Originally posted by Scott M:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dru Cook:
OK - it has been rock solid - 224º to 227º the whole time so far... and 90% of the time it's 225º on the button. I could not be happier with this Auber so far! so Mike... if you want a recommendation.. pick up the Auber.. and don't look back - you will be MORE than pleased!
After one cook, I would have to echo Dru's sentiments. I cooked Pepper Stout Beef on Friday and had the Auber set to 250° for the better part of 4 hours and it never deviated from 247°- 251°.
My only issue was the inability for it to maintain 350° even on the old 18" WSM.
Could only get to hold at about 338°.
Next up - overnight for
Hawaiin BBQ Pulled Pork but will cook on the WSM rather than roast the Butt. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
To me/IMHO the "standard setting" using an ATC would be all bottom vents closed, dry water pan and top vent open, minion start with a small number of lit than usual (different from a non ATC cook). Reason is that the ATC should be controlling, air flow, draft, and therefore temp. You also need to allow the ATC to "light" the fire. I.E. let it control temps on the way up. Minimal lit minion allows this. I often use only 5-8 lit briquettes or equivalent in lump on my ATC controlled starts. Let the ATC logic control the temps on the way up.
Position of the air flow/entry from the fan should be middle to lower level of the fuel stack. The air should be blowing at the base, just up from the bottom of the fuel load.
If you are using standard briquettes (not hardwood) you do need to still consider ash build up and be prepared to give the leg of the WSM a kick on a long cook to help the ash drop so it's not blocking air flow through the fuel. With lump it's not that much of an issue.
That said if temps can't be maintained to the high you are trying to reach it's probably and issue with CFM in the design. I.E. - Does the fan have the ability to push enough air to ramp up and keep temps at higher temp. Then it would be placement of the actual air flow from the fan in relation to the fuel. If you have the top vent partially closed and not open you are not "allowing" the ATC to regulate draft and are limiting it.
If you place water in the pan you are not allowing the ATC to ramp the temps up or down readily because water adds ballast and is antithetical to what an ATC does. Water in the pan is to regulate temp swings on a manual cook (non ATC) to make it easier to limit swings in temp. It's not to add moisture to the cook, etc IMHO at all.
Minimal lit minion start allows the ATC to bring the temps up slowly just as in a manual cook where YOU regulate temps on the way up rather than try to bring them down after an overshoot which is much harder. The only thing any ATC can do after an overshoot is keep the fan off until the temps drop. Proper sealing and closed bottom vents help. In a pinch you can open the lid and help cool things down as the ATC tries to compensate.
Having a fan that has say 10CFM and also a damper to regulate that flow is nice. That's what I like about the system I have. The damper on the fan input is the control you have to tweak things. And other than temp settings of the ATC and its "learning logic" if present is the most influential factor in their use. Ideally you want a CFM rating that is more than you need and can dampen it for normal lower temp cooks. If you are trying to maintain 350 or higher you need the unit to have a high CFM rating so that it can fan the fire and the placement of air flow from the fan will also be critical.
For my ATC cooks I have found it easy to maintain 225 to 350 quite readily.
Another thing to consider is that you really, really should not be concerned about temp swings that are + or - 25 degrees of target temp. Chances are your indoor oven can't even do that. It's very easy to get very "anal" at temps with Q. A 25 degree swing in temps is of no consequence in my experience.
If the max CFM of the ATC system is anemic or more targeted to low slow or moderate cook temps then you will have to go to other measures to "help" it hit higher target temps. You are compensating for the design/air flow max of the system.
In my personal opinion (not knocking any ATC tool) if I have to mess with vents on the WSM itself or the like to help the ATC control temps I might as well just cook manual.
That said - if I am trying to maintain a high temp cook over say 350 or 375 I just cook manual since you really just want to open everything up (bottom vents, side door, lid, etc) to keep the heat cranking. No need for the ATC for high temp cooks in that range IMHO.
Apologies for the long winded response.
