PID Controller

[Jim Nicodemus]

Top of the day everyone.........I have a question and hope someone has an answer. I have a PB 700 FB smoker and I'm pretty much pleased with it. Do they make a controller that is wifi capable the is plug and play? Thanks for any and all help.

 

[biffhero]

This fellow here https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/pit-boss-700-fb-upgrade-to-wifi-success.279950/ upgraded his PB700 by swapping out the control board.

 

[MikeInFla]

I noticed one of the comments that the PID's produce less smoke and I have also seen videos of people saying they produce less. I'm interested in them but I really have not had an issue with the temps on my Series 3. I do wish the control panel was not on the bottom of the unit because sometimes stuff drips on it when taking things out of the smoker.

 

[biffhero]

I am new to smoking, my Pit Boss 700S is my first smoker. As far as I understand, the super low temperatures are what makes smoke, as the pellets barely burn, but mostly smolder.

If this understanding is correct, that would mean that whenever we are over some low temperature ... (225?) then it is much more difficult to get smoke. So the way to get smoke is to wait for a drop, dump pellets, and get smoke as they smolder before they catch fire, start burning, and add a bunch of heat to the system. PID controllers would make this worse, since they are not going to get low temperatures.

Here are some ways around this that I can think of, where our goals are steady temperatures and smoke.


1. external smoke source. I've seen people use tubes, snake boxes, whatever.
2. second burn box. Let's call it s smolder box. Maybe a second augur, maybe a door that flips and sends pellets to the smolder box and to the temperature box.

That's all I can think of right now.

 

[MikeInFla]

I have an Amazen pellet tube and have used it a few times. it puts out a ton of smoke.

 

[biffhero]

Do you use the same pellets in the tube as you are cooking with, or do you mix it up?

For recipes that say something like "smoke for 4 hours, then cook for 2 hours at 275", would you change that up to be "smoke for 2 hours with the smoker, cook for 2 hours at 275, with the tube adding smoke as well." ?

 

[DaveXDm9]

I noticed one of the comments that the PID's produce less smoke and I have also seen videos of people saying they produce less. I'm interested in them but I really have not had an issue with the temps on my Series 3. I do wish the control panel was not on the bottom of the unit because sometimes stuff drips on it when taking things out of the smoker.

I just added the Svannah Stoker PID controller to my PS 1100 and get a ton of smoke it is a completely different grill now. You just have to learn how to use it and if you are referring to Pit Boss's PID controller on their Platinum grills then yes I believe it. I love my Pit Boss grill, but man that cheap China controller they have now is junk.

 

[MikeInFla]

Do you use the same pellets in the tube as you are cooking with, or do you mix it up?

For recipes that say something like "smoke for 4 hours, then cook for 2 hours at 275", would you change that up to be "smoke for 2 hours with the smoker, cook for 2 hours at 275, with the tube adding smoke as well." ?

It depends on my mood. sometimes I use the same ones, sometimes I pick others.

 

[MikeInFla]

In my hopper today charcoal and competition blend. Same in the tube. Sometimes I mix it up but today keeping it basic.

 

[fasde333]

Can you share the model of this electric grill? I want to buy new one. I have read some reviews of electric smoker on online blogs.