Need design recomendations for adding a Guru/Stoker for an Offset

[Quid Pro Q]

Here's the deal. I normally run two eggs with a DigiQ, but I just added this offset/vertical to the mix. I'd like to run either a DigiQ or a Stoker on it (haven't decided yet which one). I also plan on adding a coal basket as well as a tuning plate.

I'm leaning to a Guru, just because I already have one and the additional parts are a much cheaper buy in than the Stoker. After talking with the Co., they suggested I need the Raptor Adapter (https://www.bbqguru.com/storenav?CategoryId=5&ProductId=21) as well as an "industrial fan from a fireplace store." I'm not terribly sure what type of fan they're talking about, so if anyone has a suggestion, please let me know. The bottom pin wheel damper will be coming out, and will likely be replaced with an adapter mount for a fan.

Stoker- After talking with the guys at Stoker, they said their 10 cfm fan would likely be enough, but no harm in jumping up to the 25 cfm.

Any suggestions though on how to set it up would be great. I appreciate all input on the subject.




https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/e_JQ711zym_D6f6LS7RV68w6WrEq6UsCaLh3QwR7xp_tTfR7xL EN46_Es3-PblIomviP4JxMbSKM8V535jxq3cWatoQf4MQeBb1fMDVekU7Ss 4U0mlRKDTdiC1lhYhIKfdfGxn7AJ1znOqba5caL8I_xDsMNRMS NDz9VepEIXbI4nw7NZ5Kn1-5kG0gQgRgBHA6Z9ejSntwYtEvZI5jxtQhXy5NmcCpQWVZhCQ32 bWdY6cQ00H5ebG8MJ5myiY9XZLuO7XHm11zsFXqdptN71dwXbq Zh0yS6ClN9wO-I2SJiQ9pg2pgPFEHMvNU0zw1otaB1ETxqQRNR3LwU57Yi6x1Qb cV-apkSpdmnxZoCWVryGAwMuoswzYH6EXvCnGRDy47AuxHU4QU-GLCCN5NMuXFWzD106Omug1w8Oe_DE9NdZe8I128mYk7z7mQAad GAa5WeJQ-N0icvII3HLoZ8KJUSTt81JOhx6X4XOeNF2t_MPYprTrhZWB9oG c92JtuM-K6Tf2m9gB7PJunHUntjjS7MGz7R72xN00rNxXhdHY_m8sOHLbR Wk4Uhxrex1DOhAxVXvUBCzK1sGeQ3kydJYUZAz5snct8=w1698-h955-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LRdUv0KnCxkg0ZcxSqu7Pj2v6K-Z1BSaV3jVQKah1cZ_VeC1lpeIHgfYxmzrNsT9zfn0S8eCXnWkt W9WmD-Ih0d2rMAxHlmblR-5eYEIcBUs1M3ZMtagz3snx9vl_SRDexk8yle1xnhPRCkITRsLw FMlApMjKTjH7rIlvpMZIQJw8UBDsJeYkFkmnidgRddBpkaaxxP rsQBLWzc6tP6nLKbmo2XKEG1eAKL7dgwxS6tUnr66dRXWvNwJu nAjiCCWvOebzc2fprJBf7j_02TIOgzgyFGxPjZSOz-ADaJDXdn1_y37VvaTib-JpGIZSHE0jfmr8xpLbbq02PXUzUKk2qKOxVs_p4o8n-arFo1zWlbpN_CQM-vSfJAbLxr4J00p-w17uoB5eMSLJxzUIzrL1uGrExsAzN9xkpN_93IGsOsFdwnWWSG V5blRCSHjT7l4vXuCN6joI2arb--EyGVACAcbYNCsqG3NU3KpQqCmuj7OAybLJSRNG1PoQ7VkGVRys tTKYhd47p2S40fJ2SWts_nfIILs3RgTV7Ru1ILA2Jv50vUMB28 8l87jPNapQLIsEoENwd-HEUElJzbigDLmKxsz1gJ6Ztg=w538-h955-no

[SmittyJonz]

You gonna try to run that thing on Charcoal.? :shock:

[Boone6590]

^^^^^^^What he said^^^^^

[Quid Pro Q]

You gonna try to run that thing on Charcoal.? :shock:

May I ask you why not? There are plenty of people that run charcoal baskets. I'm going to at least try it out. My main question has to do with the set up. If a combination of coal and wood would work better with a Guru or Stoker, then, please let me know.

[mattmountz94]

:behindsofa:

[DownHomeQue]

if you want a Guru or Stoker ran pit a WSM, Egg, or charcoal cabinet style pit is what you should get in my opinion. Offsets are made and designed to run on sticks.. They run most efficiently on sticks.. They produce their best flavor from sticks..

[JS-TX]

In all honesty, you're trying to run a stick burner as a lump burner, not exactly best practice. IMO you'd have better luck using a box fan trying to generate enough fire/heat for that smoker. Probably have to refill your coal basket on longer cooks too.

[Bludawg]

:frusty:Keep the controls for your Flowerpot charcoal pits, & Run that thing on All Wood Like God meant for it to. You''ll never get it hot enough on charcoal that you will need to buy by the pallet load to feed it. Them Controllers are made for a closed environment where the heat is coming from below. Offsets don't draft that way.

[Shagdog]

I agree.. I really doubt it will work. The stoker will never have full control of your airflow the way it would with a cabinet or egg. Those systems use very little oxygen to run, and the airflow is very low. An offset is about as far as you can get from that. Very high airflow and a much hotter fire. Just a guess, but I would think you would burn out your fan in one cook.

[Nuco59]

You've gotten advice from a few folk who know a thing or two. There may be more along later adding (or piling on) :-D

While waiting, it may be a good time to broaden your search for knowledge.

Google and google some more- you aren't the first person to think this up. Temp controllers have been around for awhile- someone is bound to have posed the same question or posted about their failures and successes. Read/watch about their experiences with a rig like this -then decide if it's worth your time and money to give it a whirl.

[m-fine]

You've gotten advice from a few folk who know a thing or two. There may be more along later adding (or piling on) :-D

Looks more like he has gotten some strongly held opinions from people who have never tried to do what he is asking about.

[pjtexas1]

I won't pile on but will suggest you run it on charcoal once before investing money in an ATC.

[Nuco59]

"Looks more like he has gotten some strongly held opinions from people who have never tried to do what he is asking about."

That might be one take.

And the 2nd bit was basically "google the tar out of it" - it's a big old world with lots of folk who post on just about every aspect of everything. His "offset with a temp controller???" will be there somewhere. No need to strictly limit yourself to these forums for info on BBQ. This IS a great site- but the comments on your posted question might not get the number of hits you want.

[Swine Spectator]

Quid Pro Q,

Like others, I find that my Klose is happiest with straight-up wood. It came with a charcoal basket that I have only used 3 times in 4+ years, but hey, to each their own.

To answer your original question: If you do want to use a controller, I think that this is probably the best solution for your set up:

https://bbq-blowers-llc.myshopify.com/products/perfect-draft-bbq-blower

It is a blower that was designed for offsets, so no adapter needed. I do like that is just attached with magnets for easy removal.

Good luck,

David

[COS]

What PJ said, run it on charcoal once and go from there. I don't think it's going to be economical though. Just do it and see for yourself before you buy anything else. Looks like you got a good pit there though.

[SmittyJonz]

Maybe you should swap with this guy.........

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=230146

[m-fine]

My take is that these cookers are in many ways just different takes on an oven. Certainly the primary reason to get an offset stick burner is to do low and slow hot smoking with wood splits. That doesn't mean that is all you can do with it. I have run my Lang at 65 degrees for cold smoking with pellets to 500 degrees for hot and fast baking of chicken. I have also used an old bag of brickettes to heat my Lang for steam cleaning, so I know first hand that charcoal will burn in there without bringing the world to an immediate end.

I can certainly see wanting to use charcoal and a controller from time to time. It might not be the ideal tool for the job but we don't all have a dozen grills to choose from. Will it work? The main concerns I see are how hot can the charcoal get and maintain it, and how long will it last between refueling. He may not be looking to get to 500 degrees or for 12 hour unattended cook times so that may or may not be an issue for him. Thumbing your nose at the idea and taking a religious splits or nothing stance is OK for you to choose, but not helpful to the OP's question. I think some of the responses here were unfortunately predictable and rude. Nuco's suggestion to look elsewhere was the only helpful suggestion. It can be done and others have done it. Just don't dare mention that you have around here.

[damascusmaker]

http://www.atbbq.com/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/2210/

"The YS Charcoal Basket is also perfect for use with a grill automation system such as the Flame Boss 100 Universal Controller."

[Quid Pro Q]

My take is that these cookers are in many ways just different takes on an oven. Certainly the primary reason to get an offset stick burner is to do low and slow hot smoking with wood splits. That doesn't mean that is all you can do with it. I have run my Lang at 65 degrees for cold smoking with pellets to 500 degrees for hot and fast baking of chicken. I have also used an old bag of brickettes to heat my Lang for steam cleaning, so I know first hand that charcoal will burn in there without bringing the world to an immediate end.

I can certainly see wanting to use charcoal and a controller from time to time. It might not be the ideal tool for the job but we don't all have a dozen grills to choose from. Will it work? The main concerns I see are how hot can the charcoal get and maintain it, and how long will it last between refueling. He may not be looking to get to 500 degrees or for 12 hour unattended cook times so that may or may not be an issue for him. Thumbing your nose at the idea and taking a religious splits or nothing stance is OK for you to choose, but not helpful to the OP's question. I think some of the responses here were unfortunately predictable and rude. Nuco's suggestion to look elsewhere was the only helpful suggestion. It can be done and others have done it. Just don't dare mention that you have around here.


I really appreciate your comment. For people that are so dismissive, my only question is why? If you've got such a strong position on something, please back it up with why.

I've been competing for 6 moths now and a good friend of mine donated this smoker. My goal is to set it up to be as user friendly as possible. If I can take out some of the stress by adding a Stoker, which advertises it'll work with a Lang 108, why not?

If I can get a large basket in there and use the minion method, then why not?

If it costs me another $25 worth of lump, I'm good with it.

Doesnt a stick burner turns sticks into coal?

I asked because I hoped for constructive advise, just trying to learn and help where I can as much as the next guy.

[jwtseng]

As you have discovered, running your stick-burner on charcoal is akin to talking religion or politics at a cocktail party...

The answer to your original question is here:

https://bbqguru.com/storenav?CategoryId=2&ProductId=10

Depending on the size of your firebox, you might need two of these. But all you have to do is to cut out one or two 1.375" holes under the forefathers of your firebox to fit these adapters. When I enter the size of my firebox at the bbqguru site, it tells me that I need to run two of the larger Pit Bull fans.

I already had my cyberQ wifi on my Primo when I got my offset. My pit builder made me some plates to cover the intake dampers on the firebox that were pre drilled to fit the bulkhead adapter. I've run the stick burner on charcoal alone with the guru fans, and it definitely works. Like others have said, it's not the most efficient use of charcoal...because an offset is a big hunk of metal that needs to be kept hot...it's a big heat sink. You basically have to keep the charcoal burning an open flame to keep generating enough heat...the minion method works poorly on an offset. Once you get to your set temp, the guru is going to try to snuff out the fire by turning off the oxygen intake...that means your draft goes to zero and temps plummet. It's a big temp seesaw with the guru fan and charcoal on an offset. And there's also a big difference in flavor. But maybe you prefer the charcoal flavor.

Running the guru to regulate an all wood fire is also not ideal, I have found. Getting the fire started with the guru fan is fine, but once your up to temp and the fan shuts off then the flame snuffs out and all you have is smoldering creosote-producing wood. Again, some people actually prefer this more acrid, heavy smoke flavor. But it's not the typical flavor that one would expect from a stick burner.

So that's my two cents, based on my experience with guru on my offset. My hope was that the guru would help my fire (whether charcoal or wood or a mix) burn more efficiently and let me get away with not feeding the fire so often...but the most efficient way I have found is to make a small hot fire that gets plenty of oxygen and burns clean...in other words, regulate temps with the amount of wood you are burning, not by starving the amount of oxygen your wood requires to burn cleanly.

[jwtseng]

Oh, and forget about that Raptor adaptor product. That's like a thermostat to turn on/off the heating element for an electric smoker. If you want to try the guru...you will need one bulkhead adaptor and one pit bull fan per 1.375" hole. My guess is that your pit will need two fans like mine, so double the above. In this case, you will also need to check to see that your guru controller can run two fans...my cyberQ has two fan ports.

[Rockinar]

I never understood why people get offsets, then the first thing they do is start talking charcoal baskets and electronic controls. It's an offset, not a Big Green Egg.

[blazinfire]

Thumbing your nose at the idea and taking a religious splits or nothing stance is OK for you to choose, but not helpful to the OP's question. I think some of the responses here were unfortunately predictable and rudeI find this rather funny! Don't think anyone was trying to be rude or "thumbing their noses at the idea"...... The OP posted a picture of a large off set smoker! Even if they had no information on the Guru's,adapters, or any other devices.

I think it is very good advice to let this guy know "Hey, you have a smoker that would run more efficiently with burning wood". Cooking with charcoal/adapters just seems rather tough and not so "user friendly" to me when cooking on a large offset like this.

But then again, I know nothing about the topic! Sorry. But don't think other people suggesting the cooker was meant for burning wood was being "rude".

@Quid Pro Q (http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/member.php?u=79803) I really hope you can figure something out. Show pictures, and information on the steps you take to making it run with charcoal/adapters! Would be cool to check out! But I'm with everyone else. Burning wood seems more user friendly in this case!