Another Mod...

[Mr Walleye]

Hi Bill

I have always had my best luck running the auto tune while I have a load in the smoker. I don't think it has to be full, just something that is absorbing heat. I usually don't start the auto tune until I'm a couple of hours into the smoke. This is what has worked for me.

I could post my numbers but we tried posting them before and I'm not sure they would help. There seems to be a lot of variables that influence each individuals smoker which in turn effects the numbers. When we tried posting them before they were miles from each others.

Mike

[Wild_Man]

   Mike,

  I have my spare burner coming in on Tuesday to do the same thing you did. I just thought
if there was a big change in PID numbers it would give me a place to start with mine, so that
hopefully I won't mess up whatever I put in to load the smoker. I will load at least 4 racks, were you
running your fan when you were testing? I haven't made that mod to mine yet. What level would you recommend putting the temp sensor, mine is not the wall mount unit.

    Thanks
      Bill

[Mr Walleye]

Bill

I just used my existing PID numbers and it worked ok. It would over shoot and under shoot a bit but it did work ok.

I was running my circulation fan during my testing. Sometime down the road if you add the fan you will want to run the auto tune again. As far as where to put the TC for the PID... Technically it should go just below the lowest rack. This way it will regulate the temps that the meat is exposed to. Now the only problem with this is a rack or two up from there, the temp is lower because it has been influenced by the meat itself. A circulation fan will help this some but this is why I put my TC where I did to try to balance this out. My TC is not the wall mount either but I did make a bracket. Here is a link (it's a little ways down the page)
 http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6843.0


Mike

[Wild_Man]

  Mike,

Thanks for the info, I will go with my original PID numbers and 4 racks loaded for auto tune and see how it goes.

    Thanks
      Bill

[Mr Walleye]

Wild_Man

I'm interested how you make out so keep us posted.

Mike

[drano]

Mike,
I was just harassing you on this one .  Once again proof that simple communication is never simple--but me saying probe when it was a TC threw you off. 

Quote from: drano on January 17, 2009, 08:31:43 pm
OK, just gotta ask--on a 4 rack, wouldn't the probe be in the same place counting from top or bottom?


I missed this on the first read...

Good catch Drano!   

Mike

I'll keep an eye on this great idea, and may use it some day. 
drano

[Wild_Man]

Wild_Man

I'm interested how you make out so keep us posted.

Mike

   Hi Mike,
  Saturday I was able to get the burner mod done, man what a difference. Started with a box temp of 59 and in 13 minutes I was at
a box temp of 320. I put a load in and set my PID at 222, don't know why I picked that temp but it never varied over 1 degree either
way, so there was no need to retune the PID. Every time I would open the door It would drop to somewhere around 160 and within 5 minutes I was back at 222. This mod is well worth the cost of another burner element and a little time.

    Thanks for all your advice
          Bill
 

[Mr Walleye]

Glad to hear it worked out good for you Bill.

If I remember correctly you have a DBS... If you do you will want to be careful letting it run to high of a temp because the original element is wired to a "temperature link" (kinda like a fusable link). You may have seen it when you had the back off. It's located directly on top of the temperature sensor that is mounted about 2/3 of the way up on the back of the cabinet. It is a "one time use" type of link. So if the temp is exceeded and the link blows you will loose the original heater.

I just thought I would throw that out there for you in case you suddenly see one element not working.

Mike

[Wild_Man]

  Mike,

I saw the link and was aware of its function, I shut temp down and opened door right as it hit 320.
Yes you remembered correctly I do have a DBS 6 rack. Thanks for letting me know about the link, I would have
really been puzzled if one burner would have quit working and I didn't know about the link.


  Bill

[Wild_Man]

  Mike,
 
   Were you pleased with the mod? I never saw a reply to how your testing came out.

I was very pleased with the performance after adding the second burner. I would rec

comend this mod. It made a big difference in recovery time and temp stabilization.

   Bill

[Mr Walleye]

Bill

I'm glad you like it. For me I love it, I've now done a fair number of smokes and I have absolutely no problems with maintaining temps or temp recovery. I'm going to do a write up on it for the recipe site and Habs is going to put it up there once I get all the information together. It really is a simple inexpensive mod to solve any problems maintaining  or recovering temps especially in a cold climate or with large loads.

I should have updated this thread and I certainly will again once I have the write up posted on Olds Recipe Site.

Mike

[btsgemini]

This is the mod i used it is AWASOME it is an easy install and the cost is nothing and it looks much cleaner than the 900W mod. Anyone looking to up grade should look at this mod.

[Mr Walleye]

This is the mod i used it is AWASOME it is an easy install and the cost is nothing and it looks much cleaner than the 900W mod. Anyone looking to up grade should look at this mod.

Hi BTS and welcome to the forum.

I'm glad it worked out good for you. It really is a simple and inexpensive mod.

Mike

[NePaSmoKer]

Another mod looks to be in the works again.     DOH

nepas

[Brisket Lover]

Anyone with an OBS do this mod yet?