Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Fireboard Thermometer/Fan Control with Pit Barrel Cooker

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    I left messages/emails. Hoping I’ll hear tomorrow.

    Comment


      #17
      Support has been good, as reported here. Testing out my kit today. What kind of temperature swing do you all typically see? I saw that some said the pit bull was overkill - I did end up getting the viper. Hoping it’s strong enough to keep those coals hot!

      Comment


      • fzxdoc
        fzxdoc commented
        Editing a comment
        Pit Viper works great!

      #18
      Got my answer pretty quickly. Fan at 100% output and the temp tanked
      Attached Files

      Comment


      • tedsalt
        tedsalt commented
        Editing a comment
        I think there's a way to change the fan speed mode 100%. You might try 40% or somewhere close to there. I've read where others have changed / tuned this and resolved their issue.

      #19
      Which side is best for the control probe? Is there a preferred max fan setting?

      First use with the Fireboard and Pit Viper and I'm quite pleased so far. But I did find the temps would swing 30 degrees every so often. Regardless, I was able to keep it around 225 for 7 hours and 325 for 5 hours on a 35 degree day.

      When I first purchased the PBC temperatures were running away from me quite a bit. I sealed the lid with Lavalock and I wonder if it was a little too sealed. Now its been difficult to keep tenps up without the occasional lid cracking or removing one rebar. The fan helps - but I'm wondering if I need more airflow?

      Comment


        #20
        I faced the same challenges. I will "let "er rip” with meats that are more forgiving. The Fireboard and pit viper has been a godsend when I need to keep a steady low and slow temp.

        Comment


          #21
          Originally posted by gpalton View Post
          Which side is best for the control probe? Is there a preferred max fan setting?

          First use with the Fireboard and Pit Viper and I'm quite pleased so far. But I did find the temps would swing 30 degrees every so often. Regardless, I was able to keep it around 225 for 7 hours and 325 for 5 hours on a 35 degree day.
          I don't think it makes a difference.

          I always put the control probe in the front, above the vent area, 2" away from the wall of the barrel. I do that for consistency.

          I put a second ambient probe on the opposite side of the barrel, also 2" away from the wall.

          Checking back on several Fireboard Drive/Pit Viper-controlled cooks, I see that in a few of them, both probes tracked pretty well, agreeing within 5 to 10 degrees. In the rest of them one or the other probe was higher, 20 to 30 degrees or so, often switching leads during a long cook.

          This is the exact same behavior I see when running the PBC without temperature modulation. That is, in its wild state, the temp differences between the two probes behaved similarly to the Fireboard/Pit Viper controlled cooks.

          Originally posted by gpalton View Post
          When I first purchased the PBC temperatures were running away from me quite a bit. I sealed the lid with Lavalock and I wonder if it was a little too sealed. Now its been difficult to keep tenps up without the occasional lid cracking or removing one rebar. The fan helps - but I'm wondering if I need more airflow?
          Are you talking about the temps dropping with the Fireboard/Pit Viper in use or in the PBC's wild state without thermometer modulation? Usually, with the unaltered PBC, if the temps don't stay up, the initial light on the PBC's coals is not hot enough. That is, the fire needs more time to get itself good and settled before adding the meat.

          If you're still seeing falling temps with the fan in place, you may need to adjust the fan speed. I've not had that problem, so hopefully others who have experienced falling PBC temps with the Fireboard/Pit Viper in place can jump in here and comment.

          Kathryn

          Comment


            #22
            Thank you!

            I found the falling temperatures were an issue before adding the Pit Viper, even when I would get the temperature up to around 370 initially using the 15-10-10 method.

            With the fan, it would kick in and the temperature would rise around 30 degrees. Then once it shuts off the temperature would fall and the process repeated itself. It was a little more stable when I turned down max fan speed to 40%.

            The following day I ran it on a 325 degree cook. Temperature swings were about 20 degrees and it required the fan to be at full speed.

            On each day it was about 35 degrees outside. Despite using the 15-10-10 method, the temperature only reached 335 at the onset.

            Comment


            • fzxdoc
              fzxdoc commented
              Editing a comment
              Are you storing your charcoal in airtight containers? Sometimes that affects how consistent a burn is. Just a thought.

              Kathryn

            #23
            I am using Kingsford Blue Bag and store it in my garage. It is not airtight but there are not moisture issues in the garage. Should I consider a change?

            Comment


            • fzxdoc
              fzxdoc commented
              Editing a comment
              I store all my charcoal in big Rubbermaid containers with lids in the garage, since, like yours, mine is dry but humidity can still rear its ugly head depending on the season.

              K.

            #24
            Do you store unopened bags in bins as well?

            Comment


            • fzxdoc
              fzxdoc commented
              Editing a comment
              Absolutely!

              K.

            #25
            fzxdoc It’s been a while since this thread was active but just set up my viper plus fireboard drive for a pork shoulder and chicken tomorrow. I’ve seen references to folks saying they light the PBC differently when using the fan (less time to let the fan bring the smoker up to temp), but the Fireboard website says "We recommend getting your pit to the desired temperature and then maintaining it with the blower."

            any lighting tips?

            Comment

            Announcement

            Collapse
            No announcement yet.
            Working...
            X
            false
            0
            Guest
            Guest
            500
            ["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
            false
            false
            {"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
            Yes
            ["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
            /forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here