BBQ guru vs pitmaster IQ

DanB said:
Hi Sorry some of these terms are going right over my head.:grin:
What do you mean by BUT, you want the dampers set to where the pit is choking off when the blower is not turning.
Thanks Dan
Click to expand...
Dan you can experiment with the dampers on the IQ to see what works best...a leaky pit you can go a lower #
 
I just had a conversation with my optometrist this week, and he said that his DigiQ drastically increased the amount of charcoal he burned on longer cooks in his 22 1/2" WSM to the point that he just doesn't use it. Has anybody else had this happen?
 
Iq 110

Hi All Still didn't pull the trigger on IQ 110 yet.
Going to run a fire/smoke and see how much it leaks if any.
COS=?
Thanks Dan
 
Many have already stated the pros and cons of both. I have been using my DigiQ for years with 4 different cookers and it has worked flawlessly on all of them. Can't go wrong with Guru!
 
DanB said:
Hi All Still didn't pull the trigger on IQ 110 yet.
Going to run a fire/smoke and see how much it leaks if any.
COS=?
Thanks Dan
Click to expand...
COS= cheap offset smoker. Yours falls into that category. Cheaper store bought smokers that have thinner metal and lots of leaks in the FB and cooking chamber. There are fixes for those leaks etc...but sometimes it's just not worth it.
 
Fwismoker said:
COS= cheap offset smoker. Yours falls into that category. Cheaper store bought smokers that have thinner metal and lots of leaks in the FB and cooking chamber. There are fixes for those leaks etc...but sometimes it's just not worth it.
Click to expand...

^^^This

I tried fixing mine to stop the leaks and did a few other mods to even the temp across the cooking grate only to be disappointed with the results. You can cook great bbq with a COS, but it takes more work than I wanted to put into it. I did enjoy spending a few hours tending the COS to keep the temps as stable as possible, but with as cold/windy/rainy that it gets here, sitting out tending the pit is only fun for so long.

I ended up changing smokers just for the ease of things. During the summer when I am enjoying a cold beer and a cigar I do miss having to tend to the cooker. Now I just have to sit there and watch the thin blue smoke waft out of the exhaust.
 
Digi q

Hi Would love to have a Digi Q , just checked the price on it WOW. Does not fit into my budget right now.
I think it is back to the IQ 110, first I have too really check the my Smoke N Pit for leaks.:decision:
OK Here comes a stupid question: If the IQ and the Digi work off of the same principle, what makes the Digi that much better. I know the Digi has 2 probes,bigger fans?
Thanks Dan
PS You guys are amazing with all the info.
 
DanB said:
Hi Would love to have a Digi Q , just checked the price on it WOW. Does not fit into my budget right now.
I think it is back to the IQ 110, first I have too really check the my Smoke N Pit for leaks.:decision:
OK Here comes a stupid question: If the IQ and the Digi work off of the same principle, what makes the Digi that much better. I know the Digi has 2 probes,bigger fans?
Thanks Dan
PS You guys are amazing with all the info.
Click to expand...


Both products keep your pit temp...period. The IQ 120 would be a better comparison to the digiQ. The 110 keeps temps with the best of them just doesn't have the extra probe capacity, digital read out (who cares) and this ramp up down technology is nice but over rated imho....(just take the dang food out when your meat is done! Duh.
 
Anyway, the only way it would have any chance of working with your smoker is if you are able to close off all the vents while the pit is running and kill the fire. If it leaks and you cant, then these controllers wont work well if at all.

They need to have full control of intake air to be able to control the fire.

Hi Tomorrow I will close all the door vents/dampers, what about the smoke stack vent?
I'm curious too see just what is going to happen.
Got a 12 lb packer trimmed down too 6lbs. The other 6 lbs is headed for the grinder.
Also have 2 racks of BB's. Pic's to follow.

Thanks Dan
 
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DanB said:
Anyway, the only way it would have any chance of working with your smoker is if you are able to close off all the vents while the pit is running and kill the fire. If it leaks and you cant, then these controllers wont work well if at all.

They need to have full control of intake air to be able to control the fire.

Hi Tomorrow I will close all the door vents/dampers, what about the smoke stack vent?

Thanks Dan
Click to expand...
Close the smoke stack vent also to see if can kill the fire. When I had a Char Broil offset (which looks similar in design to yours), there were too many areas for air leakage to effectively choke off the fire. I had bought a IQ110 thinking that it would help me maintain the fire. I could not get it to work to my satisfaction due to all the air leakage. I found it easier to just cook without it.

Since then, I have moved onto a kamado egg smoker, and I use the IQ110 on long cooks. It is basically set and forget. Last weekend I smoked a couple of whole chickens and then did an overnight cook of a pork picnic and a brisket flat....so easy with the controller. The IQ110 kept the cook temp constant throughout the process.

Good luck with your cook!
 
Had my party q for all most for a year now, used it on maybe 8-10 cooks for pulled pork, and then it took a dump, dont know why it just wont turn on, since then i have learned to regulate the temps in my 22.5 wsm without one, yea good for me, long drawn out process to get the party q fixed you will be lucky if they return your e-mail. It worked good for the time it was working however now i dont need no ATC. Thanks guru for forcing me to cook without you.
 
eppo said:
Was reading this thinking they same thing. Why would you need one of these on a UDS?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...


I use my controller mainly for the ability to view the temps from my upstairs bedroom at night, so that I don't have to go up and down stairs constantly.

Granted, the UDS is fairly stable for overnight smokes, but, going to sleep knowing that you don't need to worry about the temps dropping for some unknown reason, is worth having a controller.



I have a fairly big blower for my UDS. I use a 30 cfm blower, although I don't use it at full capacity, usually at 30%, it nice to have to get to temps much faster. Anything smaller then 10cfm on a UDS IMHO is to small
 
Brian in Maine said:
I just had a conversation with my optometrist this week, and he said that his DigiQ drastically increased the amount of charcoal he burned on longer cooks in his 22 1/2" WSM to the point that he just doesn't use it. Has anybody else had this happen?
Click to expand...

Mine doesn't use more charcoal with my cyberq. That's with the top vent open and fan damper 1/2 closed.
 
Ribs n Brisket

just take the dang food out when your meat is done! Duh
Hi All Smoke some BB's and brisket, checked for leaks I do have some small ones, one thing I did notice is that the door vents DON'T close all the way, they leave about a 1/16" opening.
I going to need some type of heat resistant tape, to tape up 2 round holes on my pit lid.
Here are some pics of yesterday smoke.
For some reason my ribs always come out on the dark/black side .Rubbed with McCormick's cowboy rub & Pork rub. Used a mixture of Kingsford Blue N Royal Lump coal. Smoke at 275 for 3 hrs with apple wood, foiled with honey,butter & apple juice for 2 hrs, the unwrapped and back in the smoker for 1hr. I only use the wood for the 1st 3 hrs.
Thanks Dan
PS The temps were going way down when I "choked" off the fire.
 
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Auber

Hi All Not much info. on the Auber. I'm guessing no one here uses the Auber with there COS?
Thanks Anyway Dan
 
Im very happy with auber. I have 3 of them. Ih have both ten and twenty cfm fans. The 20 little too much for the uds but the ten seems just right. I like the fact that if any component of it goes out you just by that component. I really was impressed with there customer service too. I sent em an email once and they replied before i could log off my email. Ill be with them till the end with that kinda service
 
Auber

Hi The 20 CMF was recommended to me by Auber for my COS Brinkmanns Smoke N Pit. I see where you think the 20 was too much for your UDS.
Thanks Dan
PS They were very fast in replying to my E-Mials.
 
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