Anyone ordering the new BBQ Guru's?

[SlowmotionQue]

These type devices are the last step before finally going with a pellet grill, with or without, a smoke tube for overnight cooks.

Ask me how I know.

After you get tired of blowing ashes all over everything and waking up to alarms, some of you will see this as well.

It's almost better to skip this expense and go ahead and put it towards a good pellet grill.

[luv2smoke]

Anybody have any idea as to where BBQ Guru's are made?

[nickmv]

They reached out to me on Tuesday letting me know that theyre prepping to ship Friday, and that the premium probes I ordered are on backorder. Theyre going to ship me standard probes for now then follow-up with the premiums when they get in stock.

Not bad! Offsets some of that steep steep cost of this newest model. I still am gonna refurbish / repair my HeaterMeter for a just-in-case backup.

[Curt.P]

Originally Posted by luv2smoke

Anybody have any idea as to where BBQ Guru's are made?

My CyberQ says made in USA. No idea about the new ones.

[katan]

I received mine yesterday. Nice packaging, well made and quality build.

Today I ran a rack of baby backs to get the hang of it. Out of the gate, it was awesome - it dialed my Weber Summit at around 225 without any attention. That was nice in my workday.

Not a perfect start, however. I got distracted and found the pit started reading at half temperature or a range of error from what it should be. I checked the dome, close to normal. Threw in another temp system, also near what I would expect. I used both the pit and food temp sensor included, and both were erratic as all get out. No reading, half temp, correct for a bit.

Starting to worry about being in a early dud situation, but I think I fixed that. Maybe ambient temp related, but I need to make sure.

I switched to an overnight butt cook to continue to exercise it. Nice to use the relatively inexpensive meats to kick the tires.

The one thing I've found is a challenge for me, is the ring and the screen in direct sunlight. Pretty much impossible to read or interpret colors. I started hiding the UltraQ under nooks so I could actually read it.

Now at night the color scheme is really easy to interpret and the screen is easy to read. So I guess this is the use case they aimed for. I plan to use this for mostly overnight cooks, so I think they hit the intended use case.

All and all happy after 24 hours. Looking to see how this butt goes in the next 12 hours.

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Originally Posted by katan

I received mine yesterday. Nice packaging, well made and quality build.

Today I ran a rack of baby backs to get the hang of it. Out of the gate, it was awesome - it dialed my Weber Summit at around 225 without any attention. That was nice in my workday.

Not a perfect start, however. I got distracted and found the pit started reading at half temperature or a range of error from what it should be. I checked the dome, close to normal. Threw in another temp system, also near what I would expect. I used both the pit and food temp sensor included, and both were erratic as all get out. No reading, half temp, correct for a bit.

Starting to worry about being in a early dud situation, but I think I fixed that. Maybe ambient temp related, but I need to make sure.

I switched to an overnight butt cook to continue to exercise it. Nice to use the relatively inexpensive meats to kick the tires.

The one thing I've found is a challenge for me, is the ring and the screen in direct sunlight. Pretty much impossible to read or interpret colors. I started hiding the UltraQ under nooks so I could actually read it.

Now at night the color scheme is really easy to interpret and the screen is easy to read. So I guess this is the use case they aimed for. I plan to use this for mostly overnight cooks, so I think they hit the intended use case.

All and all happy after 24 hours. Looking to see how this butt goes in the next 12 hours.

So how are things going on the pork butt cook? About 5 days before they announced the new equipment I bought the CyberQ Cloud. haha It's definitely "old technology" but once I got it setup it has been working very well and I've used it a ton. It keeps my large cabinet smoker within 5° for 12+ hours with no issues...love it!

[RacrX]

My DigiQ has been such a workhorse for so many years, I honestly can't justify spending the money on a new setup...although it looks really cool, love the indictor light.

[NickTheGreat]

Appreciate the reviews! I'm watching intently

[katan]

Originally Posted by SmoothBoarBBQ

So how are things going on the pork butt cook? About 5 days before they announced the new equipment I bought the CyberQ Cloud. haha It's definitely "old technology" but once I got it setup it has been working very well and I've used it a ton. It keeps my large cabinet smoker within 5° for 12+ hours with no issues...love it!

Everything went well. Really happy with the results, UltraQ running the Weber Summit Charcoal with B&B briquettes and some hickory chunks. Pulled it and shared with a group of (socially distanced) friends in my backyard.

No reoccurrence of the probe temperature error from the previous day.

Overnight the system did a pretty good job of maintaining my set point of 225. It stayed on the high side of my set point, getting as high as 242. See the screenshot for the cook.

When I woke up in the morning it was struggling to get above 215, but upon inspection I didn't build a very good fire and there was some bifurcation in the coals. I then had it ramp up to 275, which it did a good job of doing.

I have to imagine that much of the logic of the previous generation carried over, so with the CyberQ I suspect it is more in packaging and presentation than anything else. As I mentioned, this display is awesome for night, just not during the day.

Oh yeah, one last thing. It met and maybe exceeded the expectation of my goal, and that is to sleep through the night. I did peek on it once but no action was required. I have a pellet pooper as well and I felt that level of confidence to sleep.

[Rebel78]

Thanks for all the reviews, any more would be appreciated! I'm thinking of getting one for my WSM for overnights.

I use Rockwood lump, it doesn't make much ash, not too concerned with ash blowing.

[Pitmaster T]

The UltraQ is defective worldwide - even the ones that DID work.



presneted.jpg


Initially I shot maybe 6 hours of video on the product. I produced two videos on how to adapt it. I have it connected to a PBC, UDS, Weber, My gravity feed and even the massive meat mama. My first apprehension is I have had a few units just go dead. But Tim Grisi did replace them quickly. THAT part of their service is awesome.

But in October I noticed one of the features never worked. The Ramp Feature. The reason I spent the money was for wifi and the ability to monitor and adapt at another location, and THE RAMP feature.

This is not what you think of as a ramp. It lowers the pit temp automatically WHEN YOUR DESIRED INTERNAL reached about 25-30 degrees from your desired IT - thereby meeting it in the middle and not overshooting the IT.

no ramp shown from ap and ramp is on.jpg

But you will notice the ramp toggle is "on" but the pit temp never reduced while the IT is close to the desired IT. We should see a decline in pit temp AS the IT goes up.

In November we found out that it was a problem with their software. Bob Trudnak wrote me (he was with them then and has since go on to push his line of awesome products) that the software company was an outside job.

They promised to fix it as you can see from this email "early part of" 2022.

when you fixing it.jpg

Tim also emailed me that ALL UNITS ARE AFFECTED with this "glitch" as he used to call it. Even ones that USED to work. It happens when the unit updates the firmware - which is where the problem lies. I proposed to find a way to just go back to the previous firmware but he wrote me he tried it on his personal model and it didn't work.

Anyway I kept asking. They kept delaying until we are where we are now.

In November, I told them (out of deference to the inventor Fred Pirkle) I would delay my review and videos (til tok and youtube) until that time but leave my existing videos on the product up. So when I wrote them last they said the update is even further out with no date. MEANWHILE they keep selling and pushing the UltarQ which you would spend the money one for the feature that actually still doesn't work.

I proposed TWO things. One was my warranty (coming up half used of the 2 year warranty) should START on the date they fix the firmware for everyone. Therefore all existing customers whose Ramp feature used to work, their warranty clock should freeze at the date GURU did the last defective firmware update and also continue when they fix it.

The second thing was that they literally email or text EVERY CUSTOMER that bought an UltraQ and let them know NOT to use the Ramp feature and when it will be fixed. This is an easy task because for the ULTRAQ to work, you have to register it using at least an email. Imagine popping in a nice Waygu expecting your ramp feature to work and over shooting the IT? This is why customers should know.

At that point both my commitment to them to publish the review as I said I would (after first quarter of 2022 when they said it would be fixed) and because now they won't return my emails or calls - more than 32 - I am speaking openly about it and turning on the video.

I have amassed about 40 or so customers in the last week with either the same issue or that never knew the ramp feature existed but confirmed it did not work using the baked potato test (shorter than meat).


I will keep you guys updated but this is not the company I have known for more than 10 years or so. I was judging the Shotgun Freds in 2014 when my daughter was born so we go way back and I have always lauded their product.

[crpngdth2001]

Was looking to replace my DigiQ to get Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and wanted the Ramp feature as well - looks like I will be looking at an alternative solution. Any thoughts?

[WeberWho]

Originally Posted by sarth67

Looks like a bright garish fireboard.

If I did not have a fireboard I would consider one. You have to get grive cable and fan to do the same with a fireboard.

I've been looking at the Fireboard Pro. Can you plug it into the wall to power it or is it only battery powered?

[IamMadMan]

Originally Posted by RacrX

My DigiQ has been such a workhorse for so many years, I honestly can't justify spending the money on a new setup...although it looks really cool, love the indictor light.

I agree..... My Digi-Q II works well and the ramp feature also works on it. I've used it for 10 years, during hurricane winds, rain blowing sideways, heavy winter storms. It just keeps working flawlessly.


I'm sorry to hear that they can't fix the firmware update, maybe it's time for a new software engineer that could make that happen.


I did update for remote temperature capabilities;I kept the Digi-Q II in place and I use a Thermoworks Signals to remotely monitor my temperatures. I'm happy using two separate products working independently of each other.

[LSUSmoker]

Originally Posted by WeberWho

I've been looking at the Fireboard Pro. Can you plug it into the wall to power it or is it only battery powered?

You can plug it into the wall as well. I bought one of those large battery packs and run it off that though.