HeaterMeter and Kamado Joe Classic II


 
T

Trevor - BadgerMan

New member
Has anyone successfully built a HeaterMeter w/ a damper for use on their Joe? I am looking to build one, any pictures or input would be greatly appreciated.
 
i use a rotodamper3 on a big joe and it works great. I bought an adapter plate from bbqguru to hook and the person I purchased the rotodamper3 printed out an adapter so that it connects right to the adapter plate.
 
JasonL said:
i use a rotodamper3 on a big joe and it works great. I bought an adapter plate from bbqguru to hook and the person I purchased the rotodamper3 printed out an adapter so that it connects right to the adapter plate.
Click to expand...

For you KJ users, how much of the top vent do you leave open? Also do you keep to the default setting on the software or change it up for the KJ Classic? I have the Classic II.
 
I use a heatermeter 4.3 on my Kamado Joe Big Joe 2. I printed the micro dampener design and use SteveCX's recommended PID settings for Ceramic Kamado style cookers.

I run it about 25% open for the top vent.
 
Here are some pics...

Not sure how to attach pics to this forum, and I stopped using photobucket a long time ago.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yvW6LfEyBpzRhtiY7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KCVDXQ8qwmoHNB6u8

I printed the microdamper. Sourced all the parts via digikey & amazon. The heatemeter I bought the prebuilt PCB Assembly from CapnBry himself. I printed the case, bought a Raspberry Pi 3B+ as well.

The sheet metal was from a small left over trim piece from my range hood install. It happened to be about 18ga polished stainless. Which I cut with a jigsaw and dremel.

I mounted this to the sheetmetal for a cleaner look...
It is a 1" NPT female bulkhead fitting
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002DKAU0/tvwb-20

Then I got a 1" NPT nipple (plastic one)
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0079JXSTK/tvwb-20

The Kamado style grills never get hot in the intake area, so no worries about plastic melting.

some lessons learned from this build:
1.) Home depot does not sell < 40mm long M3 SHCS, I ended up shortening the screws using a dremel
2.) There is no shame in buying the pre-built, fully tested heatermeter boards. CapnBry only charges $33 and is tested (I presume tested). I think it will take ~2 hours to do this if you are confident. I'm an Electrical Engineer and have IPC certs background. By the time I found all the tools, cleaned up a work area, then tested, and then cleaned up again. That is more than 2 hours worth of work
3.) If you go with the micro dampener design. SteveCk (who I don't believe is active on this forum anymore) recommended to use a 3.5mm 4-pole TRRS connector from ebay. I got the exact same connector he recommended. But for some reason this variant from multiple sources (Adafruit and ebay) all are not to spec. Meaning it is smaller in diameter than 3.5mm, So the plug fits loose in the jack and you get intermittent contact.

I sourced these cable assemblies from digikey and awaiting package delivery. Then I"m going to just try to crimp a cat5e connector to the ends. I bought 1 of each in hopes I can get 1 to work properly.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/10-00341/839-1036-ND/2350244
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/CA-354S/CP-354S-ND/382910
https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/tensility-international-corp/10-02046/839-1255-ND/5844709

Oh and the dish I was making with the Kamado Joe was Schweinshaxe (a classic German pork hock). I first cold smoked it at 180F for 1.5 hours with Royal Oak Hardwood lumps and Apple Wood chunks. Then I ramped the temp up to 350F to roast the pork hock and basted it in beer every 45 mins for about 6 hours. The heatermeter and micro damper worked like a charm (except for the stupid cable connector issue).
 
PShin said:
For you KJ users, how much of the top vent do you leave open? Also do you keep to the default setting on the software or change it up for the KJ Classic? I have the Classic II.
Click to expand...

Around the 1st hashmark for anywhere from 225 to 350 (When using the joetisserie).
 
Jayzon said:
I use a heatermeter 4.3 on my Kamado Joe Big Joe 2. I printed the micro dampener design and use SteveCX's recommended PID settings for Ceramic Kamado style cookers.

I run it about 25% open for the top vent.
Click to expand...

Good info! I'd this the setting you reference?
Latest PID settings

1. Large BGE
B: 0
P: 2.5
I: 0.0035
D: 6

Min fan: 10%
Max fan 40%
servo: on/off

So you think this setting would work with a adapt a damper for my classic 2?
 
I think it should be fine. Maybe don't restrict max and let it go to 100% The official heatermeter blower has max of 6.5cfm if I remember correctly. Micro Damper by SteveCx is 10.5cfm...

I use the similar settings on my big joe 2 with a micro-damper... I've done a smoke at 225F for 8 hours, and a roast at 350F using (P = 4, I = 0.003, D = 4. Fan "on above" 25%, and Max fan 100%)

The reference info can be found here:
- https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?61...ro-Damper-quot&p=752750&viewfull=1#post752750
- https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?61...ro-Damper-quot&p=731391&viewfull=1#post731391
 
Excellent thanks! I'm just waiting for a j2 connector and should be good to go.

How are you guys connecting your heater meter to the bbq guru plate? I went to Lowe's and a employee went up and down the aisles to connect the threaded tip to no avail. I tried a emt conduit that threaded in great but couldn't find something to fit on the other end to the meter. 🤔???
 
I had some left over sheet metal on a custom range hood install that I kept. I think it is 304SS 18ga polished. I used a jig saw to cut then sanded the edge down smooth with a belt sander clamped to my trusty elcheap Black and Decker Workmate.

Template first with a cereal box for size...

I cut the centre hole first before cutting the square/rectangle to size by drilling a hole and then using a jig saw + dremel.
Since I got the hole so ugly and not so circular I bought this:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002DKAU0/tvwb-20

Then I bought this to screw my mircodamper to the bulkhead fitting (above link):
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0079JXSTK/tvwb-20


Works perfectly.

Don't worry the air intake for a Kamado style grill stays pretty cool. The two parts I used are made from PVC and Polypropylene. I've had my kamado up to 900F to make pizza and I can still operate the metal intake door without gloves easily... So the plastic parts should be ok.

Note on the bulkhead connector... I had to trim off the excess threads on the back else it interferes with the Kamado Joe 2's ash pan.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/S46sW2tpgB6f66MAA
 
Last edited:
I just took a 1" NPT nipple (near the iron pipe section at the hardware store) which screws into the MicroDamper or RD3 or Adapt-A-Damper threaded output and then put that through the metal plate and screwed a 1" nut on the other side. My nut came from the EMT conduit section (conduit locknut). My plate is also just a simple plate of metal with a hole cut in it.

I think the BBQ Guru one has a smooth tubing bit protruding from its hole, if it is like those I've seen before. If you have that, then there should be an NPT to tubing adapter somewhere at the hardware store that fits to make it work with a microdaper. If you have a RD3 or AdaptADamper then it should just use the smooth output adapter.
 
Thanks for all your suggestions. I tried the smooth adapter output but was not very tight and thought I try the screw adapter. How tight is the smooth adapter supposed to be. I can wiggle it alittle and it will fall out. Maybe I can put something in there to get a tighter fit.
 
Oh that's interesting. The BBQ Guru plate I have here, the smooth adapter goes on so tightly that I wonder if it will ever come off. It is many years old though so they may have adjusted the size slightly. It shouldn't be loosey goosey, it should definitely stay in place on its own. You could try with just a little bit of silicone I (the one that's pure silicone) caulk to hold it in place or a couple wraps of PTFE plumber's tape perhaps? Or is it like not even close to the right size?
 
I wanted to be able to open the sliding air intake door on my Grilla Kong which is similar in design to most of the sliding intakes on the market. I cut a piece of rectangular sheet steel about the same size as the factory door. Then I got a copper fitting with a 1" npt male thread on one end to fit my Adapt-a-damper 3D printed adapter. The other end was about 1 1/4" in OD. I used a hole saw to drill a hole in the center slightly smaller than the OD of the copper fitting.

I drilled a 1.5" hole in a block of wood and put my steel sliding door over the hole. Next I used a ball peen hammer to "body work" the steel sliding door in the area of the hole, pounding it down to form a dimple about 3/16" deep, more or less. Forming the dimple enlarged the hole slightly. I used my vice to form a curve in the door to match my grill. Then I sanded the hole a little bit so that the copper fitting was a tight fit in the door. I inserted it oriented in such a way that the dimple was on the outside and I slid the copper fitting so that it protruded inside about 3/16" or so. I soldered it in place using acid core solder. Then I cut about a dozen thin slits in the part of the copper protruding inside the door using a Dremel tool with a cut off wheel, forming little tabs. I pounded the resulting tabs over to mechanically lock in the fitting and to make sure that it did not protrude toward the inside of the grill. Then I added a little more solder on the tabs. I painted the door to guard against rust.

Said another way, I now had a sliding door which was dimpled in such a way so that the copper pipe fitting was firmly attached, but because of the dimple surrounding the hole, nothing protruded inside the grill doorway like the more common EMD conduit fitting or ordinary threaded pipe nipple and lock nut that many people use to do the same job. Now I can open my doorway completely for those times I want a wide open intake door.

By fitting some self adhesive high temperature felt sealing material around the edges of the door, I get an airtight seal as well as just enough friction so that the door slides nicely but doesn't rattle around. In short, it's the perfect way to fasten a temperature controller to your grill if you have a sliding intake door. You can still enjoy full functionality of the intake slider as well as attach a temp controller with a 1" NPT adapter.
 
Thanks for all the great info. I'm trying to troubleshoot somethings. When you first turn on with ambient probe, what should normal operation look like? Mine always starts off with fan on. Damper, I'm working to correct the wires as I destroyed my jack with too much solder on the servo wire when I punched down 😫.

Will fan always start up until it reaches set temperature? Any other settings for the kj except the PID settings and invert ouput option I should change? Thanks!
 
PShin said:
Thanks for all the great info. I'm trying to troubleshoot somethings. When you first turn on with ambient probe, what should normal operation look like? Mine always starts off with fan on. Damper, I'm working to correct the wires as I destroyed my jack with too much solder on the servo wire when I punched down 😫.

Will fan always start up until it reaches set temperature? Any other settings for the kj except the PID settings and invert ouput option I should change? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Yes, the fan always kickstarts as soon as the temp is not on the correct setpoint (test it perhaps by setting the setpoint just below ambient..)
I currently run on these settings on my KJ classic II: P7,2 I0,0063 D9 min fan 5% max fan 50% and startup max 100%.
Works very good on low and slow roasts:)
 
Dennis R said:
Yes, the fan always kickstarts as soon as the temp is not on the correct setpoint (test it perhaps by setting the setpoint just below ambient..)
I currently run on these settings on my KJ classic II: P7,2 I0,0063 D9 min fan 5% max fan 50% and startup max 100%.
Works very good on low and slow roasts:)
Click to expand...

I am kinda overwhelmed here. I tinned the wires and connected everything. The fan will only turn on when I invert the fan. The damper will only turn on when I start up the heater meter or reboot the AVR in the web configuration. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong? Is it software or hardware issue? Thank you.

BTW my capacitor is 47UF 47mfd 10V 6 x 6mm Solid Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors.

My setting:
P:7 I:.0063 D:9
Fan output Voltage on above 25% min 5% max 50% startp max 100% invert output (unchecked)
Servo pulse duration 1000 us -2000 us, fully open at 100% invert output (checked)
 
Dennis R said:
Yes, the fan always kickstarts as soon as the temp is not on the correct setpoint (test it perhaps by setting the setpoint just below ambient..)
I currently run on these settings on my KJ classic II: P7,2 I0,0063 D9 min fan 5% max fan 50% and startup max 100%.
Works very good on low and slow roasts:)
Click to expand...

I had my Adapt-a-damper set this way to begin with on my Grilla Kong Kamado grill. But now I have the fan run only above 50%. So now the damper is wide open and fan 100% during initial heat up, but as soon as the temperature stabilizes, I close my upper vent to just below 1/3 open and let the Heatermeter control the temperature using the servo damper damper alone. The fan hardly runs at all.

During a recent 5 hour, low temperature (250f) cook, the damper cycled between about 5% to 15% on average, so the fan doesn't run during most of the cook. The grill temperature probe holds plus or minus 1 degree nearly all the time with occasional excursions away from the set point only about 2 degrees; i.e. it holds temperature very well. The fan only runs a little bit during temperature recovery after I open the grill or when I ramp up the set point temperature. Otherwise, the Heatermeter just uses the damper alone to hold the probe temperature to very tight tolerances.
 
Bob Walters said:
I had my Adapt-a-damper set this way to begin with on my Grilla Kong Kamado grill. But now I have the fan run only above 50%. So now the damper is wide open and fan 100% during initial heat up, but as soon as the temperature stabilizes, I close my upper vent to just below 1/3 open and let the Heatermeter control the temperature using the servo damper damper alone. The fan hardly runs at all.

During a recent 5 hour, low temperature (250f) cook, the damper cycled between about 5% to 15% on average, so the fan doesn't run during most of the cook. The grill temperature probe holds plus or minus 1 degree nearly all the time with occasional excursions away from the set point only about 2 degrees; i.e. it holds temperature very well. The fan only runs a little bit during temperature recovery after I open the grill or when I ramp up the set point temperature. Otherwise, the Heatermeter just uses the damper alone to hold the probe temperature to very tight tolerances.
Click to expand...

Could you please attach a screen shot of your configuration? I have inverted the servo but not the fan. When I change the set temp to a negative value, the fans and servo kick in but any positive value, it turns off and there is no movement in the fan or damper. When I invert the fan, the fan is on constantly. Thank you.
 
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