Top vent settings for BGE and WSM with ATC?

swamprb · Jan 25, 2009

Finally picked up a BLUE Digi Q II and played around with it last night on my LBGE. Started out with the pit probe attatched to the dome thermometer, then moved it to different areas around of the grate. I was cooking a rack of BB's and didn't use the meat probe.
So..Guru and Stoker users, do you leave the lid vent, daisy wheel open or shut it somewhat when you reach your stabilized target temp? I played around with mine a bit, but by then my cook was done.
Any advice for both cookers?

Buster Dog BBQ · Jan 25, 2009

I leave the daisy wheel barely open.

JimT · Jan 25, 2009

swamprb said:
Finally picked up a BLUE Digi Q II and played around with it last night on my LBGE. Started out with the pit probe attatched to the dome thermometer, then moved it to different areas around of the grate. I was cooking a rack of BB's and didn't use the meat probe.
So..Guru and Stoker users, do you leave the lid vent, daisy wheel open or shut it somewhat when you reach your stabilized target temp? I played around with mine a bit, but by then my cook was done.
Any advice for both cookers?

I've got a GURU and WSM. For me, the perfect combination is about 50% on the GURU slider and 30% on the top vent of the WSM. I'll sometimes leave both wide open to heat things up and get the fire burning cleanly, but shut them down before I reach my target temp.

HTH,

JimT

Armak · Jan 25, 2009

I have a Stoker and a large BGE

I find it depends on the temp. if real low and slow (200-220) than wheel just barely open.

Today I smoked a turkey and a fatty @ 250-275 (1st time for a fatty OMG :shock: should have done 2 as recommended. Between my wife, myself and my 3 boys it was gone in about 4 minutes) It was about 5 degrees outside and ended up leaving the wheel wide open and slightly cracked to keep the fan from running to much.

I was happy to see that my Stoker and my wireless bridge survived just fine for 5 hours in -1 to 9 degree weather

cheez59 · Jan 25, 2009

I don't have either of the cookers you do but I do have a Primo and I know it cooks identically to the egg. I leave my top vent about 1/4 to 1/3 open with the Guru. I have the 10 cfm blower on the Guru and I leave it 1/2 open during the cooks. These settings I pretty much never touch. The DigiQ does the rest. Quite well too I might add. Oh and I always clip the pit probe to the grate fairly close to the food. There is a 20 -30 degree difference in grate and dome temps. I figure it is better to know what the temp is near the food.

Rookie'48 · Jan 26, 2009

I have the WSM / Guru set up. I leave the top vent wide open & the slider set at 50% with the 10 cfm fan. I might try closing the top vent a bit after reading this thread, though.

sfisch · Jan 26, 2009

Rule of thumb that I've always heard and used for the WSM is the top vent always wide open no matter what.

Scott

Brew-B-Q · Jan 26, 2009

sfisch said:
Rule of thumb that I've always heard and used for the WSM is the top vent always wide open no matter what.

Scott

Yeah, I think that's true. Too much creosote can build up on the lid. However, the ATC can overshoot the temps and you may need to close down the top vent a little to cool things down. This is especially true if you have a leaky wsm.

I have a new 22" and have left the top vent open during the 2 cooks I've attmpted. However, it's also been below 20 degrees each time, so I'm not at risk for the cooker getting out of control hot.

Desert Dweller · Jan 26, 2009

Brew-B-Q said:
Yeah, I think that's true. Too much creosote can build up on the lid. However, the ATC can overshoot the temps and you may need to close down the top vent a little to cool things down. This is especially true if you have a leaky wsm.

I have a new 22" and have left the top vent open during the 2 cooks I've attmpted. However, it's also been below 20 degrees each time, so I'm not at risk for the cooker getting out of control hot.

I have never had to close the top vent of anything I smoked on. Everything I have read advises against doing that for the creosote reason.

Top vent settings for BGE and WSM with ATC?

swamprb

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