FireBoard set up questions

[Tazman01]

Hi
I have WSM 18” and 22” Weber Kettle with SnS and a griddle

lonnie mac i just bought Fireboard with fan cable and from bbqguru the weber adapter and pit viper fan based on some older thread and comments by Lonnie Mac and a few others.

My fireboard arrives today pit viper viper and adapter already came.

Setup on WSM is straight forward but how much do you leave tip vent open?

Weber 22” Kettle where do I drill the hole. I understand it sb just below the charcoal grate and out of the way of the ash sweepers. But where in relation to the SNS.

Thanks for the help and can’t wait to try fireboard / pit viper combo out.

[Danjohnston949]

Tazman01, I Just Saw Your Post Asking lonnie mac (NONE BETTER IMLTHOP) for Advice on the FireBoard Set Up‼️ I Just Finished, Posting About Problems I Had With Temp Control and Pit Viper Fan Speed Control on Sunday‼️ All Related to Operator Error❓and The Fact That FireBoard Set the Default to Probe #: 1 for Temp and Fan Speed Control❗️ A Quick (5 Min or Less) Phone Call With, Steve, FB Customer Sevice, and He Explained in "Plain English - Not Techno Babble" How To ReName and ReSett the Default Probe Setting‼️ 👍👍👍
You May Want to Check My Post and Comments Yesterday and Today on the Show What You're Cooking Thread and the Homepage Headining Accessories Sub Heading Temp Controllers‼️ OBTW IMLTHOP You're Getting The Best System Available Todate‼️
OBTW, I RUN THE PROBE CABLES Between the Lid & the Kettle No
Holes No Problems❗️ ❓ 😃 ❓ ❗️
From a Backyard Cremator in Fargo ND, Dan

[RonB]

The fan hole should be opposite the SnS. So if the SnS is at 12 o'clock, the fan should be at 6 o'clock.

[Danjohnston949]

RonB, You Are Absolutely Correct About The Fan Being Located Opposite the S 'n S in the Weber Kettle, & it Is❗️ My Problem Was Due
To the Fact I Didn't Realize The FB's Default Setting Is the #: 1 Probe
for the Temp and Fan Speed Control❗️ Steve at FB Got Me Straighted
Out and "Learned Me" Hoe to Change and Rename the Default Probe❗️
No More Problems❗️ I'm the Dullest Knife in The Drawer❓ Dan

[Tazman01]

RonBDanjohnston949

Thanks for the recommendations and advice. Thought I read mounting 90 degrees but will mount 180 from sns as ronb mentioned 12 and 6 o’clock . Wanted to make sure as I was trying to convince myself it was ok to drill a hole in my kettle. Also thanks DanJohnston on the probe placement tip.

How do you set up the viper fan? Fully open and let fireboard do its thing or half open. Wondering for both 22” kettle with sns / griddle and 18” WSM

[Danjohnston949]

Tazman01 I Used a Pilot Hole 1/8" to Start and Then A Step Drill Bit From Harbor Frt❗️ I Center The Hole Between the Max Sweeop of The Clean Out Sweeps, Mark Inside of the Kettle With a Pencil , Also Mark the Lower Side of the Coal Grate❗️ Double Check All‼️ Your Pilot Hole Needs to be1/2 Dia of the Adapter BELOW The GRATE Line❗️ Drill PH Fom Inside Web & Enlarge From Ourside‼️ 👍👍👍👍👍 Dan

[DWCowles]

Also remember to closed the bottom vents all the way. Most of the time I'll leave the top vent half to three quarters open.

[RonB]

I have not run an experiment, but it seems to me that running the fan fully open will make the fan cycle on and off more frequently than closing down the fan a bit because of greater air flow. That should also bring the temp back up to the set point quicker. Closing down the port in the fan should reduce the airflow and make the fan run longer. In theory, you should be able to close the port to the point where the fan runs continuously and maintains the set temp. But you can also regulate the temp using the top vent....

What does all this mean for the quality of your cook? I have no *blanking* idea...

BTW - I run my fan wide open.

[Danjohnston949]

RonB, I Run The Gate Slide on the Pit Viper +- 1/2 Open, the Bottom Weber Vent Closed & the Top Vent 1/4 to 1/2 Open❓❓ But What Do I Know❓ I Can't Tell S--T From Shinola If You Know What I Mean❗️ Dan

[Troutman]

Yea I agree with RonB , let your fan do it's thing. I shut down the bottom vents completely and leave the top vent of my WSM or kettle open maybe 1/3 to 1/2 the way to allow air to exhaust and my fan just cycles on and off to hold steady the temperature I choose. Although I'm only done about 10 cooks or so with the Fireboard, nearly all of them have been picture perfect using the above described method.

[Tazman01]

Thanks that’s what I was thinking leave exhaust vent up top partly open bottom fully closed and pit viper fully open and let Fireboard do it’s thing.

Can’t wait to cook with it this weekend. 😋

[Danjohnston949]

See My Comment to RonB Above‼️ Dan

[lonnie mac]

All great advice!

As far as the Guru fan baffle goes, I leave mine fully open at all times. The Fireboard drive controls the fan by actual RPM values, and not just on/off as the probe calls for heat. I love this about the Fireboard. At 1% RPM you can almost count the fan blades! My top vent is usually about a 1/4 open or less on the WSCGC and of course bottom vents closed. Much more than that on my top vent and I notice a natural draft through the fan itself even though it is not running, and causing more of a run-away situation, causing higher peaks of over-temp, and longer return back down to my set-point. The way I look at is the more you can close down the top vent (in short of all the way) the smoother the peaks will be in your graphs. This has been my experience though in the WSCGC. It will be fun to experiment with your upper vent and learn everything about how it effects your temp control. Play around with it, run it with your upper vent completely open, and then completely closed and you can learn how your graphs look on a cook, and how fast reaction times will be. I can't speak to using the Fireboard Drive with the SNS myself as I don't really use the SNS for low and slow.

[Troutman]

I can't wrap my mind around completely closing all vents, including the top. There has to be some sort of air circulation. I feel like I'm dowsing the fire. I like the 1/4 to 1/2 scenario, works great for me !!

[Danjohnston949]

lonnie mac Troutman First Under No Circumstance Would I Close The Top Vent While Cooking‼️ You'll Create Dirty Smoke IMLTHOP❗️ Lonnie, Todate I Have Ran My Pit Viper Slide 1/2 Open While Usinng the BBQGURU DIGIQ-DX 2 Controller❗️ Works Great❗️ As I am Trying To Transition to the FireBoard as The Temp and Fan Control I Don't Want to Change All on My 22 1/2" Weber, S 'n S, Drip & Griddle❗️ Dan

[lonnie mac]

Great Danjohnston949! You are doing it right brother. In fact, the fan baffle was put on the Guru fan specifically for the DIGIQ as it does not regulate the actual RPM of the fan motor, rather it is just an on/off switch. The fan is either wide open, or off. The Fireboard regulates the actual RPM itself so the baffle is not needed.

[Tazman01]

lonnie mac Great advice from all and good explanation from Lonnie on the Fireboard rpm makes sense to leave viper fully open.

[Danjohnston949]

@Taxman01, Lonnie mac, Regarding the Gate Setting Fot The Pit Viper Fan, Lonnie Your Explanatin of FireBoard's Porportional Fan Speed Temp I'm Begining To Believe Wide Open Gate Is Correct‼️ Thank You❗️ Even Old Feeble Dogs, ME, Can Learn A New Trick If You Use A
Big Enough Club‼️ 🤗 😇 🤗 Dan