inacoma Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Anyone able to contact them? I tried email a few days ago and just tried over the phone. I want to order their product, but contacting them has gotten me a bit miffed. anyone out there running his setup? He is out of 5cfm fans and is installing 4cfm units. I have the OTB and would think I need the 5cfm...bigger is better right later, k Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 I'd be willing to bet 4 will do fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruzmisl Posted March 22, 2007 Report Share Posted March 22, 2007 4cfm will be plenty and bigger is not better in this case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_R Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 I have a stoker and the (5cfm) fan rarely turns on. 4cfm should not be a problem given the KK's efficiency. Note: I don't use it for searing (800 degree) duties... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 4cfm will be plenty and bigger is not better in this case. Out of curiosity, is it that once you get a large enough blower there's no benefit in going larger or that there's actually a downside? If the Stoker only has an on/off for the blower I can see a downside (although probably not for 4CFM vs. 5CFM), but if it can slowly ramp up the impeller speed I'd expect that even an oversized fan would work if you'd like to try to achieve a plasma state in the cooker. This brings up a more interesting question about whether the logic is adaptive so it can optimize thermal control for any grill out there or if it's a simpler "too cold=fan on" logic... Gadgets are fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Read that fine manual, silly! Luckily the manual's online and I could answer my own darn questions (forgive the strong language ). It seems like as of now it's a simple algorithm of turning the fan on full power if the temperature is too low. There's also a note about high CFM fans causing a much more coarse temperature control. I'm assuming that the 25% increase from 4CFM to 5CFM won't make a huge difference (otherwise I would hope he'd allow an order for a 4CFM fan or a 5CFM fan), but a 5CFM to a 10CFM may be more significant. Of course, this assumption is based on the theory that ceramic cookers are a decent percentage of the sales for this device so he understands and caters to this market but this may be flawed in several ways... The thought of temperature control via web browser sends my geeky side all a quiver! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 Can't really answer for the Stoker, but on the Guru, you have a slide damper to choke the fan if need be. I have the 10 cfm fan and usually set it about 3/4. The higher fan volume allows you to reach the setpoint more quickly, but possibly with an increased over shoot. Since the ProCom Guru has a proportional band adjustment (electronic), I can set it tighter to compensate for the larger air volume to counter the over shoot. You can also control the fan pulse timing to shorten the intervals at which the fan runs. Having the larger fan is also nice when you want to leave the probes off and just use the fan to quickly ramp up for a high temp cook. Naturally I would only get the fan in a size they recommend with their unit, but if they offer a 10cfm, I doubt you would regret it. I am currently using my 10 cfm fan on a smoker much smaller than the KK and the results are just fine. Just my opinion, but I think it gives you more flexibility provided the Stoker combines the right controls to use it. But of course the 4 cfm or 5 cfm would also be more than adequate too. -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jehlinger Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 I just got a stoker, and it has the 4cfm fan. I haven't used it yet, but did plug it in to make sure everything is working. The fan seems to blow air pretty well. I've got the 10 cfm with my old guru. It seems like overkill on the Mexi-K, as it often overshoots unless I have the damper closed about half-way. I think smaller is better in the case of ceramic cookers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThreeDJ16 Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 It seems like overkill on the Mexi-K, as it often overshoots unless I have the damper closed about half-way. Didn't have an issue with that on my old Mexi-K provided everything was setup right. But then again, I was using the Procom which gives you many more control features too. One man's overkill equals another man's flexibility! hehe Just depends on your perspective! -=Jasen=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jehlinger Posted June 6, 2007 Report Share Posted June 6, 2007 true dat! I probably wouldn't think it was an issue if I had the procomm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jehlinger Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 OK, did a dry-run with the stoker yesterday, man it worked great. Held 225 & 250 fairly steady for over 24 hours!!! I even ramped it up for an hour or two at 275, then 300 to check how it responded to changes in target temps. It performed beautifully, the 4cfm fan doesn't overshoot the target temp by much. Of course I'm sure the top damper setting has something to do with that, I had it open only 1/4 turn. So this morning I put a brisket on @ 250. Wifey took it off about an hour ago (about 8 hours, internal temp 190) and said it was superb. Hopefully there's enough left when I get home!! Nothing like watching the temps and adjusting over the internet. I almost went through a full charge on my phone, refreshing it every 2-3 minutes LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inacoma Posted July 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 I started using my stoker this weekend and absolutely love it!! One suggestion would be to have the stoker shut down when the meat temperature is met. Or can it and I have no clue how? ktp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inacoma Posted July 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2007 I started using my stoker this weekend and absolutely love it!! One suggestion would be to have the stoker shut down when the meat temperature is met. Or can it and I have no clue how? ktp huh...I went outside to check on my KK and noticed that the stoker fan did not turn off. Sensor 1 is pit sensor set to 225. Sensor 2 is the food sensor and is set to 175. When I went out to visit my Q...Temp was up to 290 and the fan was still going strong!!! The only way I could get the fan to turn off was to remove the sensor 2 (food) plug. Guess that's the way it will have to stay till I can get some support to "fix" it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
