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Temp keeps climbing w/Pit Viper Fan and CyberQ controller

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    Temp keeps climbing w/Pit Viper Fan and CyberQ controller

    I've done this twice now and I have got to be doing something wrong.

    I'm doing this on a G2 Chubby.

    First time I loaded it up w/briquettes, lit 15 coals that went right by where I put the fan, and opened the other damper. (I put the fan on the front damper because it was easier to reach.) I closed the rear damper at about 200 or so. The temp climbed right up to 280 before I shut it down.

    Now I'm doing a second time. I started over w/the briquettes, but the oven was still hot. So I opened it to get the temps to drop to about 200. Closed the door, closed the other damper, and waited. It climbed right past 225 and is now at 160.

    What is going on ?

    #2
    I don't have a Chubby, so this is just a guess, but it sounds like too many briquettes are lighting once you place the lit coals in the cooker. By placing the lit coals in the direct path of the fan, they are probably getting too much air and getting very hot, then catching too many coals on fire. That is how forges work to get up to forging temps - well past 1000*. I'd move them off to the side a bit so that they do get some moving air, but not the blast of direct air.

    Comment


      #3
      I thought about that, except the fan should have never come on in round 2. It was never below the temp I set it at. No fan, no blast furnace.

      Comment


        #4
        Believe fan needs to be on rear damper. Close both vents at 150.

        Comment


          #5
          If only there were directions that SAID that. BTW... oven is currently at 330. This isn't about front vs rear damper, IMO. Air is getting in and I don't know how. I mean, what's the point of a controller if it lets air in?

          Comment


          • wcpreston
            wcpreston commented
            Editing a comment
            Now it's 375. It can't be my fan placement of a fan that should have never come on... right?
            Last edited by wcpreston; December 22, 2018, 12:21 AM.

          • wcpreston
            wcpreston commented
            Editing a comment
            BTW, my comment was more to Guru than you. I found the directions to be lacking quite a bit. Front or back damper? Other damper open or closed? Does it matter where in the damper hole the circle/tube goes? Am I supposed to be able to continue to partially operate the damper once it's installed? Or am I supposed to mount it with the damper all the way open, and the adapter covering the whole?

          #6
          I agree - if the CyberQ temperature is above its set point, the fan should not be running.

          Comment


            #7
            Hmmm.... I DID just figure out I forgot to put water in the water pan. All bets off?

            (I'm new to the chubby....)

            Comment


            • jfmorris
              jfmorris commented
              Editing a comment
              That will be a big thermal mass that should help stabilize things for a low and slow cook.

              Also, isn’t there a damper in the fan too?

            • wcpreston
              wcpreston commented
              Editing a comment
              There is a damper, but it's manual. I wouldn't think I would have to engage that unless I'm trying to manually shut things down. I figured fully closed other door, and this door managed by the fan would be all I have to do. Gonna do a full dry run tomorrow w/a cold grill, this time w/water in the pan.

              Not sure I want to move the fan unless it says I have to, though. Minimal docs on the install, though.

            #8
            Yes I’ve noticed when the water pan in my Chubby runs dry the temps skyrocket. I was gonna experiment with the CyberQ soon so this thread has been helpful for me at least. Lol

            Comment


              #9
              On my Digi-Q I have found that in order to keep the temperature around 225 I have the close off the manual damper on the fan to just a tiny sliver. Otherwise my temp does just what you described.

              Comment


              • Kevin Fuess
                Kevin Fuess commented
                Editing a comment
                I do open the fan damper slightly more for 275 - 300 degree cook. But it still mostly closed

              • Kevin Fuess
                Kevin Fuess commented
                Editing a comment
                I am using this on a BGE. And the top vent is only open about 1/4"

              • wcpreston
                wcpreston commented
                Editing a comment
                Oh, MOSTLY closed. Interesting. I've got it maybe 25% closed at this point and it's rolling along OK. If anything, it's a little shy.

              #10
              If you look at youtube video on lighting the chubby it says to put the fire by the left back vent. I believe that is where air is designed to flow in close to the lit coals. It makes sense to have your fan close to the fire so it will react quicker to the air flow.

              No water in the pan will definitely shoot the chubby above 300. It is designed for use with water. I know some folks have said they don't but the Backwoods site does not recommend it because that is not the way they designed it to run.

              Was your fan still operating even though the temp was above the target you set?

              Where did you place your heat probe?

              On my WSM with the digiq and viper, I would close the fan damper 50%. With the Chubby, I have left it completely open.

              On my G2 with the Fireboard and Viper fan, I have had good results with:
              - Water in the pan
              - Viper mounted on back vent
              - Not too many lit coals to start
              - Not too many coals overall (you want a slow snake effect across the pan and not a high pile of lit coals)
              - Top vent always stays completely open unless shutting down the fire at end of a cook
              - Completely close all side vents at 150. This temp is lower than a manual cook when you are not using a fan
              - Let the chubby slowly come up to temp and it will stabilize.

              The key is to build the lighting process in your timeline. I light my chubby about an hour before I plan on putting the meat on just to let the temps rise slowly and settle in. It is always much easier to raise the temp than try to bring it back down.

              Comment


                #11
                Close the fan damper. It is pushing too much air in. Also close down the top vent. The fan forces air in, so you can really close passive vents down. My pit viper fan is the older style and the damper was always stiff. I bent it slightly so it’s all the way open so I keep the top vent as a sliver to hold 225. Until I fix it (or replace it) as keeping the fan vent closed 1/2 - 3/4 worked great (too much air forced in creates a ton of thick smoke) and my kamado doesn’t need much airflow anyway.

                If i didnt close the top vent and fan damper down, air would get pulled in through the fan even when it was off and spike temperature.

                I would try closing the bottom vents and close the fan damper down 1/2 way. You can keep the top vent open at first and close it down as temps reach the target.

                You can always open vents to let more air in, but once things are too hot lowering temps takes longer.

                Comment


                • wcpreston
                  wcpreston commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I like the idea of damping the fan. Not sure I like the idea of closing the top damper, as it's opposite what the Backwood folks say.

                  Amen on "harder to shut down an overheat" bit.

                • SmokeyGator
                  SmokeyGator commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Every cooker is different. But then again, the controller does alter the design of a cooker. So experiment and do what works, regardless of what "they" say. Whoever they may be

                #12
                Test run #2 today. I left the fan where it was, but put the hot coals in the opposite corner by the rear damper. Opened the back damper wide open.

                1. I filled the pan with hot water!!!
                2. At 150, I closed the back damper to 1/2"
                3. At 200, I closed it all the way
                4. At 225, I closed the damper on the fan just a tad, as suggested by Kevin Fuess.
                5. It over shot the 225 by about 6 degrees, but eventually settled in at 225.
                6. Two hours later, it's humming away at 225.

                Feeling much better today. Still not sure I like the PartyQ, now that I've seen what the Fireboard does. I may return this one and get the Fireboard instead. I really like the idea of an app way better than the clunky website I have to use for the PartyQ. And, yes, I like the idea of remote monitoring. I always seem to need to go somewhere during a cook. I'm also guessing the app will have alerts.

                Click image for larger version

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                Comment


                • wcpreston
                  wcpreston commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I know it's going to hurt your ears when I say this, but this is a completely dry run.

                  But point taken on the "temps will drop when I put meat in" bit.

                • jlazar
                  jlazar commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Looks like your dry runs are over now. Look forward to pics of your next cook.

                • SmokeyGator
                  SmokeyGator commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Looks like you got it! Enjoy the magic of a controller

                #13
                Four hours later still going strong. Click image for larger version

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                Comment


                • Henrik
                  Henrik commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Now we're talking! Thanks for sharing, this has been a very interesting read. Good job on persevering. Now smoke some meat in that gorgeous chubby!

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