WSM 18.5 & PartyQ

str8upcop04 said:

Hey Brethren, I have a couple questions pertaining to the WSM 18.5 and the PartyQ I intend to order for it....maybe:grin:

1. First off and most importantly is the PartyQ worth the investment?
2. What size hole plugs would I need for the 18.5WSM to seal the damper holes?

Thanks in advance for insight!

-Justin

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1. YES!!! I have one on my 22", and it's fantastic. Like setting an oven. Just be aware that what the PartyQ's temp sensor reads might not be exactly what your Maverick reads, so you may need to tweak the PartyQ a little. For example on my last cook I had to set the PartyQ to 245F to hold a consistent 250F grate temp on the Maverick.

2. The PartyQ comes with some kind of metal tape you can use to tape over the holes in the WSM damper where you install it, no plugs needed.

One tip, I run my PartyQ on Energizer rechargeable batteries and it works just fine. I suggest getting 2 sets of batteries and swapping them every time you use it so you're always starting fresh.

you might want to just get used to the WSM by itself for a few cooks and see if you really think you need temp control. It will hold pretty steady all by itself if you use it properly. Spend the $$$ on meat!:mrgreen:

Stoke&Smoke said:

you might want to just get used to the WSM by itself for a few cooks and see if you really think you need temp control. It will hold pretty steady all by itself if you use it properly. Spend the $$$ on meat!:mrgreen:

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When I read it, it sounded to me like he already had the WSM...

my bad, enjoy! The party Q does look cool. I had a guru at one time and sold it as I just didn't feel the need with a BGE or a WSM

You certainly don't *need* a PartyQ, but using my last cook as an example, I was doing an overnight cook to be ready at lunch time instead of my more typical hot & fast starting in the morning to have for dinner. I loaded up the 22" with charcoal and set the PartyQ, then went to bed. Normally I'd have to stay up an hour or two making sure temps were stable, then the temps would be within 20 degrees when I got up depending on what the outside air temp did, ash buildup, etc. Instead I went to bed as soon as the smoker hit 250, and when I got up it was 250.

Either way works, but it's just peace of mind knowing your temps are going to be rock solid, and the Maverick is only going to wake you up if something happens like the door falls off the WSM. Before the PartyQ, it was a 50/50 shot whether the Maverick was going to wake me up in the wee hours of the morning because the pit temp moved too much.

Home Depot and Lowe's sell plugs something like this that fit the WSM vent holes:

I just purchased the new PartyQ (not the old one -- the new one that's been out for a couple weeks) -- and I love it. I've used it for three 5+ hour cooks on my WSM 18.5 and on my UDS. For all three cooks, the PartyQ held the temp steady at 325F (hot-n-fast brisket for all three cooks).

My only concern is the battery life. I've not changed the 4-AA batteries (total cook time so far about 15-18 hours give or take) but I ended up buying a rechargeable set of extra AA batteries in case the batts decide to give up mid-cook.

I'm cooking in fairly hot and humid weather -- 80-90F for all three cooks -- so I have yet to experience the PQ when it gets cold. The cold -- and the reviews about the old PQ konking out in the cold or not working -- were what stopped me from purchasing it. However, when I saw BBQ Guru had a new one out, I bit the bullet.

I use a wireless thermometer to monitor the meat temp. I've got a DigiQ DX2 and a CyberQ wifi, but I've found the PQ to be quick and easy to set up. No cords to mess with, no worry about power outlets. I suspect I'll use this in place of the DX2 when I'm using only one pit. (I thought I'd like the CyberQ -- but I found that while it was accurate, my current wifi setup is not close enough for the CyberQ to pick up a signal. Plus, I really dislike that I need to use three food probes and a single pit probe with the CyberQ. It's great when you need all three food probes, but when you're smoking ribs or a single pork butt, plugging in all the probes and using none or only one seemed like a tangle of wires. But that's just me.)

Literally, you just turn on the PQ, slide it in the adapter, and set your pit temp. I believe it stores the temp from the previous cook (not 100% sure about this -- but now that I think about it, I only adjusted the pit temp the first time). The new PQ feels pretty sturdy, too. The temp buttons are nice and firm, and the power switch is under the LCD display. Everything feels well put together and solid.

There's a single probe that alligator clips to the pit grate -- the same pit probe as all the other BBQ Guru controllers. The new PQ has a little LED that flashes red or green to indicate visually the fan going on and off. There's also a relatively simple menu that you can access by pressing the two front buttons. The adapter is the same as the all the other BBQ Guru controllers, so if your pits already have the adapters installed, you're good to go.

I like the new flexible "arm" that snakes up from the fan and holds the LCD temp display. The arm makes it very easy to adjust the PQ so it's visible virtually no matter where you've installed the adapter.

Overall, I'm really pleased. No real issues, no real complaints, and the temp accuracy on both the WSM 18.5 and UDS is spot-on. I had to invert the the charcoal door on my WSM in order to get increased airflow (to take it past 285+), but once the PQ had the temp at 320 or so, it kept it steady for the whole cook. No issues. No problems on my UDS at all. My UDS runs hot, so it's easy to get it up to 300+ and have it settle where I need it.

EDIT: BTW, I sealed the holes on my WSM damper with high-heat metallic tape from Home Depot. Works fine. I'm able to maintain any sort of smoking temp I need -- from 250 on up.

Don't have a PartyQ, but use a PitmasterIQ 110 with my WSM 18.5". Works great and would expect nothing less of the PartyQ. I didn't need to do anything special to plug the dampers, just close them. Was also surprised to find how well the dialed-in temp matched my Maverick. If I set it for 250, I get 250. Should work great for you.

I've been using the PartyQ for about a year and half on my 18.5 WSM. I use it for over night smokes and it works great. It took me a while to get it dialed in so the temp matched up fairly close to my Maverick but I'm there now. I think the key is to set it up and turn it on pretty much as soon as you add the hot coals to the basket and then let the PartyQ bring you up to temp. It's been remarkably stable at holding temp since I started doing it this way. I also use rechargeable batteries as others have mentioned and I plugged the two open vent holes with 3/4" chrome plugs from Home Depot. The only gripe I have is that the little screw that holds the battery cover in place is stripped, but a length of velcro wrapped around the compartment did the trick. Best purchase I've made!

i think it does worth the investment, no wires to mess with and it goes anywhere... batteries last quite a bit - i got the low power symbol after 16 hrs or so at 250 degrees (cheap Harbor Freight batteries).
I use the 3/4" adapter, but that's me - needs a 7/8" hole drilled but looks nicer, imo.


(this is my new toy, the 14.5")


here's a WSM adapter mounted on a Performer: