Is it the journey or the destination?


 
Mike Martin

Mike Martin

TVWBB Member
I have a Performer and a Smokey Mountain. I was thinking about getting a Venom temp controller for the Performer. Then I started wondering why. I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles without GPS or a cell phone in the past and can't drive to the grocery store without either now. I caught 1000s of fish without electronics, but have won't go now without GPS and sonar. I wonder if I want to do the same thing to my barbecuing experience. My buddy has a Traeger and has tried to get me to buy one. Just set it and forget it he says.
Anyway, I think I'll pass on it for now. Now I do have remote thermometers, a slow and sear and a vortex, but my temperature control has always been manual. I always thought it was part of the cooking experience. Any thoughts about how much technology we have brought into our hobby?
 
Last edited:
It's the company, lol.

I get what you're saying. I prefer not using my ATC when cooking with my WSM's for the very reason you cited; I want fire management to be a part of my experience. Having said that, I do currently cook more with my pellet smoker than with a WSM or Kettle so that I can focus on other things, or so that I can simply focus not at all and enjoy relaxation.

Enough of us like gadgets and electronics and technology that folks are going to design and market them to us. But whether we use an ATC or manually control our fire we can still experience a different cooking atmosphere and distinct tasting food from outdoor cooking.
 
I got an atc for long overnight cooks. I like sleep.

For day time, I usually don’t bother. It is a convenience not a necessity.

Truth be told, you are making bbq not semi conductors. Temps can be vary a lot and still be fine. And the cookers are fairly set forget anyway.
 
Atc makes long cooks easier, basically just ignore them until you need to wrap or something. I will often start it and put ribs on and then go run for an hour.


I do not see a need for a controller on something used for grilling..... Somebody got to explain that to me ...when I grill it takes all of 15 minutes
 
MartinB said:
Atc makes long cooks easier, basically just ignore them until you need to wrap or something. I will often start it and put ribs on and then go run for an hour.


I do not see a need for a controller on something used for grilling..... Somebody got to explain that to me ...when I grill it takes all of 15 minutes
Click to expand...
I agree that you do not need a controller for grilling. With Slow N Sear I've found the Performer performs as about as well as the WSM on long cooks except for capacity. When doing a longer cook for just the wife and I we use the Performer, just more convenient. We break out the WSM when the kids and their families come for a visit.
 
Mike Martin said:
I have a Performer and a Smokey Mountain. I was thinking about getting a Venom temp controller for the Performer. Then I started wondering why. I have driven hundreds of thousands of miles without GPS or a cell phone in the past and can't drive to the grocery store without either now. I caught 1000s of fish without electronics, but have won't go now without GPS and sonar. I wonder if I want to do the same thing to my barbecuing experience. My buddy has a Traeger and has tried to get me to buy one. Just set it and forget it he says.
Anyway, I think I'll pass on it for now. Now I do have remote thermometers, a slow and sear and a vortex, but my temperature control has always been manual. I always thought it was part of the cooking experience. Any thoughts about how much technology we have brought into our hobby?
Click to expand...
I am new to the hobby myself, and want to try and get a handle on temperature control without the gadgets, just because.

But I will eventually get some type of ATC because low and slow can take many hours, and I can see the practicality of overnight cooks- I like my sleep.

The final arbiter of if it’s needed will be if it makes my life easier, but also if it improves the eating experience, since we all want others to enjoy the fruits of our labor, right?
 
John_NJ said:
.

The final arbiter of if it’s needed will be if it makes my life easier, but also if it improves the eating experience, since we all want others to enjoy the fruits of our labor, right?
Click to expand...
They can hurt food quality if not controlling well. They can get new coals lit fast and make lots of acrid white smoke. Need to control well not cycle badly
 
I have both as well. I also have BBQ Guru ATC from when they first came out. Never use it on the Performer, only on the WSM. I find that I can control temps just fine without the ATC although it works fantastic. I do use the ATC when I'm doing long and or overnight cooks where I need to run and be doing something else and not able to be close by for a good while. Worth every cent then. Most times I know the characteristics of my WSM (I do use an extender a good bit of the time). I find that I don't need an ATC 90% of the time. On Performer the cook is typically fast enough that I've never seen the need to use an ATC there. Invest in a good thermomoter that fits in the vent of the WSM with a grommet with a hole for the probe and you should be good.
 
Last edited:
"Invest in a good thermomoter that fits in the vent of the WSM with a grommet with a hole for the probe and you should be good."

Good advise, already got and use one. Thanks
 
To me that is what BBQ is,To be hands on the temp control.I like to be involved in my cooking,I enjoy that part of it,start to finish.
 
I'd be curious as to how well it would mount on a performer. You've got the lid bale on one side and the gas assist on the other (if you have gas assist). The control panel could face forward but I don't know. I'd want to see one mounted first. I don't really super long cooks on my kettle. I just grill on it. It is a cool idea.
 
I've been watching this thread but I wasn't sure how to respond. I'm not sure how the two words are defined. But for me, it's definitely the journey. Journey being the process of cooking outdoors and all the intricacies involved. It fascinates me. It's very complex. Once you dive into it, its complexity seems to be infinite. Eating is great but not as interesting.
 
Mike Martin said:
I agree that you do not need a controller for grilling. With Slow N Sear I've found the Performer performs as about as well as the WSM on long cooks except for capacity. When doing a longer cook for just the wife and I we use the Performer, just more convenient. We break out the WSM when the kids and their families come for a visit.
Click to expand...
My WSM “Classic” was bought new in the year 2008 and now sits in the corner unused since around the year 2014 :rolleyes: I am now and for sometime mainly a Weber Performer,Master-Touch and Smoky Joe Griller.
 
Last edited:
It's a double edge sword, technology makes life easier until it doesn't work. LOL I won't use my in car GPS because my phone GPS works better and faster. I'm getting older and figure I need more help than I used to. :ROFLMAO:
 
Joan said:
I understand HOW something is cooked is important, but is it more important than how somethings TASTE?
Click to expand...
Yes, taste is very important. But, it's not the only thing. If it were, everybody would only use stick burners.... . So yeah taste matters but people are willing to compromise for ease of use as well. If it's too much trouble to do, then you'll never do it.
 
Last edited:
The journey has a lot of things involved: setup, prep, cook, cleanup, repair, consumables, time, ingredients, recipes, I'm sure there are more, but that's what comes to mind.

The destination has a lot of things to measure and judge. "taste" salt, fat, acid, heat; texture, temperature, and visual appeal.

If the cook is fun and brings me joy that's a plus. If the result is tasty that I enjoy that's a plus. If I can enjoy cooking with others even better. If others like it as much as I do even better still.
 
Last edited:
Years ago I had a temp controller for the WSM. I decided I don’t need or want it so I sold it on this site to a competition team. Later, I went up and saw him cooking at The Jack. That was the year Tuffy Stone won.

I don’t do overnight cooks. I rarely even use the remote thermometer any more. I set up my cooker and let it settle where it wants to be and check back in a few hours with a probe thermometer to see where we are.

I enjoy the fruits of my labor but I don’t think BBQ requires technology to get me there.
 
Dwain Pannell said:
Years ago I had a temp controller for the WSM. I decided I don’t need or want it so I sold it on this site to a competition team. Later, I went up and saw him cooking at The Jack. That was the year Tuffy Stone won.

I don’t do overnight cooks. I rarely even use the remote thermometer any more. I set up my cooker and let it settle where it wants to be and check back in a few hours with a probe thermometer to see where we are.

I enjoy the fruits of my labor but I don’t think BBQ requires technology to get me there.
Click to expand...

I hear that. Sometimes all those bells and whistles are kind of a pain. And then you gotta make sure you don't leave them out there overnight when it rains. Depends on the cook. I do like the overnight cook or hold for a 20 lb brisket though. I got the billows for that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top