Temperature Controllers and the Summit Charcoal Kamado


 
Dave-HI said:
I got some setup pics. Installation of the Venom was not as easy as indicated by the company. Much force was needed, so I don't think I'll remove it unless I had to. A few customers indicated they too had to apply much force. I'm glad the bowl is not fixed, so I rotated the bowl left enough to see the display clearly and it helped to shorten the cable run. Routed both probe cables along the base of the Venom using the existing wired tabs used to secure the Venom's gasket. Routed the cables up the rear of the bowl through the hinge making sure it clears from any pinching. It got enough cable for the pit probe, but the meat probe could be longer. I plan to replace those two cables with extension cables which will be fixed, then I can attach both probes near the hinge for ease of connecting and disconnecting.

I did this setup to help minimize the wired cables that would get in my way. Now I have I all the area I need without the worry of any cables.

As for the battery, you can use any USB battery pack that supplies the necessary output power the Venom needs. Someone used the Costco USB car jumper battery, but I probably will be opting for the Venom battery which will attach directly under the venom controller via magnets for a very clean setup. Then I'll be able to move my WSK anywhere in my backyard freely without the need of an extension cable.
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I think I read somewhere that you can still grill/smoke with the Venom mounted, but not running it. Is that true? Basically, can you still grill like normal with the Venom mounted? Max temp you can set it to is 550 degrees, so if you wanted to to steak at 600 degrees, you can still open the Venom vent without using the fan? Thanks
 
Jeff-K said:
I think I read somewhere that you can still grill/smoke with the Venom mounted, but not running it. Is that true? Basically, can you still grill like normal with the Venom mounted? Max temp you can set it to is 550 degrees, so if you wanted to to steak at 600 degrees, you can still open the Venom vent without using the fan? Thanks
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You are correct on all the functionalities and limitations of the Venom. The Venom allows you to use the cooker as normal when not in operation, just that the gasket does impede a bit of the charcoal vents. Initially, I intended the WSK to be my AIO and only cooker, and sell off all the others for that wife approval factor. I decided to keep the Kettle for all BBQing, grilling, griddle and rotisserie duties. When searing steaks, I've only used the Kettle and I've never taken any grate temp, yet the family remain pleased with the results. For now, the WSK will be primarily on smoking duty. The WSK can do it all and perform better than the Kettle, but I gernerally do more smaller and fast cooks than low and slow hunk of meats, so it made better sense to me to use a more appropriate sized cooker for easier cleaning. Heck, I just scored a NIB Jumbo Joe for $15 and will see how much use that takes away from the Kettle.
 
Why would you not use the WSK for grilling AND smoking? It is the best AIO by far. It does both direct, indirect AND LAS like a champ. I’m a bit confused by your post. Seeking to better understand your position.
 
John K BBQ said:
Nick - I believe some newer/other controllers have built in logic to "detect" when someone lifts the lid on a smoker. If you think about it... "normal" operation on a smoker would not include sudden dips in pit temperature. Fires just don't die out that fast. Assuming your temp probe is on the top grate, near the lid.... when the lid opens, there is a sudden drop in pit temperature. Some systems are pre-programmed not to respond to that sudden drop by ramping up the fan speed right away. (I have witnessed this with my Billows on the WSM)

I am not sure what the pre-programmed delay period is, or should be, or how a fireboard works, or if that's a setting one can change in the fireboard. One way you might get around this is to turn off the fireboard before you lift the lid... and of course get the lid back on as soon as you can, and then turn the fireboard back on... I have no idea if that's feasible with the fire board as it could mess with the program's PID loop/control logic but maybe it's worth a shot?
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Yeah the fire board has a programmable lid detection setting, I said it to 5 minutes of no fan.

It's not the controller, it's something with the pit. The controller can be running smoothly for hours, then one specific opening of the lid for some reason is like it's kick starts the fire or something, and the controller will sit there the rest of the time not even on because the temperature just starts running away.

Lately I've been cooking a lot of stuff at 300, so unless I'm cooking ribs, a lot of times I'll just use manual control and it does pretty great, might require 2 or 3 tiny adjustments across a long cook.
 
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OK - if your fan doesn't keep running when you open the lid... How much is it running when the lid is closed and everything is running fine? On the ATC's I'm familar with, the fan cycles fan on and off, and when everything its "good" they may only come on ever few minutes, and run for 15 seconds or less per cycle.

MAYBE the fan is running all the time or, tends to run at high output if it is a variable speed, the fire is constantly "primed" and ready for a big rush of oxygen?
 
That “one time” when you open the lid and the fire/temp runs away does happen on the WSK, at least to me on some cooks.

Two things I’ve figured are happening; the opening has let in a lot of air and the coals ignite some of the grease drippings that has permeated some of the coals, or, a chunk of my smoke wood caught fire.

I’ve seen both of these on LAS cooks. Two ways to kill the runaway here. Water spray or let it burn off the grease or wood as the last time I did that it took around 25 mins to settle back into target temp/cook range.

I no longer worry when I see a spike after opening. If the temps don’t retard after 30 minutes then I’ll take action.

The WSK has and remains super solid for me on all cook forms. Note, I do not use any ATC.
 
Brett-EDH said:
That “one time” when you open the lid and the fire/temp runs away does happen on the WSK, at least to me on some cooks.

Two things I’ve figured are happening; the opening has let in a lot of air and the coals ignite some of the grease drippings that has permeated some of the coals, or, a chunk of my smoke wood caught fire.

I’ve seen both of these on LAS cooks. Two ways to kill the runaway here. Water spray or let it burn off the grease or wood as the last time I did that it took around 25 mins to settle back into target temp/cook range.

I no longer worry when I see a spike after opening. If the temps don’t retard after 30 minutes then I’ll take action.

The WSK has and remains super solid for me on all cook forms. Note, I do not use any ATC.
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Gotta keep the expectations real. Even a good ATC can't make a charcoal/wood fueled device as controllable as an oven in your house. If you're looking for that sort of control, a pellet smoker is or gravity fed is about the only option.
 
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