PID controller or Non PID controller

[Humo18]

Humo - I've been going to Montauk for ohhh.... 60 yrs. It is important to enjoy every day! I will be at Bennett Spring in a couple weeks. Montauk suffered a 500 yr flood 2 yrs ago and with that a lot of stream change. MO DNR stepped up and made tremendous repairs, which they normally do not perform since it is designated "natural area". Yes, fly fishing is the game for me. Attendance numbers have been on the decline since the early 70s, probably due to costs, reduced keep #s, and reduced size. For the last couple months the fish have been larger.

Camp Chef has gone beyond all expectations trying to corral the temp swings. They replaced the controller and thermometer; then they replaced the entire hopper assembly, w/controller, thermometer, and 2 meat thermometers. This replacement resulted in a more acceptable temp range. Not wonderful, but acceptable and I believe they have done everything possible to satisfy. Dixie K at CC customer service is one of a kind - a great person.

Best of luck to you with hunting trout and cooking them!

I'm starting to believe that indeed a PID controller is overkill, not 100% sure yet but I will probably go with Camp Chef. Oh by the way, you don't sound like you are ready for the old folks home, keep enjoying life fishing and using your smoker!

 

[drno_1]

This would be my suggestion

https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/pellet-pro-exclusive-pid-controller-pellet-grill-upgrade/

Although I’d call the company to find out for sure if it fits and what it involves

thanks for the link! now i have to research the Pellet Pros - they look like they are good and well priced as well.

 

[indaswamp]

However, IMHO, such a controller is complete overkill for most cooking applications because food isn't that sensitive to 20-30 degree over/under shoots. The set point definitely needs to be accurate (i.e., the average temperature), but small variations don't matter much.

There are exceptions to this, and sous vide is the most obvious example. That method of cooking relies on the water bath being at the precise temperature, and at not changing at all. A PID controller is mandatory.

Smoking Sausage being one of the exceptions. 20-30 degrees over and you risk fat out in the links.

 

[jaxrmrjmr]

The brilliant part of a PID controller is that it figures itself out no matter what situation it is in. It doesn't have just one setting like a piece of metal. Let's say that you are smoking in 85° weather and your "metal bending" heat indicator cuts your system on and off just perfectly. Would that same "metal bending" heat indicator work the same if the outside temp was 40°? Probably not. It would probably lag in heating up (because of the difference between smoker temp and outside air temp and then over shoot). Use what works for you.

 

[Humo18]

retread68, back in Sept you were going to call SmokeDaddy regarding their $180 PID controller. What came of that and did you buy one for the Camp Chef.

 

[Retread68]

Humo18/et al - Yes sir, I did purchase SmokeDaddy's PID controller. Since I could not confirm the specs of the Camp Chef OEM components (nor could Camp Chef rep), I purchased the "Complete Upgrade Kit", retail $249.99 because the controller has some specific requirements pertaining to the auger motor. As it turned out, the Fan Motor is identical to the OEM motor, but the Auger Motor is definitely larger than the OEM. Conversion was straight forward, unless you don't know the difference in a phillips screwdriver and a socket wrench. I'm still not sure what difference a 9 hole pot vs a 7 hole pot makes, but it has a bottom in it, so the ash cleanout trap door no longer serves a purpose. For those not familiar with the Camp Chef, the OEM burn pot has no bottom and a sliding "trap door" serves as the bottom, making it easy to dump the ash after use.

Once conversion was made it was time to test it so a 4 1/2 lb beef brisket was used along with Camp Chef brand pellets. After 3 1/2 hrs, I was miffed. Temp swings were better than with the OEM controller, the CC replacement controller, and the CC replacement pellet bin/auger/controller/ everything except the barrel. Yes - Camp Chef replaced everything except the barrel, grates, and wheels ! How is that for customer service ???!!! Sorry .... back to the PID controller. Of course it did not take much to improve temp control when the best OEM /replacement OEM equipment produced a +50/-45 temp swings. Unfortunately the SD PID gave +28/-21 temp swings which is far from advertised +/-10 degree swings.

Dennis was a bit miffed also and suggested propping the lid open some to see if that would help settle things down. Doing so seemed like setting the house HVAC controller to 76 then opening the front door to keep the inside temps below 96 to me, but ok; I tried it. No help, in fact the temp swings became unpredictable.

Mean time, Rural King Farm Supply has a sale on Lumber Jack brand pellets @ $7.25/20 lb - so I stock up and decide I want to smoke some ribs using LJ Char/Hickory pellets. Hoping that the ribs would not just be totally screwed due to temp swings, on they went. Watching with great interest in expectation of calling Dennis again to give him the WTH speech, a transformation came over the little Camp Chef smoker. The controller fairy was making the temps hang within +/- 5 degrees F. During the 6 hr cooking process the SID controller performed exactly as advertised !! After 4 more times in the past 6 weeks or so, it continues to maintain +/- 6 degrees F using LJ pellets. Not so with Camp Chef pellets.

Dennis confirmed that pellets are not all equal, he was/is aware some burn hotter and he was working on new firmware so his PID controller could better handle the hotter burning pellets. I need to talk to him again and determine if that firmware is now available. Dennis is a man of few words, but he delivers as promised.

 

[anglerman]

Humo18/et al - Yes sir, I did purchase SmokeDaddy's PID controller. Since I could not confirm the specs of the Camp Chef OEM components (nor could Camp Chef rep), I purchased the "Complete Upgrade Kit", retail $249.99 because the controller has some specific requirements pertaining to the auger motor. As it turned out, the Fan Motor is identical to the OEM motor, but the Auger Motor is definitely larger than the OEM. Conversion was straight forward, unless you don't know the difference in a phillips screwdriver and a socket wrench. I'm still not sure what difference a 9 hole pot vs a 7 hole pot makes, but it has a bottom in it, so the ash cleanout trap door no longer serves a purpose. For those not familiar with the Camp Chef, the OEM burn pot has no bottom and a sliding "trap door" serves as the bottom, making it easy to dump the ash after use.

Once conversion was made it was time to test it so a 4 1/2 lb beef brisket was used along with Camp Chef brand pellets. After 3 1/2 hrs, I was miffed. Temp swings were better than with the OEM controller, the CC replacement controller, and the CC replacement pellet bin/auger/controller/ everything except the barrel. Yes - Camp Chef replaced everything except the barrel, grates, and wheels ! How is that for customer service ???!!! Sorry .... back to the PID controller. Of course it did not take much to improve temp control when the best OEM /replacement OEM equipment produced a +50/-45 temp swings. Unfortunately the SD PID gave +28/-21 temp swings which is far from advertised +/-10 degree swings.

Dennis was a bit miffed also and suggested propping the lid open some to see if that would help settle things down. Doing so seemed like setting the house HVAC controller to 76 then opening the front door to keep the inside temps below 96 to me, but ok; I tried it. No help, in fact the temp swings became unpredictable.

Mean time, Rural King Farm Supply has a sale on Lumber Jack brand pellets @ $7.25/20 lb - so I stock up and decide I want to smoke some ribs using LJ Char/Hickory pellets. Hoping that the ribs would not just be totally screwed due to temp swings, on they went. Watching with great interest in expectation of calling Dennis again to give him the WTH speech, a transformation came over the little Camp Chef smoker. The controller fairy was making the temps hang within +/- 5 degrees F. During the 6 hr cooking process the SID controller performed exactly as advertised !! After 4 more times in the past 6 weeks or so, it continues to maintain +/- 6 degrees F using LJ pellets. Not so with Camp Chef pellets.

Dennis confirmed that pellets are not all equal, he was/is aware some burn hotter and he was working on new firmware so his PID controller could better handle the hotter burning pellets. I need to talk to him again and determine if that firmware is now available. Dennis is a man of few words, but he delivers as promised.

Glad to hear the pellet pro started working better for you.

 

[Humo18]

Great feedback, retread! It's amazing that the change in brand of pellets made such a positive difference. I just got a Woodwind SG with SearBox but have not had a chance to fire it up (it's killing me!).
At any rate, you would think Camp Chef can profit from your comprehensive evaluation and change something in their pellet mfg. to improve the performance of their products.
Happy you are satisfied with your purchase, keep on smoking!!

P.S. Can you explain the difference between a phillips screwdriver and a socket wrench??:rolleyes:

 

[Retread68]

Errahhh ... did I say socket wrench? I meant pocket wrench .... you know that thang over thar next to the board stretcher! I'm still trying to figure out who Phillip is anyway!
Since using a pellet smoker is new to me, I am amazed at the performance difference in pellet brands. There are some mighty fine folks at Camp Chef and they bent over backwards trying to make things right. After seeing temp swings out of the ordinary using the PID controller & Camp Chef pellets vs perfect performance using Lumber Jack pellets, it makes me wonder if the Camp Chef controller would perform as desired using the LJ pellets. I'm almost afraid to find out that a $7.25 bag of pellets would have fixed the problem! Anything is possible though I reckon.

Congrats on the Woodwind SG. It has the same pellet box w/controller that CC sent me in their last ditch effort to fix the problem. If you use some fresh Lumber Jack pellets when you get to fire it up, let me know how it performs.

 

[Humo18]

With the free bag of pellets and some that I bought I now have about 100 lbs of CC pellets so that should last me a while. but I am going to eventually try the LumberJack pellets and let you know. But glad you were able to fix your problem.

 

[anglerman]

With the free bag of pellets and some that I bought I now have about 100 lbs of CC pellets so that should last me a while. but I am going to eventually try the LumberJack pellets and let you know. But glad you were able to fix your problem.

Lumberjack have been working great in my pellet pro.

 

[Humo18]

Thanks, seems like Lumberjack is more expensive, but if better then it' worth it. I guess you can search for sale prices

 

[drno_1]

Lumberjack have been working great in my pellet pro.

How do you like your Pellet Pro? i don't see too many reviews on that brand, although they look to be upper middle tiered pellet grills?

 

[anglerman]

How do you like your Pellet Pro? i don't see too many reviews on that brand, although they look to be upper middle tiered pellet grills?

I don’t have their smoker housing, I bought their complete hopper assembly and installed it on an old propane vertical smoker. But it’s been great for years only had to replace the temp probe.

 

[Humo18]

Retread, pocket, socket, rocket wrench I figure all the same!!

 

[Adonai3377]

I don’t have their smoker housing, I bought their complete hopper assembly and installed it on an old propane vertical smoker. But it’s been great for years only had to replace the temp probe.

First time here and obviously way behind on the timing, but I was wondering which propane vertical smoker you have? I have the cheap master forge vertical propane and was thinking of putting the pellet pro on it since it's pretty much apiece of junk any other way

 

[Humo18]

FYI, our Wentzville Missouri Rural King has Lumber Jack pellets for $9, 20 pounds. That seems like a bargain??

 

[dubob]

I'll say. Here the 20# bags go for $13 at one store and $14 at another.

 

[Humo18]

dubob, I'll have to get some of those LJ pellets. The Camp Chef pellets go for $19.99; if the LJ pellets workout OK that's the way to go.

 

[dubob]

I've only been a pellet burner for about 3 weeks now, but the LJ Comp Blend MHC pellets give more smoke flavor than the first Pit Boss Hickory bag I bought at Wally World for $8.88. I've burned up about 36/37 lbs of pellets so far. I'll have to open my third bag this week when I do my first pulled pork and a pastrami brisket from a store bought corned beef brisket. Life is good and the pellet grill food is even better.