FireBoard 2 Drive & Pit Viper Fan or ThermWorks and Billows Fan

[WayneMcArdle]

I’m interested in better temperature control for overnight cooks and from what I have read, FireBoard 2 Drive and ThermoWorks seem to be the most popular options. I see the FireBoard 2 Drive has lithium batteries (doesn’t need to be plugged into12V outlet) and that appeals to me. What set ups are others using and why? Forgot to mention that I’m cooking with WSM 18.5

 

[Mark_E]

The Thermoworks Billows also has the lithium battery option if you want it. I use it and love it.

Billows® 12V Battery Bank

Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.

www.thermoworks.com

Good luck.

 

[Vinny G]

I was looking at both of them also. Both of them are great products to assist you in your smokes. I Decided to go with the Fireboard 2 And their blower. I really like how the fire board 2 works with the blower On WSM 22. Never used it on my 18. Instead of going into detail here. Take a look on the write up I did after I bought it. Fire board 2 and blower. Just keep in mind. Either one you go with, they are a tool to assist you in your smokes. If you don’t have control over the smoker as is you will probably have the same problem. Please let us know which one you go with. Good luck on you decision!

 

[PatMas]

I just bought a Thermoworks Signals and Billows fan. They have a pre-black friday sale today $70 off. I called since I ordered last weekend at full price and they gave me a refund for the difference in sale. Excited to try out the combo this weekend with smoking a pork butt or pork ribs.

 

[DanHoo]

here's my .02 on the Billows having owned one for a couple of years.

I find it is an excellent temperature "maintainer"

The way I use mine is to get the temp stable with the billows attached yet unplugged. Only after the meat is on and temp is stable do I actually plug in the fan, and I usually have the set-temp for the billows about 5 degrees below the pit temp. if I do this then the smoker is "breathing" correctly and the billows doesn't really run unless the temp drops.

by doing this I've also improved my skill getting the temp stable without the billows at all.
note: my billows use has been on the WSK and the BGE yet I think the idea is the same.

YMMV

 

[DanHoo]

tip #2 using the billows:

- use a second ambient temp probe in addition to the probe that controls the fan.

why?

If a piece of meat falls over and is touching on the ambient probe, the signals ( or smoke X4) pit temp will read low and spin up the billows to raise the temp.

Having a second ambient probe in a different location will catch the increase in pit temp and sound an alarm.

It happened to me once with ribs when I had them on a rack and I only had one ambient probe. One of the rib racks slumped over and was touching the probe and the fan spun and pit temp went to about 350 and in the end they turned into hot-and-fast ribs.

This weekend I was smoking pastrami and not using the billows but the meat fell over and landed on the ambient probe. If the billows was being used it would have bumped temp up. Instead I got a low temp alarm for the pit temp. It was confusing because I was also using a meater plus probe and it read fine but when I opened things up I saw the meat had fallen over.

Just something to consider.