Controller for cabinet smoker

[ofelles]

Getting close to pulling the trigger on a LoneStar Grillz cabinet smoker. Thinking about a controller and fan for it. They offer the FireBoard Extreme system. Thoughts on that or something different in controllers?

[Jerod Broussard]

Dunno if that is enough food probes. I can't keep track of my two.

[ofelles]

Jerod Broussard True. I have a Signals (4) and can get them mixed up real quickly!

[tbob4]

Is it insulated and will you be using a water pan with it? If so, you might not need a controller fan. I have two non-insulated upright units (not Lone Star). One is a water pan system and the other has a spot for one, but the use is optional. Both are stick burners. Insulated units can use charcoal and wood chunks for smoke. I can find a good spot for 225, 250 and 275 on mine with the vents and uniform splits of wood. An insulated cooker makes that even easier from what I have read.

[Alphonse]

I have an old school Guru, two FireBoards (one built in to a Yoder pellet grill and one independent for other pits), and my son has a Signals setup that I am quite familiar with. Thermoworks struggled to get the Signals PID worked out and only recently upgraded the firmware to include the most basic feature of "open lid/door sensing". That left many folks hanging out with an inferior system coupled with a lot of WIFI connectivity issues. Search the forums and you can find a significant amount of noise about their quality issues.

So FireBoard hands down! It has cloud based data logging and will preserve the record of your cooks. You can monitor performance and control setpoints from your smartphone or a PC. It's flawless connect to the WIFI makes it very easy. FireBoard is the gold standard in my opinion.

BTW, you can buy the FireBoard components directly from FireBoard and taylor your system the way you want it. I bet that LSG's pricing is okay but they likely don't offer all the options in terms of numbers and types of probes, etc.

[ofelles]

Is it insulated and will you be using a water pan with it? If so, you might not need a controller fan. I have two non-insulated upright units (not Lone Star). One is a water pan system and the other has a spot for one, but the use is optional. Both are stick burners. Insulated units can use charcoal and wood chunks for smoke. I can find a good spot for 225, 250 and 275 on mine with the vents and uniform splits of wood. An insulated cooker makes that even easier from what I have read.

Yes it is insulated and has a water pan https://lonestargrillz.com/collectio...ulated-cabinet
What I guess I should do is use it without a fan first and then determine if I want/need one.

[tbob4]

I think what is nice in looking at the link is that the unit is built to put the fan system in. I guess in deciding what you need to know is if you are getting a discount by getting it with the unit and if the discount will still be available if you decide on getting it. Are you opting for the adjustable T plates?

[ofelles]

tbob4 I am planning on getting the T plates. The FireBoard prices are the same as on their own website. So I will probably just buy from FireBoard and just buy the adapter from LoneStar

[ofelles]

I have an old school Guru, two FireBoards (one built in to a Yoder pellet grill and one independent for other pits), and my son has a Signals setup that I am quite familiar with. Thermoworks struggled to get the Signals PID worked out and only recently upgraded the firmware to include the most basic feature of "open lid/door sensing". That left many folks hanging out with an inferior system coupled with a lot of WIFI connectivity issues. Search the forums and you can find a significant amount of noise about their quality issues.

So FireBoard hands down! It has cloud based data logging and will preserve the record of your cooks. You can monitor performance and control setpoints from your smartphone or a PC. It's flawless connect to the WIFI makes it very easy. FireBoard is the gold standard in my opinion.

BTW, you can buy the FireBoard components directly from FireBoard and taylor your system the way you want it. I bet that LSG's pricing is okay but they likely don't offer all the options in terms of numbers and types of probes, etc.

As I said above, if I was smart (not usually the case), I should learn the unit without a fan first. I have been considering a FireBoard for some time anyway. They do seem like the top one around. Maybe that's what I can do just get the Unit now and the fan and adapter later if I want.

Thanks for the insight.

[jlazar]

I have a Fireboard and Pit Viper that I run in a Chubby G2. Definitely worth it for long cooks. I have had all 6 probes going at once. Single cook: G2 -1, Meatloaf - 2, Fatties - 3, Breakfast Sausage Log -4, Chicken - 5, Scottish Eggs - 6.

Another cook: G2 - 1, Brisket point - 2, Brisket flat - 3, Pork Shoulder - 4, Pork Shoulder 2 - 5.

[Spinaker]

I gotta get one of those G2s

[NapMaster]

I have a bbq guru controller set up on my cabinet smoker. I think it's worth the money to have the controller and fan. My rig is well insulated and I use very little lump even with long cooks. Nice to be able to get the rig going. Then go do other chores, etc, even in town. I changed my temp from the grocery store once. While i like my guru setup I would investigate the fireboard setup if and when I need another one. Nice to have someone else using a cabinet smoker in the fold.

[jlazar]

Spinaker If you do get a G2, recommend you do your first cooks without a controller. The G2 is super easy to control and you will learn about how the vents control the temp. It is very similar to how you adjust a Weber. You just learn how much to leave the bottom vents open. With a Fireboard and Pit Viper, I don't even think about it. Set and forget. Takes about 20-30 min to get up to temp once you put the lit coals in.

[Spinaker]

Solid advise, thank you. I always try to learn a cooker well before I add the controller. Your set up looks so good, you did a great job on that grilling center.

[jlazar]

Thank you. If you get the G2, I have a lot of lessons learned I can pass on to you.