Recommended Controller?


 
Paul Mullis

Paul Mullis

New member
My father-in-law asked me to get him an automatic controller for his EL BGE after seeing my Stoker and I wanted to see what other options there are? I'm afraid a Stoker would be too technical for him to use.

I know there are other options such as BBQ Guru's CyberQ Wifi, but thought I'd asked the folks on here in case there are some options I'm not aware of?

The primary reason for getting this is so that he can do overnight cooks and have the system be able to send an alarm and wake him up if temps get off. Most of the units have alarms, but they are audible alarms at the smoker and wouldn't do any good if you are inside asleep. With my Stoker I can easily do this by sitting my computer near my bed and using Stokerlog to sound an alarm if there are issues. I'm OK with something like that for him as long as it's dead simple to connect everything after the initial setup, which I can do for him.

So are there any other less technical systems that you guys would recommend? He doesn't need to access it away from home, but does have wifi available as a way to connect. I've never used the CyberQ so I don't know how difficult it is to use. I just don't think he needs all the bells and whistles and customization options that you get with the Stoker so no point in spending that much money.

Thanks
Paul
 
I have an Auber. Works great and very simple. Set the temp and forget. No wi-fi, no charts or graphs, just keeps the temp constant. About $150.00. I'll get another when I get the next wsm. Use a baby monitor and you have an alert wherever you want. He could also use a temp probe like Maverick 732 with remote.
 
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Yea I was considering using a Maverick for remote alarms. I looked at the Auber, but I would prefer something with a meat thermometer that can ramp down the temp. So far the cheapest option I see for that would be the DigiQ, but it is fairly pricey just to add meat temp.
 
+1, He could go with Pitmaster Ique, one of the guru models, or auber and add the Maverick 732 remote. I have an ique on one of my kettles and a digi dx on my WSM. Both work well.

I always use my WSM for overnight and have a Weber remote meat probe (no pit proble). I keep the remote by my bed. I'll check the digi pit once or twice during the night, but I've never had a problem. Just make sure you load up with charcoal. I can see the digi temp from my bedroom window.
 
Be careful with that ramp down feature. It's a nice feature but you need to make sure and remember it's on. I set the ramp on after my first cook. Default is off. I thought something was wrong on my second cook cause the digi fan wouldn't come on when the pit temp fell below target. I open vents and got through the cook, but it wasn't till afterwards that I figured out what I'd done.

The digi starts to ramp down at 70 percent of target. That's 140 for a 200 target on pulled pork. We all know that a when a butt reaches 140 it still has a long way to go. The ramp is still a nice feature and I've used it a few times.
 
I prefer the DigiQ DX from BBQ Guru. As Gary indicated, it is important to know which features are active when using the controller.
 
J Hoke said:
I have an Auber. Works great and very simple. Set the temp and forget. No wi-fi, no charts or graphs, just keeps the temp constant. About $150.00. I'll get another when I get the next wsm. Use a baby monitor and you have an alert wherever you want. He could also use a temp probe like Maverick 732 with remote.
Click to expand...

It's been a while since you posted about the Auber. Do you still like it? Is it quality?
I'm looking for a temp controller and have put this brand into the mix.
Is it made in China?
 
Seth R C said:
The JLD612 is a cheap chinese PID controller .. not sure if I can post links to what I built or not, as I'm new and not too familiar with the forum rules.. but google away and you'll find it
Click to expand...

I found photos, but no instructions how to work it. Do you hook a fan up to it? What type of fan?
 
If the Auber the cheapest of the "ready to go" controllers? I don't think i need a wifi option.
 
Being able to access your ATC over your LAN or the internet is cool, but not at all necessary.
I like to play with this stuff, so I got a BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi.

The more money you spend, the more features you get.
The more features you have, the harder the unit is to set up and operate.

For simply controlling your cooker temperature, they all work fine.

Bob
 
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Bob Mann said:
Being able to access your ATC over your LAN or the internet is cool, but not at all necessary. I like to play with this stuff, so I got a BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi.
The more money you spend, the more features you get.
For simply controlling your cooker temperature, they all work fine..

Bob
Click to expand...

Bob,
Do you find that after the "newness" of wi-fi wears off, that you don't use the feature much?
 
I do use WiFi access into the controller's web interface to set it up for a cook, it's very easy.
If something goes wrong, it sends my Android phone an alert e-mail, which is good.

I can probably give you a better answer to your question in a few months. :)

Bob
 
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I think the phone notification would be good (iPhone too?), but to be able to sit at my desk and have a separate screen working in
the background would be really great. Does it have a screen for your monitor that shows the pit temp and the meat temp?
If it does, can you adjust the fan from your computer or phone?
 
Roger R. said:
I think the phone notification would be good (iPhone too?)
Click to expand...
It can send a standard e-mail to any account.

Roger R. said:
Does it have a screen for your monitor that shows the pit temp and the meat temp?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Roger R. said:
If it does, can you adjust the fan from your computer or phone?
Click to expand...
Yes.

Here is a link to the CyberQ WiFi's user's manual.
http://www.thebbqguru.com/PDF/CyberQ-WiFi-USER-GUIDE.pdf
The web interface is shown starting on page 19, section 11.5.
 
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