Auber owners - seeking opinions

[EubieQ]

After reading Bill McGrath's review on the Auber and copious forum posts (thanks Jerod, et al), I'm convinced it's my next purchase. I'll be using it on my XL BGE and 22 WSM. The majority of my cooks are in the 225-250 range, but I also do poultry in the 300-325 range. Not really looking for long-term temp control beyond that range. Just looking for Auber veterans out there to weigh in on these basic questions prior to pulling the trigger:

- Blower (6.5 or 10 cfm)?
- Alligator clip or standard needle probe?
- Does anyone use the inline power switch to turn off for lid openings?
- Pipe extensions / diffusers / diverters for the fan to prevent ash blow? (This is my main area of concern)

Any / all opinions are welcome and appreciated!

[Jerod Broussard]

-I would ask Auber about the fan size
-I have both probes
-I unplug the fan for lid openings
-It blows plenty air, but no real problems with ash blowing that I can tell, you have to actually have ash on the hole for the fan to blow any ash

[997cab]

I'm using this on my Big Joe Kamado:

Temperature Controller for X-Large Big Green Eggs (SYL-1615SYS-XLG)
Adapter Plate Option Adapter plate
Probe Option TC-K6A for 900 °F
Blower Option 10 CFM

​I use the alligator clip & I have an on/off switch
Never had any ash problems. I've been using an Auber on 3 different kamados for 5 years.

[997cab]

The plug that is on the wire that runs from the fan & hooks into the controller measures as follows:

The OD of the outside metal jacket is 5.5 mm
The ID of the inside of the plug is 2.5 mm

The staff at Elemental LED (http://www.elementalled.com) provided me with more information on plug sizes & types. If you have any questions they are a good source.

[EubieQ]

Thanks for the info. I noticed Auber offers this inline switch which works with the controller (not the fan power) to prevent the fan from maxing out when the lid is opened. Since this would switch off the controller each time, do your settings for that cook get lost or persist between power off/on cycles?

[997cab]

When the switch is turned back on & the power is restored it takes 1-2 seconds for the lights to come back on & another 1-2 seconds for the fan to kick in if it's warranted. None of the settings are lost.

[Tony Kopacz]

- Blower (6.5 or 10 cfm)?
- Alligator clip or standard needle probe?
- Does anyone use the inline power switch to turn off for lid openings?
- Pipe extensions / diffusers / diverters for the fan to prevent ash blow? (This is my main area of concern)
The 6.5 seems like enough for my kettle. Did a couple of chickens on the spit the 6.5 kept it at a toasty 350.
The clip is easy to use and you could fashion a holder and secure it to the inside of the cooker with a strong magnet
Switch, sometimes. otherwise unplug.
I have the fan mounted opposite the coals, a drip pan directs the air to the coals.The air flow is defused by the time it gets there. Never a problem with ash.
I like this setup, after smoking pork chops I'll remove the Auber probe and let the fan stay on and in a few minutes the coals are blazing and I could do a nice reverse sear on them.