British BBQ Society Forums

hello, i was chatting to an american facebook friend and when i told them i was getting a wsm they said that one of these gizmos would have to be a must to control the temps. i'd like to think that as a strictly amateur who loves bbq and wants to be able to pull off some quality ribs and brisket a dozen or so times a year that theyre not strictly necessary, perhaps aimed more at the comp boys and girls? or, as the strictly amateur would i struggle to control the temps using vents alone?

thought i had it all planned, but feeling a bit out of my depth now.

They aren't nessacery to cook great food, but they make overnight cooking a lot easier as you can set it up and forget about it.

If you are thinking of buying one of these i'd also recomend looking up the Pitmaster IQ as this is a lot cheaper than a guru but does the same job.

Hey Buddy,

I doubt you would need a Guru for type of cooking you are looking at. They are very good devices and as you say tend to be used either for people in competition or for the occasional big cook that people may do if they cater the odd event. Before you even look at outlaying the cash for a Guru there are many other models that do similar things i.e a Pitmaster or a Stoker etc.

They are force draft devices that keep your pit at temps within a specific temperature tolerance. I would learn how to work your pit old school with the vents first. If you find yourself to doing long overnight cooks a Maverick will alert you to any temperature changes.

It's a big outlay for this equipment especially given the VAT and Customs duties you will have to pay upon entry to the UK. Don't forget many people are aligned to specific products via sponsorship etc and have a vested interest in recommending things to you IMO compromising their opinions.

I think you will be fine as you are.

Beerz

Adie

Just seen Ed's reply. I have a Pitmaster IQ for my Clone and I am very please with it.

Don't worry you really don't need any form of automatic temperature controller (ATC) for the WSM, it will keep temperatures steady for you with relative ease. ATC units are great for overnight cooks and giving you peace of mind or reducing what is known in my house as pfaff, pfaff is the checking of temperature or adjusting vents more than once in a cooking session. They have their benefits in difficult conditions such as wind or rain showers but as said before don't worry about them being a must.

I am currently building my own unit not because I need it but more because I can, oh and I love gadgets.

Too slow with my iPhone reply, the iQue is a good unit, a thumbs up from me on that one

thanks all, enormous help. i think i agree with Adie, i am a competent cook, and this is an area i want to grow in so you're right, i want to be able to nail it 'old school' first. seems like going straight in with a temp reg would be like learning how to drive in an automatic.

thanks again

Gareth