re: BBQ Guru

digital controllers on a ceramic pit are not necessary. I've done 14 hour overnight cooks on my BGE with no digiQ or bbqguru in sight. Take the fun out of it if you ask me.

I have never used one and I too have done overnight 14 hour cooks. Of course I would get up every two hours and check the temperature to ensure my fire didn't go out. Now that I feel like I have mastered temperature control on my BGE, I don't think it is necessary to wake up that often..

As far as the Guru, I do like the idea of setting it up, going to work, and returning to a perfectly cooked boston butt. I would just be afraid it would somehow screw up while I was gone.

I can tell you that prior to the digiQ, I was able to get any pit I was smoking on to maintain a long, consistent temp by adjusting bottoms vents, etc., and verifying through the night that the pit held temp. With the digiQ, initially you still need to set the pit and make sure the temp is under control, but once set, the controller will give you that piece of mind to sleep while it maintains the temp for you.