Cyber Q on WSM-how doe sthat change set up?


 
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Derrick Llewellyn

TVWBB Fan
I have a new BBQ Guru CyberQ for my WSM. Do I need to seal the two intakes that does not have adapter with heat tape or can they be left alone and used on conjunction with guru?

I used it for the first time this weekend and had the all intakes seals and it took for ever for WSM to come up to temp. My thinking is to open the other two to help bring up to temp then shut and have guru maintain.

Also With vents closed do I start with more lit charcoal vs. the minion?

TIA
 
I just got a new BBQ Guru CyberQ Wifi for my 22.5" WSM and ran my first cook this weekend (St. Louis cut spare ribs). Per the instructions and what I've read online, I did the following:

1. Fully close two bottom vents.
2. Seal three holes (with the included high-heat tape) of the third bottom vent. This leaves the fourth hole to use with the blower fan.
3. Top vent 100% opened.
4. Foiled pan only (no water)

I prepped about 30-40 briquettes in my Weber chimney and then poured them the WSM (Minion Method) with only a foiled pan (no water). I put the WSM back together and let the CyberQ bring the temperature up. It took about 20 minutes to get up to my set cook point of 230 degrees. I then put the ribs on and let it go.

Findings - temp: My WSM is still new (I only have about 4 cooks on it). I'm still having trouble keeping temps down to my target range (225 - 230). I know a 25 degree swing up isn't a huge deal; however, my WSM was going up to 280 - 290 degrees. On my first two WSM cooks, I used water - and that seemed to help somewhat with controlling the temp. On this latest cook I only used a foiled pan (no water) and noticed that the WSM really wanted to get up to the 300 degree range.

Findings - CyberQ: The device worked fine, bringing the temp of the cooker up to set point. *Maintaining* the temp? I think I'm still battling the "newness" of the WSM (?)... or am still doing something wrong, as my WSM wanted to get up to 300 degreees. I have my CyberQ set to infrastructure mode, so I was able to follow the cook via my iPhone as I puttered around the house.

Question: Am I lighting too many briquettes to start with? Might that be why my WSM wants to get up to 300 degrees? I'm using what I'd call a full ring of charcoal briquettes (standard Kingsford). So far, my biggest challenge with the WSM has been temp control.

I also have a Cookshack Smokette 009 and absolutely love the set-it-and-forget-it function of the built in thermostat.
 
Lew said:
I don't have a CyberQ, but for minion starts, I use 10-15 briquettes.
Click to expand...

Wow. So few? 10 - 15 won't even cover the bottom of my chimney starter. (Would that be a problem?) Perhaps this might be why I'm having issues with temp control...... Hmmmmmmm.....
 
I too only use 12 lit briquettes. Now that all my intakes are closed and guru running I figured I could go up to half chimney so it is not getting all that air to spike temps.
 
To buck the trend, I always use a full chimney and a full load in the charcoal grate. I do the coffee can trick, dump the lit, remove the can, and add the wood chuncks as appropriate. Most of my cooks are between 225 and 275 with the DX2 and it always comes up to temp pretty quickly and stablizes within ~20-30 or so minutes.

When I dump the lit, I make sure I have everything ready to completely assemble within 5 minutes or so. The meat, grates, probes, etc. I leave the top and other two lower vents wide open and will close one lower vent when I get within 25 degrees, and the other within 10 degrees. When I hit temp, I'll close the top vent to 1/2, and from there on, the DX2 takes over. Works perfect everytime without any overshoot.
 
Derrick,

For cooks using either the standard Low and Slow or the high heat method, you almost always use the minion method. Jim Minion's method allows one to cook for extended times without refilling and just not only low and slow. Either way you fill the ring fully, to the top also, and placing the lit coals on top or in a hollowed out center section of unlit coals. The intended cooking temperature will determine how many lit coals you add. For low and slow, use less. For high heat, use more.

Even though I too use an ATC, starting the appropriate number of lit coals just makes things easier.

hth

Bob
 
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