ATC, worth it??


 
S

Scott Downey

New member
I am looking at a DigiQ from BBQ Guru. It seems like alot of $ for what it is. I don't mind spending the money but how useful is it really? To those who own one do you find it really helps alot with your cooks or are you cooking just as well with a WSM and no ATC? I would like to get one but would like some input from others that have one and use it regularly.

Thanks,
Scott
 
Scott, it comes down to the age old question of want versus need. If you are getting for a specific reason , even just cause I want to play with it ,go for it.
If you are getting because you think you need it to produce great Q don't get it.
I have 3 different charcoal fired adjustable air flow vertical smokers & with any of them I can do a "set & forget cook for 8-12 hours with temps ranging 235F + -
30F , a temp range of 205 to 265 may seem like a lot but it's not. Smoking has a lot of margin for error & this is not an exact science
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Many many WSM smokers do not have an ATC(not me). When doing overnight pulled pork, it makes life less stressful. However, since pulled pork is so forgiving, the smoker being off by 10-20 degrees is no big deal. For championship brisket, the competitors couldn't by without them.

Can you cook good bbq without one? Yes.

Try a few overnighters without them. The best thing about bbq is you get to eat your mistakes.
 
To those who own one do you find it really helps alot with your cooks or are you cooking just as well with a WSM and no ATC?
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Scott, I own a Stoker and say if you've got the funds get one, they're AWESOME! Sure you can run your WSM without it and get rock solid temperatures for hours, in-fact, that's how I ran my WSM for several months; I used a clay saucer and once I got her to temp could pretty much walk away from her for hours. Then I got the Stoker and in my opinion it took my smoking to another level both in convenience and results (slightly, see below). I like the option of dialing in a temp knowing that I can hold that temp for up to 23 hours if necessary (yes, I've run my WSM 23 hours at 225 using the Stoker on a single load of fuel) without having to touch my WSM (other than tapping the legs to knock off some ash). I also like the ability to adjust the temp digitally and letting the ATC increase the pit temp for me vs fiddling with the vents.

I've also left the house for several hours with the Stoker running my WSM with NO concerns. Not sure if I would have been as comfortable doing this running manually, sure you can do it but are you real comfortable doing it and are your WSM temps in the back of your mind the entire time you're out vs. enjoying the movie your seeing or the round of golf you're playing knowing your temps are exactly where you set them.

Do those not using an ATC put out good Q, of course they do, some probably better than mine, however, I have a lot of fun with my Stoker and have 100% peace of mind. My vote is if you've got the cash and want a great toy for your smoking hobby pick one up you won't regret it.

EDIT: Forgot to answer the later part of your question. I think my results are probably slightly better with an ATC (if I can brag a little, they were pretty good before I got to the ATC due to the info and members on this site). If your sole reason for buying an ATC is to dramatically improve your Q results than I'd say invest your money somewhere else, maybe a class or some good books, not an ATC.
 
I have a large Big Green Egg (which is supposed to be even more temperature stable than a WSM). But, I find temps fluctuate a bit ... sometimes by as much as 30°F ... especially on long cooks.

I use a Stoker and find it to be great for over-night cooks:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI>Set it and forget it
<LI>I use a laptop, my home network, and StokerLog to monitor the cook because ...
<LI>During over-night cooks, I can set it up and go to sleep knowing that ...
<LI>Sometimes things happen so alarms to let me know about temperature variances are nice
<LI>The graphing is a very nice option - especially since I'm a bit OCD. Very easy to see trends etc.
<LI>There's also the ability to monitor a cook through my smartphone when I'm out and about
[/list]
 
Couple questions:

For the 18.5 WSM is the 4 CFM fan adequate?

Is BBQ Guru best on-line site to purchase through?
 
"Couple questions:" This could be a hijack of the thread but...

"For the 18.5 WSM is the 4 CFM fan adequate?"
A search on the site will give you different opinions. I have a 10 CFM and usually have it choked down. For the most part a 4 CFM will be sufficient. A 10 can help you get to temperature faster. Save the $25 and buy something else.

"Is BBQ Guru best on-line site to purchase through?"

As far as I know the BBQ Guru site and the Stoker site are the only place to get the devices.
 
Scott,

I have a WSM, a Stoker and a Guru competitor as well as a trailer full of pits and webers. I can tell you that all the top teams in BBQ have some type of power drafting system. If you are competing it makes life simpler and you can use that time not tending the pit for other things such as prepping ribs and chicken for next morning's turn in.

As to the question of which one to get.... For me it was the Stoker hands down because at the time it was the only one that could be controlled from a computer and Amir's software allowed me to not only control the device but when I went to bed after throwing 120 pounds of pork on my production smoker in the back yard at 11pm I could wake up at 5AM and see what the temps were during the night to make adjustments.

That said ~ the first time a slapped a Guru on a WSM (18.5 inch) I realized the unit didn't actually need one unless it's cold out or you have wind issues. In fact, in comps we use the WSM for ribs ONLY and I do not put a Guru/Stoker on it because ribs only take5 to 6 hours and I'm up during that time anyway.

Funny story ~ We were competing in Long Island, NY in 2008 (Battle of the BBQ Brethren). A storm ripped through the site and tossed easy ups straight up in the air 23 - 30 feet. Then rain and then no power. Our main pit *requires* a power drafter. I was forced to put 1 packer, 2 butts AND ribs on the WSM. I have a Pro-Q insert for it for 1 extra grill so I have 3 18.5 inch grills in it. With the brisket on top, butts in the middle the thing was top heavy. Add to that muddy ground, taquilla, no sleep and you have perfect conditions for the thing to get knocked over. And that's just what happened. The meat hit the mud. Well, we washed all the meat off, reseasoned it and put it back in. I remember the brisket flat being tough so I only used the point. Well... brisket took 5th place and pork was in the top 10. Out of 35 teams!!

Anyway, I've got a Honda inverting generator now and would not be caught dead without my Stoker and the generator at a contest.

Oh... and a 5CFM fan works well on a 18.5 inch. There's a thread in here where I show how to mount the stoker blower using the $12 Guru adapter. It's much prettier than the "dog bowl" mount from the stoker guys.

and sorry for totally hijacking the thread.


-rob
 
I'm going to have to say that they aren't worth it. However, that has more to do with price than what they provide. What an ATC provides is a bit of insurance. I bought mine to get me through the night at comps, but I still have to worry about power outages so I'm still not 100% bullet proof.

Keep in mind I'm not trying to stir anything up, its just my opinion, so let me give you a bit of background on myself:

I like to cook a bit hotter than most (240-280) and I'm not too particular about temp variations.

I'm pretty good at keeping my wsm's and primo locked into a target temp and can get it to hold that temp for long stretches.

I own a Auber controller. I bought it because its the cheapest option and all I was looking for was insurance. I've been struggling to get it to hold a temp better than what I can do on my own. I don't expect it has anything to do with the unit but more with me figuring out how to best use it. If I had spent more on a Guru or a Stoker and the best it could do was swing +/- 10*, I'd be PO'd.
 
I'm using a IQUE 110, which has a variable fan that starts at 5 cfm and I think goes to 15cfm. It cost about $120, but doesn't have internet hook up. I think it is great option and I am very pleased with my purchase.
 
Originally posted by j biesinger:I own a Auber controller. I bought it because its the cheapest option and all I was looking for was insurance. I've been struggling to get it to hold a temp better than what I can do on my own. I don't expect it has anything to do with the unit but more with me figuring out how to best use it. If I had spent more on a Guru or a Stoker and the best it could do was swing +/- 10*, I'd be PO'd.
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On my last cook (last weekend) where I cooked up a couple of pork butts, once I got the temperature stabalized (took about 45 minutes) my Stoker/BGE combination maintained the target temperature (+/- 2.5°F) for more than 16 hours. I'm an engineer and more than just a little OCD. A deviation of more than about 5°F from my target temperature drives me right around the bend. But I can live with 2.5°F
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Originally posted by RobM (YankeeRob):
Oh... and a 5CFM fan works well on a 18.5 inch. There's a thread in here where I show how to mount the stoker blower using the $12 Guru adapter. It's much prettier than the "dog bowl" mount from the stoker guys.
Click to expand...

@RobM - Your pics in that thread are gone or otherwise broken. Any chance you could repost them? I'm looking at drilling the hole for the permanent mount but trying to figure out where would be best... Thanks...
 
I got a Guru before they went digital. Worked well. Only used it a few times and haven't since. I prefer shorter, high heat cooks for brisket, ribs and chicken and an ATC is not necessary with these. Butt is the only thing I low/slow but don't find hitting a temp problematic and don't care at all about temp stability - so an ATC isn't necessary for this either. YMMV.
 
Very important to learn and get good at fire control without one first, IMHO.

Don't use it all the time. But it is a blessing for multi-hour cooks for me. Even high heat. I'm often off doing other things and this device allows me to do that with great confidence, just stopping back to check or push the temps a bit. It is really great for peace of mind during these situations. It removes the need to be watching as close to stop the temp rise for example "on the way up". You can dial up/down temps readily without the need to be around fooling or adjusting the vents. Not a big deal normally, but when you are off doing other things it's a blessing.

You still need to master minion, and understand how the tool works. Otherwise you can still have overshoots and all the other problems with fire control if you don't understand all that. It gives a ton of automated control though that helps through all that.

In the end 25 degree swings in temps do not affect anything. But - that said having a device that can/is monitoring and adjusting temps or providing an alarm under certain conditions is helpful for me.

You don't need one, but worth every cent IMHO.

Been usign a Digi Q 2 for several years off and on and would spend that money again.

BTW - just did a high heat brisket yesterday with the ATC, couple days before used it for a rib cook.

Have company over this week/next. Also have to be working and available during the day (day job). The ATC made that effortless and allowed me to cook with confidence while I was juggling all kinds of other stuff not related.

Ribs and brisket came out perfect.

Won't be using the ATC though for the roadside chicken cook though coming up this Thursday
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ATC's are a great fire control device. It is though very important to learn fire control without one, and I would recommend doing that first. I still cook primarily without the ATC.

To me digital versions of ATC's have really raised the bar and made these tools both more easy to use and trouble free.
 
I'm still getting mine set up (arrived this week), but the value is clearly worth it for me. I've got fire control on my WSM down pat. Once you have fire control down w/ the WSM, the system stability plus maverick monitor will be all you need for success. But...

The value for me is that I'm buying time. Time to do other stuff. Time to sleep. ATC will allow for multitasking, which for something that takes 18 hours is a requirement. Low & slow is all I do with mine and I would buy my ATC again in a heartbeat.
 
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