for ya!

If I can just master the probe position on the chicken all will be good. Next time I will have my wife show me where. Butte and brisket are easy. I think I will make another for my Performer since I have most of the part already. Is there a thread that goes over the email issue? TIA

I think down in the thickest part of the theigh is where you want the probe, or at least that is what I saw in a video about cooking whole chickens. I usually just cook the chicken breast (two breasts still together with the other parts cut off) cause that's what I like. Cooking at 275-300 for a couple (2) hours should do it, at least that's how it goes with the breasts. Slow cooking is very forgiving on the timing, if you leave a chicken on a little bit long it wont harm it...

As for making beeps, in the config page under each probe you will see ALARMS Low/High. Just set your target "done" temp in the HIGH alarm section of the appropriate probe and put a check mark where it says ON next to it. When the temp is reached the HM and any open web interface should let you know... I haven't done the email thing yet either....

Glad you got her working and had a successful cook...

Thanks Ralph, I already had the alarms checked and they worked on the HM but not using "PitDroid" on my phone or on my iPad. I am thinking there is a setting on those two devices I have to setup. As for the chicken, I am thinking of getting a roto attachment for my Performer since my wife wants the crispy skin and is not a big fan of smoke on poultry. Got to work on that. Am looking at the roto attachment that works on the Performer and WSM22 from Cajun Bandit. As for the probe location, next time I do chicken I am going to have my wife show me where after rereading your recommendation. Thanks

If you like chicken to be roasted try to cook a bit warmer if your smoker will allow. If you cook at about 375 the chicken skin will get nice and crispy golden brown. Chicken does soak up the smoke pretty good, so don't add many wood chunks, or cook with just lump coal.
Here is a video of a guy smoking a chicken on a Char Griller Fauxmado grill (like I recently purchased), if you don't watch the whole video at least fast forward to the end and tell me if that chicken doesn't look good....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1vnAA_b2bk

Ralph, it does look great. I will try it and maybe just use a few cherry or apple chips instead of chunks. I will have to see how hot I can run the WSM. Thanks

Just add lots of lump charcoal and let the heatermeter blow like hell! Go very lightly on the wood cause you are likely to have a good bit of air flow, chicken tastes real fine cooked on lump coal alone, but can really soak up the wood smoke in excess if you give it too much...

That makes sense.