Charcoal Smoker Controller

[Duffman56]

Hi everybody. Looking into getting a 18" WSM and controller. I've only ever used a cheap Smokey Hollow electric upright. The thing doesn't have a thermostat (just a low to high knob), and sometimes it won't get hot enough, but I've got to give the thing credit for some great food and getting me into the world of smoking.

I'm hoping to up my game, and hopefully smoke flavor, too with the WSM. It does seem a bit crazy that it's over $300 for something with no mechanics to it, but from what I've read on here it sounds like it should last forever. I'm hoping to add a controller to the mix since I'm a noob to charcoal smoking, but have no idea which one to get. Wifi would be great so I could monitor the smoke at work and ask the wife to check on it if something seems up.

The Thermoworks Signals/Billows seems like a good setup but another $300 for the two?! At that rate I'll be broke before I get any cuts of meat...

What controllers would you guys recommend?

 

[sandyut]

Check out the BBQ Guru offerings for a controller. I used a partyq for years on a 14" WSM and it was rock solid they make several that will fit any WSM.

 

[Duffman56]

Check out the BBQ Guru offerings for a controller. I used a partyq for years on a 14" WSM and it was rock solid they make several that will fit any WSM.

Yeah I’ve looked at them. I think the Dynaq has WiFi connectivity but seems like not very good reviews? Also seems like the Dynaq and fan would be close to $300 as well?

 

[$moke!t]

I got myself a Enzoo for my WSM. Its only about $50. It works great. 4 probes for meat and smoker temp. Its wireless so I can take it anywhere with me and keep track of my temps. It can also be set to what temps you want the smoker and the meat and will alarm when it has hit your desired temperature.

 

[Duffman56]

I got myself a Enzoo for my WSM. Its only about $50. It works great. 4 probes for meat and smoker temp. Its wireless so I can take it anywhere with me and keep track of my temps. It can also be set to what temps you want the smoker and the meat and will alarm when it has hit your desired temperature.

Does it control the temp of the smoker with a fan? That’s what I’m really after.

 

[SmokinAl]

I would just spend the $ & get a Guru. I’ve had one for 8 or 9 years on my WSM 22.5 & I’m still using the original probe wires. Mine is a DigiQ-DX2. It holds rock solid temps & in the summer I went 22 hours on one load of charcoal/wood mix. If you ever go to any BBQ contests, you will see a lot of Guru controlled pits.
Al

 

[Duffman56]

I would just spend the $ & get a Guru. I’ve had one for 8 or 9 years on my WSM 22.5 & I’m still using the original probe wires. Mine is a DigiQ-DX2. It holds rock solid temps & in the summer I went 22 hours on one load of charcoal/wood mix. If you ever go to any BBQ contests, you will see a lot of Guru controlled pits.
Al

Does your DigiQ have WiFi? I guess if it works properly I really won’t NEED WiFi... just thought it would be nice to have for peace of mind and convenience.

 

[SmokinAl]

No mine does not have WiFi. But it is an old model. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a WiFi model now. Or if your worried about it you could just get a WiFi therm & put a probe in there for piece of mind, but I have never had a problem with mine not working correctly.
Al

 

[sandyut]

I would just spend the $ & get a Guru.

yup. mine was rock solid for years, ran through rain and snow storms without issue. no complaints at all.

 

[FFchampMT]

The Thermoworks Signals/Billows seems like a good setup but another $300 for the two?! At that rate I'll be broke before I get any cuts of meat...

What controllers would you guys recommend?

I waffled around on the big 3 before I settled on the Signals/billows. This weekend was my first cook on it with 3 spare ribs at 225 in my 22.5 wsm and I was really impressed. It held +/-5 degrees for the first 3 hours running a snake stack on briquettes. Only after I started opening the lid to spritz and rotate did I have any real fluctuations. It may have spiked to 250, but was back down in 30 minutes at most. The temp leads and unit are very high quality.

The app was finicky though - it wasn't saving my session, meaning every time I'd reopen the app it would reset and I'd lose my graph. It wasn't until I named the session on the cloud website that it took hold. Saved the session in the app after the cook, and it disappeared. There's no ability to zoom the graph, or adjust the scale. If you select just your food probes for example while cooking, it stays zoomed out. The website has better functionality, but you have to rotate your phone to get the graph.

My other complaints:
1) not sure 'lid open' detection was working well. A couple of times I heard the fan cycle while I had the lid off.
2) if you have a pit alarm set on your phone remember to bring it with you when you go to mess with the food. The girlfriend wasn't too happy with the unattended blaring phone alarm a few times.
3) no indication of fan speed in the app. It's a minor detail but I'd like to just see the data.

All of that said I still think it's a fantastic addition to my setup and I recommend it. I'm excited to try it for a low temp jerky session and some higher temp chicken stuff soon.

 

[Duffman56]

I waffled around on the big 3 before I settled on the Signals/billows. This weekend was my first cook on it with 3 spare ribs at 225 in my 22.5 wsm and I was really impressed. It held +/-5 degrees for the first 3 hours running a snake stack on briquettes. Only after I started opening the lid to spritz and rotate did I have any real fluctuations. It may have spiked to 250, but was back down in 30 minutes at most. The temp leads and unit are very high quality.

The app was finicky though - it wasn't saving my session, meaning every time I'd reopen the app it would reset and I'd lose my graph. It wasn't until I named the session on the cloud website that it took hold. Saved the session in the app after the cook, and it disappeared. There's no ability to zoom the graph, or adjust the scale. If you select just your food probes for example while cooking, it stays zoomed out. The website has better functionality, but you have to rotate your phone to get the graph.

My other complaints:
1) not sure 'lid open' detection was working well. A couple of times I heard the fan cycle while I had the lid off.
2) if you have a pit alarm set on your phone remember to bring it with you when you go to mess with the food. The girlfriend wasn't too happy with the unattended blaring phone alarm a few times.
3) no indication of fan speed in the app. It's a minor detail but I'd like to just see the data.

All of that said I still think it's a fantastic addition to my setup and I recommend it. I'm excited to try it for a low temp jerky session and some higher temp chicken stuff soon.

Thanks for the response. It does seem like it’s got much better reviews than the Guru DynaQ (their Wifi controller). Both are pretty pricey though. I guess if I spring for a Wifi controller I’ll go with the Signals, and if not I’ll get the DigiQ. If I knew the Signals would last 10 years I’d probably get it, but not sure it’s been around long enough for anyone to know how long they’ll keep kicking?

 

[hawtsauc3]

Big fan of Guru products. my party q has been awesome. I'm honestly debating upgrading though. I got the party q because having batteries vs an extension chord was easier but it doesnt quite have the same power as their other units, which is also why it was likely discontinued.

 

[sandyut]

Big fan of Guru products. my party q has been awesome.

Same. I bought rechargeable batteries and they never quit before the cook was done.