Dual controllers — PID and Digital

[Nate]

It is working out pretty well. I like the cooker. There are times I wish I went with silverback instead just because of the square grate however the small foot print of the OG works best for me... and it looks cool!

[GirlGrilling]

Thanks for the input re how it’s working out for you. Agree w/you on swings — not a big deal, and the smoke itself is better (of course, that’s just my opinion). You were smart to get both options. The idea that a PID controller would put out different smoke simply never occurred to me until this Bull disappointed.

[Nate]

I have the Alpha controller on my Grilla. I almost always use the regular setting as opposed to the PID controller.

I haven’t found the swings with the Grilla to be that extreme. Plus if you average the temp over a 6+ hour cook it is going to be pretty steady really.

PID setting imho is best for temps below 225 or for baking.

I love how Grilla incorporated both options.

[GirlGrilling]

Just turned my older model Traeger in for an RT 700 (why is a long story) and I’m having trouble bonding with this Bull. The pellets supplied are Alder, from RecTec. For a while, I thought pellets had to be my problem. With my Traeger, the temperature swings were pretty big (sometimes 75 degrees) and I just adjusted the internal grill temp on my Smoke so it wouldn’t beep all the time and I had no problems w/the swing (except, perhaps, a longer cook). Never gave it much thought until I got this Bull. Anyway, as you know, the Bull has a PID and there are no temp swings. I get plenty of smoke, but it’s not the thin, blue, nice-smelling stuff my Traeger put out. Traeger’s smoke was not as heavy as the Bull, but it certainly produced smoke and it made everything delicious. Just read an article (link below) from Grilla on the differences between digital and PID (thanks to tip from another pitmaster); Grilla offers both in one controller now. If I had such a controller, my plan would be to use the digital for first 3-4 hours and then switch to PID. Thoughts? Agree/disagree w/theory? And does anyone know if there’s a dual controller out there I could use on my Bull? (As an aside, any way to convert internal grill light to WHITE instead of can’t-see-sh*t RED?)

Here’s the Grilla article: https://grillagrills.com/pid-controllers/

Many thanks in advance. I really want to love my Bull, now matter how much of a pain in the a** it is to put on and take off the cover.