Firemonkey Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 I think I am finally going to order a stoker. The set comes with a 5cm fan, which the site says is good for backyard cookers. I know that some of you have the 10CFM fan, too. Can anyone comment on the performance of the 5CFM blower in a KK? Our KKs cannot be any bigger than the average backyard smoker, and as efficient as they are, we probably dont need to provide nearly as much air. Do those assumptions sound correct? I dont want to pay $75 additional for the bigger fan if its just gonna be overkill. Do i need to 10CFM fan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mguerra Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 Re: Questions for the stoker people 5 CFM is more than adequate for KK in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Re: Questions for the stoker people 2nd that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Re: Questions for the stoker people I think I am finally going to order a stoker. The set comes with a 5cm fan, which the site says is good for backyard cookers. I know that some of you have the 10CFM fan, too. Can anyone comment on the performance of the 5CFM blower in a KK? Our KKs cannot be any bigger than the average backyard smoker, and as efficient as they are, we probably dont need to provide nearly as much air. Do those assumptions sound correct? I dont want to pay $75 additional for the bigger fan if its just gonna be overkill. Do i need to 10CFM fan? Hi FM - I have the BBQ Guru with a 10 CFM fan. The nice thing about the Guru is that you slide a door to allow as much or as little air in the KK as you wish. I can use the fan full blast to stoke that fire for steaks, pizza, etc. or choke back on the air for low and slows. The other nice thing is that with the 10 CFM fan, I can take it to other cookers that might be larger than mine and use it too. Just some food for thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnt Posted November 24, 2010 Report Share Posted November 24, 2010 Re: Questions for the stoker people Hey Firemonkey, I have a stoker with a 10 CFM fan. Not sure why I ordered the 10 CFM fan I guess I just thought that the KK was larger than your average backyard grill. Guess I did not need it but it works just fine.... Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted November 26, 2010 Report Share Posted November 26, 2010 Re: Questions for the stoker people Maybe a but late, but my 5 or 10CFM fans both work fine in the 23" - the 5 may be a little more friendly at low temps but not enough for me to care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted January 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Jeff- Any issue with the 5CFM at higher temps (350-450)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people I think the 10 might be better for getting a small volume of just lit charcoal going.. But that's what my hairdryer is for.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Jeff- Any issue with the 5CFM at higher temps (350-450)? I can't say with confidence that I've tried, but I suspect Dennis is on the right track. The 10CFM should be able to start things faster, but I don't think there will be an issue with the 5CFM once it's at temperature. Remember, with the lower damper you can get these temperatures without any pressure differentials and 5CFM of airflow should more than compensate for the size difference in the openings. That said, other than perhaps creating a bit of a larger hotspot if you light from underneath (I use the gas starter) or when you're low on charcoal I haven't seen any real issue with the 10CFM on the big boy. About the only consideration that may be worth looking into is extension cables, if you want to go a long distance you'll have better luck extending a 5CFM fan but you can also look into external power and a relay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryR Posted January 3, 2011 Report Share Posted January 3, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Jeff- Any issue with the 5CFM at higher temps (350-450)? I have the 5 and have no issues getting to 350, haven't tried any higher as I haven't wanted to fry my probe wires. I didn't get the higher heat rated wires, if you're planning on using the Stoker on high heat cooks I'd look into this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemonkey Posted January 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Dennis- can you clarify again what the size of the port is? Do the most recent builds still need an adapter for a stoker, but not for guru,or the other way around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people All Stoker blowers need an adapter - the blower itself just has a rectangular end plate. For older model KKs you'll want the KK adapter, for newer ones with the Guru-ready tube you'll want the Guru adapter. Where the changeover in port size happened is something better left for Dennis to answer himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people I've had a Stoker with the 10CFM fan for almost two years now. It works great! I also use StokerLog. I get the Stoker setup and running then follow Dennis' recommended torch/hair dryer ignition. There is a quick climb then wham everything settles to within a degree or two of the desired temperature and essentially stays there, +/- 2 degrees. I have not had any overshoot problems when using the Stoker to get the KK up to temperature. The climb generally takes less than five minutes, longer when the outside temperature is cold. Last weekend it took about 15 minutes go climb from ~50 degrees to 225. Be careful to plug the polder hole. Twice now I've forgot and melted the insulation off the probe wires, exposing bare wire. When the fan is on, air accelerates through that little hole raising the temperature. This is troublesome because the probe wires short out then don't read accurately. In December, Rock's BBQ honored a $15/probe repair cost. The price may be up to $20 now. I suspect I may have the wrong adapter as the fan fits loosely. I have to prop something against the fan to keep air from leaking past the silicone gasket. Is the Guru adapter a little larger in diameter? I own KK #490. I'm unsure which is best for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Rick: ....I get the Stoker setup and running then follow Dennis' recommended torch/hair dryer ignition. There is a quick climb then wham everything settles to within a degree or two of the desired temperature and essentially stays there, +/- 2 degrees. I have not had any overshoot problems when using the Stoker to get the KK up to temperature. The climb generally takes less than five minutes, longer when the outside temperature is cold. Last weekend it took about 15 minutes go climb from ~50 degrees to 225. Wow - that's pretty quick!!! Do you just point the hair dryer down on the lit coals from the top or do you remove the draft door and point it in from there? I'd love to be able to get up to temp that quickly. My Stoker takes a long time to get up to temp if I close everything down and just use the Stoker fan but I only have the 5 CFM model. Once its to temp, its very accurate in maintaining the desired temperature. And I'v never overshot my target temp either. Be careful to plug the polder hole. Twice now I've forgot and melted the insulation off the probe wires, exposing bare wire...... In December, Rock's BBQ honored a $15/probe repair cost. The price may be up to $20 now. Good to know Rock's will repair the probes. I've fried three probes by dropping them through the grates while I'm fiddling around with setting up the food on the hot grill. I have no dexterity with my welding gloves on and am hoping the new Ove gloves I got for X-mas will help with this. Is the Guru adapter a little larger in diameter? The Guru sized port is slightly smaller than the KK port so the Guru adapter is smaller as well. I don't know the number of my KK but it shipped in June of 2009 and was one of the early models with the factory installed Guru sized port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people I generally light three tight areas of lump spread evenly around the basket and about three inches from the side. I hold the mapp gas torch in one spot for about 30 seconds then move on to the next. As I move on I hit the previous one with the hair dryer on high (no heat). As I move on to the third spot I move the hair dryer over to the second. All this is done from the top with the torch in one hand and the hair dryer in the other. I have the BernzOmatic TS8000 with locking ability. The lock allows me to hold the mapp gas tank by the end to keep my hand and arm hairs from singeing. I generally point then rest the hair dryer on the KK lip to stabilize it. This allows me to focus on where the torch is pointing. My goal is a two to four inch high flame at each spot when I move the hair dryer away. I know when I see those little flames I've got good ignition. It is a little tricky to angle the flow of air toward the already lit lump while keeping it away from the new area being lit. While all this is going on the Stoker is also adding its 10cfm flow from down below. This combination has worked well. While everything comes up to temperature pretty quickly I generally still wait about 30 minutes for the KK to heat soak before loading meat. I purchased my KK in January of 2009. I think I'll have to measure the fan port and give Rock's a call to see if I've got the Guru tube attachment. I suspect I do because of how loose it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted January 5, 2011 Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people This was mentionned on another thread but bears repeating here... I do have both the Guru and the Stoker (I'm was writing software for the Guru but have since moved to doing so for the Stoker using wireless) but this is nonetheless just my 2 cents... The Guru fans have a slider that permits you to reduce the CFMs. The Stoker does not. As everyone here knows well, if you overvent the pit, you'll get wild oscillations and, in the worst of cases it will put your fire out. Here's what happened to me twice with a 10CFM fan on a large BGE. Lit the fire. Took my time loaded the grill with lots of pork (4 shoulders) so the fire got lots of air. Started the Guru with a 10CFM fan (full open slider). The guru blew hard for a while and then overshot the 225F by many degrees (275+). Guru decided to cut off the air to get the pit back under control... it did so for a while... fire died out. I was pissed. Partly my fault for taking my time but if I closed the slider door to 1/4 open (yes, just a crack) then the above does not happen even when I take my time. Some folks have said that 25CFM is too much. I'm increasingly of the belief that the 25CFM camp (see other thread) has got it right: with the GURU fan you can open the slider to full got get your pit roaring for a sear; open just a crack for a slow cook. The 10CFM blowers seems too strong for a slow cook and too weak to generate a roaring fire for a sear. Again, the Stoker blowers do not have this capability so you have to get only what you need. When you look at the temp curves from the Stoker with a 5CFM two nice behaviors are in play : 1) When the fan is on, it's gentle. I've not had an overshoot by more that 10F 2) When the fan is off, the little trap door shuts off air 3) Temp stabilized at +/- ONE DEGREE F -- this is pretty incredible. I'm using the 5CFM blower now. I've only used the 5CFM *ONCE* with the KK 23" and only at a set temp of 225F. That cook is going really well right now and it was ~32F last night here. Fan was on for less than half the time with a period of 4 hours where it barely ran. I can't speak to a 350F controlled cook. Both of these better control the fire IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loquitur Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Re: Questions for the stoker people Rick: I generally light three tight areas of lump spread evenly around the basket and about three inches from the side. I hold the mapp gas torch in one spot for about 30 seconds then move on to the next. As I move on I hit the previous one with the hair dryer on high (no heat). As I move on to the third spot I move the hair dryer over to the second. All this is done from the top with the torch in one hand and the hair dryer in the other. I have the BernzOmatic TS8000 with locking ability. The lock allows me to hold the mapp gas tank by the end to keep my hand and arm hairs from singeing. I generally point then rest the hair dryer on the KK lip to stabilize it. This allows me to focus on where the torch is pointing. My goal is a two to four inch high flame at each spot when I move the hair dryer away. I know when I see those little flames I've got good ignition. It is a little tricky to angle the flow of air toward the already lit lump while keeping it away from the new area being lit. While all this is going on the Stoker is also adding its 10cfm flow from down below. This combination has worked well. While everything comes up to temperature pretty quickly I generally still wait about 30 minutes for the KK to heat soak before loading meat. Thanks, Rick, for sharing your technique. I'm definitly going to try it next time I do a low and slow Stoker cook. I don't have any experience cooking with charcoal prior to my KK and I thought I had to light a very small area in the middle of the charcoal for a low and slow cook or else the temps wouldn't stay down so I kept to this method even with the Stoker. Consequently, it took a long time to get the temp up even to 250. It's very impressive that the Stoker can settle the fire at a low temp after all that ignition. And, it's very good news!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
