Has anyone added a PID controller to the Members Mark Pro Series Pellet grill? I’ve seen rave reviews about this grill and even though it’s not PID they say it holds temps steady. But I would love to add a WiFi PID controller if I can. Has anyone done so or are there any recommendations. Thank you in advance
by D-Mag221
3 Comments
Can’t help as I don’t own this unit, but is it the camp chef white labeled for Sam’s? Has anyone modded the camp chef?
Steady temps are a fools errand brought about by people in the modern world thinking that the temp on the oven display is the temp in the oven. Did your grandma callibrate the thermometer in her oven to be within 3 degrees to make cookies? Do you think those amazing briskets from wood fired offsets and janky pitts across the US are because the pit masters managed to keep the smoker ±15° F? Steady temps had little to do with the quality of the food in many cases
So if you are catching where i am headed PID controllers may actually give you worse results in the area of smoke flavor. Let’s face it, why the heck would you be outside cooking with wood (pellets) if you did not want smoke flavors on the food? Why do i think this? Well because as I understand, non-PID controllers are swinging temps to give you may give you more smoke flavor. Deep smoke flavors in my understanding are caused as wood moves through various stages of combustion, meaning smolder to open flame. Wood pellets are relatively efficient and at steady temps would likely not smolder as much, thus less smoke flavor. If i was wrong why would we add a smoke tube to long cooks to boost the smoke flavor?
Someone did post about adding a Savanah Stoker to one not too long ago- was not able to find. The reason they did it was because they wanted more granular temp range.
I’ve got great meals out of this unit by just adding a few chunks to the smoke box. But would also like more temp control.
The PID probably won’t make it any better from a smoke profile without adding chunks and or smoke tubes.
Also, it was mentioned already, but pellets burn extremely efficiently. The oscillating of the temperature on analog units or ‘smoke’ mode on some fancy PID models help produce more smoke. None will compare to an offset or charcoal fired smoker – but still great q. All trade offs.