Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Bar-B-Lew]

Or some of us that cook almost exclusively at 250°-275°

[Bentley]

"High" setting pellet consumption results posted.

[Bentley]

And I appreciate the input, but as your 2 post show there will be no concensus...so at this point it does come down to who's ball it is!   

[LowSlowJoe]

If I cook chicken, I do it at 375F, maybe 400F...

[Bar-B-Lew]

And I appreciate the input, but as your 2 post show there will be no concensus...so at this point it does come down to who's ball it is!   

I knew that was coming.

We have some smart math guys on here who can help the rest of us out to calculate an estimate.  It is all relative.  If one grill uses 1#/hr at 400° and another uses 0.75#/hr at the same temp, it is pretty safe to say it will use less at any temp.

[Bar-B-Lew]

I don't want to be overly picky on these tests, but I think the food probes and grate temp probes have slightly different reads on them for some reason or another.  It would be interesting if you privately placed one of each probe next to each other on the grill to see if that is the case.  I have seen it on my Smoke and on a few other Thermoworks products when they are plugged in and sitting next to each other on the table.  I am wondering if that may be why the left front read is so much higher on temp than the other probes.

[sleebus.jones]

Excellent input from owners on longer term durablity.

On Pellet Consumption.  In previous Performance Tests we have always used the temperatures of 200°, 300°, & 400°f.  I don't even remember why Larry and I chose those.  As I sat waiting for the Woodwind to come up to 400°, I thought who cooks at 400°?  Baking, biscuits, pies bread, yes but that is 20-60 minutes tops?  Why not have low (which on this unit will be 170°f), 350°f (either a hot n fast temperature, meatloaf or baking cake temp) and high (which on this unit is just that high setting & manufactures says should be 500°f) we all grill on high right...These temperatures at least to me seem more real world.

So that is what we will be doing with PT on Pellet Fan, and I go to start the high consumption test right now.  And from now on, a Tappecue Graph will accompany each consumption test.

I think 170° is a good temp, used pretty frequently for warm smoking.  350° seems a bit high, I think the majority of users will be closer to 275-300, so the 350° results may not be as useful as the lower 275-300 range.  500° is a pretty standard grilling temp, so I agree with that.

My suggestion is to consider 275° vs 350°.

[Bentley]

Will be happy to, we always want the Manufactures to know they are being treated fairly.  To me, there is just not enough difference to worry about it!

It would be interesting if you privately placed one of each probe next to each other on the grill to see if that is the case.

[Bar-B-Lew]

Interesting to see the temp swings increase as set temps are lower on the graphs.  I guess that would be expected and is what generates more smoke at lower temps.

[sleebus.jones]

That's just indicative of a PID system going into oscillation.  The PID variables were set at a higher temperature, so when it's run at a lower temp, the system oscillates like you see in the graph.  Pretty safe to say that 175 is approaching the limit of the controller's ability to keep things running.  Probably could be fixed by increasing the D (if it was even available to set), but then the system may not keep temps well at higher settings.  PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative, very common in the process control industry.  LOTS of stuff written on how to tune them.

[CaptJerry]

OK CaptJerry, you've had your unit for 18 months.

What is the condition of the powdercoated metal?
This is a sore spot with my MAK. Powdercoating does not hold up

To give a good answer, guess I would need to wash it 
I have not noticed a bit of rust on the exterior. I cover my grill but it is in the elements year round.
Only place I can say for sure coating has come off some is on inside of lid from wire brushing.
I get home Sunday I'll clean it up and look it over

[Bentley]

They don't though.

I cannot figure out why the chart will not show from 150 to 500 like the others.  Because the graph temperature gradients are smaller, the temps look like they take big swings and they do not.  I will have to look into it more tomorrow and if it can be corrected, I owe the Manufacture that!

Interesting to see the temp swings increase as set temps are lower on the graphs.  I guess that would be expected and is what generates more smoke at lower temps.

[LowSlowJoe]

That's just indicative of a PID system going into oscillation.  The PID variables were set at a higher temperature, so when it's run at a lower temp, the system oscillates like you see in the graph.  Pretty safe to say that 175 is approaching the limit of the controller's ability to keep things running.  Probably could be fixed by increasing the D (if it was even available to set), but then the system may not keep temps well at higher settings.  PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative, very common in the process control industry.  LOTS of stuff written on how to tune them.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Camp Chef controller is PID based setup...   But maybe I should ask Bentley directly...  Does the Camp Chef Woodwind control the output of the combustion fan depending on temperature fluctuations, or is the fan on constantly? ( PID don't all pulse the fan, but as near as I know, not many if any non-PID controllers make any attempt to adjust the fan output real time).

 Either way, now I am curious  if the controller is PID based, or not... and if the fan is pulsed, or otherwise speeds up and slows down in a real time manner.

[bregent]

That's just indicative of a PID system going into oscillation.  The PID variables were set at a higher temperature, so when it's run at a lower temp, the system oscillates like you see in the graph.  Pretty safe to say that 175 is approaching the limit of the controller's ability to keep things running.  Probably could be fixed by increasing the D (if it was even available to set), but then the system may not keep temps well at higher settings.  PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative, very common in the process control industry.  LOTS of stuff written on how to tune them.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Camp Chef controller is PID based setup...   But maybe I should ask Bentley directly...  Does the Camp Chef Woodwind control the output of the combustion fan depending on temperature fluctuations, or is the fan on constantly? ( PID don't all pulse the fan, but as near as I know, not many if any non-PID controllers make any attempt to adjust the fan output real time).

 Either way, now I am curious  if the controller is PID based, or not... and if the fan is pulsed, or otherwise speeds up and slows down in a real time manner.

Unless things have changed, CampChef uses a very simple controller. It has two distinct duty cycles - It runs at one duty cycle when pit temps are above setpoint, and another duty cycle when temps are below.

[Kristin Meredith]

We are having a birthday dinner for my 95 year old uncle tonight and I think he was thinking of cooking the salmon on it, but he may have changed his mind.  We will have to see.