How vital/useful is heatermeter on wsm?


 
P

PatM

New member
Hi all. Love the site. I just ordered a 22.5" wsm (through the amazon link on this site :) ). This is my first smoker and the HeaterMeter really intrigues me. I was just wondering how useful it is on a wsm? I have always heard that wsm hold their temp very well. I love a good project and am interested in the HeaterMeter, but was just wondering if it is really worth it since wsm is supposed to be pretty solid on temp. I would love to be able to cook a shoulder through the night and not loose any sleep :) Since this is my first smoker, I don't really know what to expect. Thanks
 
PatM said:
... I would love to be able to cook a shoulder through the night and not loose any sleep :) ...
Click to expand...

You will want a HM. :)

The difference between "stable" and "HM stable" is no where the same. With "HM stable" even dramatic outside temperature changes can be handled, a little misting rain for example.

That isn't to say you can't have awesome results with a stand alone WSM, you just need to check it.

My $0.02,
david

david
 
Thanks for the response! I think you made my decision for me. Sounds like that will be a good winter project. :)
 
I usually run more hot that cool... I, Myself, don't see a need for a HM. But that's me.. I'm never away from my cooker... If I see it go down, I open a vent just a touch, if it goes hot, I close a vent.. If I make any mod, it will be handle on the smoke chamber.
 
Is it vital? Not IME as I find the WSM pretty easy to control. Is it useful? Very likely since it frees you from hovering and reacting to changes. But I actually like that part of the BBQ process. Also prevents the wife from bugging me ("Not for the next few hours honey. I have to keep and eye on the smoker!" :) ) BTW, I have a PID controlled smoker and it is literally set and forget; I prefer the WSM.
 
If you are the kind of guy that hovers over the grill for the entire cook then I guess you shouldn't need a Heater Meter, but if you plan to do long cooks like briskets, shoulders, even some rib methods and want to be able to step away from the grill the HM is awesome. If you live in a cold climate and want to cook through the winter it's a real plus to have one so you don't have to be outside constantly checking on your pit, you can watch the HM on your I-Pad or computer from the warm comfort of your easy chair....
Matt, if your WSM tends to run hot rather than cool then perhaps a HM with a servo damper would actually be helpful to you.....
 
I have the 22.5" WSM and I much prefer it with the HM. It means I can go to bed with confidence temperature will be maintained and without worrying that the Maverick wireless probes will alarm due to temp going up, down or through connection loss. Prior to HM I spent most pre-BBQ nights sleeping on the sofa so that I could easily adjust vents if the Maverick went off... no longer!

I would also recommend using non-toxic sand pit sand in the water bowl instead of water as well, it seems to greatly improve stability and recovery after taking the lid off. You should also consider a nomex gasket for the lid and door and some aluminium tape for sealing the other vents :)
 
This question often comes up. Need? No. Fun to have? Absolutely. If you want absolute set it and forget it control, pit controllers are for you. I am a backyard, weekend warrior, daylight, waking hours, +/- 25*F guy so I don't require that level of control.

As an example; I just did a HH Brisket naturally aspirated in ~7.5 hrs. I left the WSM while I went to see the Gdaughter cheer at the local school about two of those hours. I came back and looked at the iGrill and it was within 10*F of where I left it the whole time I was gone. I'm good with that. You have to decide if you are or not.
 
The HeaterMeter is like cruise control in your car. You might not need it, but it sure is handy to have on those long trips!
 
To the the HM is invaluable no matter what smoker I have. The reason that it is invaluble is because I can trust the HM to take care of the temperature while I sleep. No matter how good you get with a smoker there are always variations in your fire, temp, humidty etc. You can not control that when you are asleep.

I have cooked while having the HM monitor ONLY (no PID loop) and I learned a lot about how my pit thermometer was not telling me the right story about temperature. I also learned how I wasn't as good at maintaining a temperature as I thought.

If you are in to electronics projects and you want to cook the best you possibly can then the HM is perfect. I personally LOVE the science of cooking and being able to control the environment precisely is awesome to me. Also, I've got plenty of other of things to do like marinating my stomach with a "flavor enhancing" beverage to ensure the food taste amazing and piddling in the garage! :P
 
WSM 22.5" owner here. As others have stated, you don't *NEED* it, but it sure is fun and reassuring. My wife thinks I spend just as much time staring at the graphs and fiddling with the settings as I would if I were running it manually. I cannot confirm nor deny her suspicions. But getting those straight lines to go on for a couple of hours at a time sure feels like you have unlocked some achievement in a BBQ video game. With the upcoming Heatermeter Live, there will also be a social aspect added that may prove fun as well.

Additionally, it teaches you a lot about your meats. From the first few hours, watching the progression into the stall, you can start to tell how long the cook is going to take and when you should crutch (if you do) to get optimal results.

That being said, I have no qualms about going without the electronic assistance, but I sure prefer with.
 
Those are all very good points. I think that a heatermeter would be good for me. I am ordering all the parts right now :)
 
I have the 18.5 WSM and have done one smoke so far. I decided to build the heatermeter because there was a few times that I went down stairs and it was getting a little cool.
I had only soldered wires before this and had never done components, and just booted my heatermeter up successfully.
One recommendation I would make is to spend the money on a nice soldering iron, with a thin tip. I used my basic one to do this work and at the end when everything starts to get a little tight the cursing started to flow :P
 
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