Temp controller for BGE

why do you need that for a BGE? i've run mine for 12+ hours many times and never really thought a temp controller would make anything work better

I agree. Has the OP had trouble getting it to temp and stay in temp? What efforts did you make to remediate the issue? Just smoked for 15 hours this weekend without minimal adjustments.

I didn't want to spend a ton on one with features I didn't need, so ended up going with the Pitmaster IQ110. It's very basic, but works well.

I use the flameboss and highly recommend it.

I have no trouble holding temp, I've cooked plenty of briskets and butts with no issues. I don't need one, I would just like one to have a peace of mind for over night cooks.

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I agree if you need to waste time and money on this you don't know how to use a BGE.

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Then teach me. I can’t seem to hold a temp lower than 300-325 without the fire going out so I’ve been looking into one of these controllers as well. I have a primo xl fwiw

I have the BBQ Guru but it was a gift and i rarely use it because the BGE is so efficient.

I don't find it a necessity.

The keys for me is rebuilding the firebox before long smokes and giving yourself enough time to dial in the temp before going to bed.

I start by removing all the old coal and shop vaccing out the egg. Then I replace the ceramic firebox and grate and build the fire with large fresh coal at the bottom. This keeps the small fragments from blocking off your vent holes until the fire has burned down for a long time. Add some smoking wood, then medium chunks, more smoking wood and old coals at the top.

I leave myself at least an hour to get the fire dialed in before bed. Light it with vents wide open and let it burn like that until the coals are well lit and temp is over 300. Put the plate setter in right after lighting. Once the fires well lit I close my bottom vent to 1 inch and leave the Daisy wheel wide open on top. The temp will settle down to 300 or less while letting the coals get lit a little more evenly. Then I close my bottom vent to less than a cm. Temps take a little while to settle down but usually that gets me around 275. Once it's settled in at this configuration the smoke is burning clean. Adding meat will lower the temp a little more so I don't worry about getting it super low until the meat is on. Use the Daisy wheel to make small adjustments. After the temp stabilizes I set my alarms on the thermometer and go to bed.

When I get up in the morning the temp may have drifted from 250 to 230 but at least I've gotten a good night's sleep without having to fool with it.

the DIY version is the heatermeter. ive had mine since befor there were commercial versions.

And to the dumas how said he acn do 12 hours cooks without one, congrats. so can i but your temp swings are extremely large. Where as using a blower keeps it more constant to where mine swings maybe a few degrees.

And i have filled my fire box up and hit went for almost 48 hours. no clue why i would want to have it heated for 48 hours but y 48 hours beats your 12.