Partyq, Digiq etc.


 
W. Holder III

W. Holder III

TVWBB Member
I have been reading this forum and watching videos on how to use the WSM for the past 2 weeks. I am itching to get my hands on one and start the journey of learning the art of BBQ.

My question is, should I purchase one of the fire control devices or should I learn how to control the fire myself first and then purchase one later on down the road if I still feel the need?

Thanks in advance and thanks for this amazing forum full of knowledge.
 
Ahhh, the dilemmas in life. I have a BBQ Guru and use it for ribs and pork butt. My brother-in-law says the beer while watching the fire is what q'ing is all about (he's from Texas).

Q'ing is an art not a science so bbq can be painted in many ways. The ultimate test is the eating. Many q'ers don't need a fire control device others can't live without one. So.... you'll get opinions but there is no one right or wrong answer when it comes to BBQ.

My vote is NO device until after a few cooks.
 
50% art and 50% science. =)

I use controllers on both of my WSM and love it. I guess you must try and see that works for you.
BTW- welcome aboard. =)
Peter

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Wow! That is some set up! Very nice.

I am going to purchase the 22.5 some time in the next 2 weeks and I can't wait. Just need to finish replacing the decking on my deck and then it is on!

I have done lots of charcoal grilling and cooking in general, but up until about 6 months ago, had no clue about low and slow. I caught an episode of BBQ Grillmasters and started to get interested in it. I figure I have read about all I can read, and now the only way to learn is to start doing it.

Thanks for the advice. I will probably go ahead and buy the PartyQ, but try it by myself the first few times.
 
I find temp control is so easy I don't really see a need. My 22.5 WSM is about as set and forget it as it gets.
 
I've cooked on my 18.5" wsm 5xs. First couple were chicken, tasty. My target temp was 350, I hit 450,lol. It was still good. No left overs.

Then I did ribs, the lowest I could get was 330 temp. Ribs were still good, and all eaten.

Then I bought what I thought was a Boston butt. After getting home, I realized it was a pork ham. Doh!!! Adjusted the game plan on the already begun overnight cook. Then I woke up, and my fire was at 140 degrees, and so was my meat. Lol. I didn't know I it hit temp and dropped or not. Cooked it to 170 to be safe.

Had friends over, and 5 adults ate that 8lb pig ham. No leftovers.

I'm now starting to learn how better to adjust vents, how much coal to use, how much to light, etc.... Along with bending my cajun bandit door to make a tighter seal.

I've tried water, clay pot, no water and foiled pan.

My point is, the food is very forgiving. And so are American taste buds. 75% obese, lol. The foods gonna get eaten. I'm not feeding KCBS judges.

Part of the reason I keep wanting to smoke again is I'm proud o my failures. And I like learning from them. I just feel like I'd be cheating myself those experiences by using a temp controller. So if your asking for an opinion, I'd say wait. Learn to live without it, then use it later.

My advice would be to keep a smoke log. I downloaded a diary app on my iPhone, and have kept a log of the cooks, failures, and final thoughts. That way I'm making new mistakes, not the same ones, lol.
 
Hey I was thinking of getting a partyq myself is there anyway to protect it from rain apart from moving the wsm under cover ?
 
I bought the DigiQ DX2 for my 22 WSM and love it. I did two cooks before and while the result were good, for the longer cooks, you just can't beat the set and go capability. It got a little tiring getting up in the middle of the night and checking in every 15 to 30 minutes to make sure all was well. I also use a Maverick and use that as the remote, so no need to bother with the complexity of the Wifi nonsense.

Now that I have this set up, I can't imagine cooking without. My .02 fwiw.

Carlos, on the rain, I've got stuck a couple of times, and I just take a sheet of aluminum foil and tent it over. Might work for you as well.
 
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