CampCreekCooker Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 My temps are running higher than I'd like and won't drop down. Should I close the top cap almost completely? Before I got the Stoker I could hold 220 degrees and now its 250-270 minimum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 With any power draft controller, you want to keep the grill pretty much shut down tight. Close the top, and then back it off slightly. The fan will force the air out when it runs. More info: viewtopic.php?t=913 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Also check how you're lighting the fire. If you're using a torch or chimney you may not want to light as much. If you're using the propane burner you may want to turn it off after you get to 150-175 or so, otherwise you'll overshoot and need to wait for the temps to drop down again. Finally, make sure you've got the fan installed correctly, there should be a flap that drops down when it stops blowing. If you look into the fan when it's off you should be able to see the flap and how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Stoker pearls Be sure to see my posts on this thread, regarding the flap possibly sticking open, and a fix. http://www.komodokamado.com/forum/viewt ... sc&start=0 The Stoker needs to be right side up, or the flap won't close. As was said, be sure the top vent is just barely cracked when using a Stoker or Guru, and completely close the bottom damper. Your Stoker IS the bottom damper. Also, there is a known fault in some Stokers in that the fan runs non-stop even after the set temp is reached. Call John if that happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Ditto I start my stoker cooks with about 6 lit Rancher briquettes, top vent open three rotations, when I get about 10 degrees under my target temp I close the top vent and then barely open her back-up. Walk away and let her do her thang. Works like a charm every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Re: Stoker pearls Also' date=' there is a known fault in some Stokers in that the fan runs non-stop even after the set temp is reached. Call John if that happens.[/quote'] While calling John to let him know is a good idea, personally I've always been able to clear the fault by just rebooting the Stoker. Rather than risking long delays if John offers a replacement I'd probably hold onto it since Kaytat is looking to fix the issue in firmware. You can tell if you're in this condition by listening to the fans on power up, the normal behavior is to power on the fans, power them off, and then let the temperature decide if the fans should be on or off. If they power on and stay on you've got an issue and should reboot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 solution The reboot fix did not work for me, but if you try it and it works, so much the better. Faster than a repair/replace! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trudeto Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Stoker problem over labor day I have had fairly continuous problems with my Stoker, with the fan running continuously. i did a 20 hr cook over labor day weekend, and it happened several times. i turned it off and rebooted, and it seemed to clear the problem temporarily. The problem i had was that i never got to the point where i could trust the SToker, and that defeats the purpose of having it. At 3 in the morning, i disconnected the fan, set the lower damper and maintained temps where i wanted them manually. I have not called John yet, but does he have a fix for this?? Is it a replacement issue, reloading of software, temp probe (which seemed to be reading accurately the entire time), or something else? Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Uncertain The best I can determine talking to John is that he's not sure why it happens. He did say it might have to do with needing a higher capacity power supply. They just replaced my entire system outright for said problem. It came with the same capacity power supply as the original! However I don't know if the new one works or not, I'm just using my Guru CyberQ. One day when I plan to stay home for the duration of a cook, I will try the Stoker and monitor it. Very frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trudeto Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 Thanks for your experience. i will follow up with John and see where it goes. I wonder if it is a random problem with certain units, or whether it is a problem with all of them. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted September 10, 2009 Report Share Posted September 10, 2009 some I believe certain ones, from perusing other BBQ forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted September 12, 2009 Report Share Posted September 12, 2009 Random issue. Send it back and try another unit. Doc, you can test your Stoker in your kitchen. Place the pit probe near a burner, set a temp around 80 turn burner on to kill fan, turn burner off to start fan. Cycle it a couple of times and you'll know if she's working or not. Then hook her up to your KK, throw a huge chuck roll on and let her rip. Go to work and have Stoker send you email updates, go golfing and log in from your SmartPhone using port forwarding, maybe even change the pit temp 5 degrees just because you can. Looking forward to hearing how it goes (for both of you)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthoman Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 Temp Control This weekend, I did a great pork shoulder at 225 degrees for 15 hours, and I had a rock steady temperature for the entire time, with no Stoker or BBQ guru. I used Cowboy charcoal from Lowe's, and I set the bottom damper to barely open (just a sliver), and the top opened from the fully closed position only one half turn. Also for low and slows, its imperative to only light one section of the charcoal. I do that in the middle with a Mapp torch. It's also funny to see the guests faces when I use the Mapp torch to light my cigar afterwards! This seems to work well for me. It worked perfectly the other night, but I think it could be because it was rainy all weekend, and a little cool (for Texas). Dr. Charles Whittenburg Orthopedic Center of Arlington www.orthoarlington.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted September 16, 2009 Report Share Posted September 16, 2009 "au contraire mon frere" (and that's all the French I speak btb), Your cook worked out perfectly because you are learning your KK! Regardless of the temperature outside, once you learn to set and maintain your internal temps on the KK, you can count on those temps staying rock steady. Take it from a guy in Pennsylvania. I have maintained 225 F in the Summer when it is 90+ degrees for overnight cooks and in the Winter when it is -5 F for overnighters as well. No Guru or Stoker necessary. However, that guru is nice for insurance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
