BBQ IQ temperature control


 
I'm also a natural flow guy, and by saying there is no way to control or know your temp without an ATC is your opinion.;)
I spent alot of time knowing my WSM (as is) and I can tell you that I can dial in my temps on any given day by the amount of lit and adjusting the bottom vents.:wsm:

Tim
 
I like the set it and forget it. It helps control temperature without the swings and keeps it at a consistent temp. And when I have my own place with several wsm's, having to adjust vents every 15 minutes can be quite cumbersome. I just love the food that comes out of my wsm.
 
BFletcher said:
I'd be reluctant to name an ATC the best on the market if I felt its sensors had a short life, lol. I bought a CyberQ in December and have done 9 smokes on it without a malfunctioning probe. We don't know what "that many cooks" represents for you but when I first started out I experienced thermo probe malfunctions whenever I washed them. Once I stopped washing I've lost--to my recollection--one over the past year out of dozens of use. Whether there exits some other variable that results in more longevity I do not know.
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You are correct, and doesn't matter if it is an ATC or remote read do NOT submerge the braided wire in water.

Really like my CyberQ never had a probe short out on it yet or submerged the braided wires. When you start out in the teens below zero on a cook and gets up into the teens above sure is nice not to have to keep going outside to tweak it a few degrees. But also put a jacket on the WSM it helps stabilize it even more.

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And run a sump pump hose connected between the 2 with the CyberQ protected from the elements or at least rain\snow. With the lid on anyhow LOL.

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Robert McGee said:
I use the dampers on my WSM's. I have a Maverick 732 and just recently added a Thermoworks "Smoke" remote thermometer. I fully champion a remote thermometer for both the meat AND the Smoker, but I have little problems maintaining temps with the supplied dampers.

I don't require "set it and leave it" (I have NO intention of leaving a hot smoker going and leaving the premises). With the remotes, I can write on the computer, reload ammunition, or most any other "on premises" work I need to do.

But-t-t, that is just me!;)

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
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Not just you, even though I can read temps from anywhere with my ATC no way I would leave home with a fire burning of any type. Or campsite. My reloading room is below grade and on the opposite side of the house and a long ways from the deck where I smoke and grill. So the Rock Chucker, Dillon 650, and 4 MEC 9000's with one of Ben's first automates get no love when I am smoking.

My Maverick is pretty old think around 10 years or so. Never replaced a probe on it or have had an issue. Although with the fancy smasy hi tech CyberQ that has pit and 3 meat probes don't really need it for the BBQ anymore. And it has been getting beat around in the back of my Tacoma going down 2 tracks under the topper to monitor the dog crate temps in the summer. Have a fan hooked up to the inverter blowing through a double door rough tough crate and now I know just how hot it gets in there.

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Ripped out the back seat and made it into a dog\storage platform when I first got the truck. Dog always rides up front with me anyhow, unless he gets hit by a skunk. And that Maverick just keeps on working. Never submerged the braided wires on it in water either.
 
PaulBz said:
I like the set it and forget it. It helps control temperature without the swings and keeps it at a consistent temp. And when I have my own place with several wsm's, having to adjust vents every 15 minutes can be quite cumbersome. I just love the food that comes out of my wsm.
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Sorry, Paul, I just couldn't resist making the joke. I don't care if you use an ATC, it just takes the fun out of it for me. As I've run my WSM I've learned it and very rarely do I have to fiddle with the vents anymore. At first, in all honesty I was probably fiddling with them every 5 minutes and it yo-yo'd like crazy when I did. I do use a remote thermometer and if I do have some crazy swing I have an alarm set if I'm doing an overnight cook.
 
PaulBz said:
I like the set it and forget it. It helps control temperature without the swings and keeps it at a consistent temp. And when I have my own place with several wsm's, having to adjust vents every 15 minutes can be quite cumbersome. I just love the food that comes out of my wsm.
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It's all personal preference, of course, and depends a lot on your circumstances. For my friend with three kids, a dog, and a big yard to take care of, a set-it-and-forget-it Traeger is his choice. If he'd gone with a WSM, I'm sure he'd have gone with an ATC. And if you're into competition barbecue and hope for a couple hours of sleep during the night, an ATC is a necessity.

In the end, it's all good as long as you enjoy the process and the food! :D
 
I like sleep too. Haha. I just feel like if you're going to make a lot of consistent great BBQ you need at atc. And I believe the coals last longer with the fans in them. Especially long cooks. I made a pork butt and it was 16 hours. For me preference being able to do other things and not have to fiddle with it often is nice. And I know it's at the same temp the entire time. And yes you are going to be in competitions with a wsm I can't imagine you would do it without one. To each their own though. Happy smoking everyone. The great thing about smoking is that not everyone does it the same way but most create great BBQ. It's nice to meet a group of people that love smoking as much as me!
 
I'm still on the front side of the learning curve as far as a WSM but, as long as I have a pit probe telling I'm within twenty degrees of ideal, I'm happy enough. As I become more proficient, my opinion may change but, for the moment, I believe less is more. KISS method, I'm not doing anything as involved as a 20 hour cook in the foreseeable future so, temp control in the original manner will have to suffice. That and, I'm cheap! But, I know it.
 
It was useful to have learned how to cook on the wsm without an atc but it's become an absolute necessity for me. It's a great help getting/keeping my wsm up to temp for high heat cooks and it prevents the occassional spectacular failure ("sorry family, the wsm ran out of fuel two hours ago, dinner will be served promptly at 11pm.")
 
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