Operating The PartyQ Controller

The new PartyQ did a pretty good job of controlling the temperature of our large Big Green Egg cooker. The real test of any temperature controller is how it performs at low temperatures. The device can only make the cooker hotter. The cooker has to cool off on its own, and a cooker is much more willing to cool off at 450 degrees than it is at 225 degrees. So, the controller has to be a little more subtle and clever to control the lower cooking temperatures so as not to get the fire so hot that the cooker can't cool off fast enough.

The PartyQ controller temperature display has a 5° snap feature, meaning when the PartyQ detects that the temperature is within 5°F of the target temperature, it then displays the target temperature rather than the actual temperature. As a result, we had to measure the temperature of the cooker ourselves with thermocouples in order to see what was going on. We found that the actual temperature as measured by our test equipment was often up to 10°F lower than what the PartyQ was displaying. If you find your thermometer displaying temperatures lower than what the PartyQ indicates, you can clip the PartyQ probe near the probe of the other thermometer and then use the PartyQ's adjustment feature to get the PartyQ to display values closer to what your thermometer is reading.

That said, the PartyQ controller did a good job of controlling a large Big Green Egg at all temperatures, low, medium and high, hitting the targets within less than 10°F as measured by our test equipment and maintaining the targets within less than 1.5°F at low and high temperatures and 6.5° at a medium temperature:

Target  Accuracy   Swing  Low -10.5° F ±1.5° F Medium -10.5° F ±6.3° F High -7.3° F ±1.5° F

PartyQ Temperature Control Results

If you are concerned about the larger swing at the medium temperature, we'll just point out that even expensive kitchen ovens tend to only maintain a temperature of plus and minues 25 degrees. 6.3 degrees is still pretty impressive! When initially taking the cooker to the each temperature, there were varying amounts of initial overshoot, but the unit quickly settled into a cycle that was close to the target and gradually got closer as time went on. (We feel overshoot gets way too much attention, but readers want to know so we do take note of it. The cooker isn't over the target temperature long enough to really heat up the ceramic walls of the cooker, and the temperature drops back down so what's to worry about?)

We won't trot our graph of how well an expensive electric oven does controlling the oven's temperature. Suffice it to say that most electric ovens are doing good if it keeps your oven within plus or minus 25 degrees.

A few things we'll point out about using the PartyQ controller:

• A frequently asked question about temperature controllers is whether or not you should leave the adapter installed all the time and if so, how do you control air flow when you aren't using the unit. The door adapter pops in and out and there is really no reason to leave the adapter installed. Just insert the adapter when you want to use the controller and then remove it when you are done.

• Placement of the pit probe can be important. You want it located near the meat so that the controller is controlling the temperature at the location of the meat, not somewhere else. However, the probe must not touch the meat and should be at least an inch or two from the meat. If the meat influences the temperature of the probe (especially when the meat is first placed in the cooker and is cold), obviously the controller will be sensing a false pit temperature and will therefore compensate to the detriment of the desired results.

• If you wonder if the 6.5 CFM blower is up to the task of controlling larger cookers, well, it is. We have used 5 CFM blowers without trouble, so the PartyQ is indeed up to the task.

• Again, we tested the PartyQ on a large Big Green Egg cooker. You may be able to translate the following into advice for other cookers. We found we needed different vent settings on the Dual Function Metal Top, a.k.a. the daisy Wheel. For low temperatures, we had the slider shut and the daisy wheel vents barely cracked open. For medium temperatures, the slider was shut and the daisy wheel was about 1/2 open. And for high temperatures, the slider was shut and the daisy wheel was completely open.

• The displayed temperature has a 5°F snap to target. What this means is that when the temperature of the cooker is within 5°F of the target, the display will show the target temperature. This prevents worries about small fluctuations. However, if you really need to see the actual temperature, you can display the ADJ menu item and the display will alternate between "ADJ" and the actual temperature of the cooker.

Compared To The IQ110, BBQ Guru NanoQ and Auber

The following table shows you a comparison of the specifications and performance for the PartyQ, Auber Instruments controller, IQ110 and the BBQ Guru NanoQ.

	PartyQ	IQ110	Auber Instruments	BBQ Guru NanoQ
Pit Temperature Range	32° - 475° F	175° - 375° F	-328° - 2372° F	50° - 475° F
Claimed Control Accuracy	Less than ±10°F	±5° F	None	±5° F
Measured Control Accuracy	Low:  -10.5° ± 1.5° Med:  -10.5° ± 6.5° High: -7.3° ± 1.5°	Low:  -10° ± 11.5° Med:   -1° ± 8° High: +0° ± 9°	Low:   -0.5° ± 1.5° Med:   0.0° ± 2.0° High: -1.0° ± 1.0°	Low:   +1.0° ± 7.0° Med:  +0.75° ± 1.5° High: +1.0° ± 1.0°
Display	3-position LCD w/battery indicator	None	4-position 7-segment red LED	None
Pit Temperature Adjustment	Up and down push buttons	Rotary knob with 25° markings	Numeric input with 1 degree increments	Button with 5 degree increments
Power Loss Recovery	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Probe Type	Thermocouple	Platinum RTD	Thermocouple	Thermocouple
Probe Cable	Armor braid	Armor braid	Armor braid	Armor braid w/ fiberglass insulation
Probe Maximum Temperature	500°F	500°F	550°F	1000°F
Open Lid Detect	No	Yes	No	Yes
Adaptive Control Algorithm	Yes, settings lost	Yes, automatic, settings lost	Yes, manual, settings retained	Yes, automatic, settings lost
Pit Temperature Capture	No	No	No	Yes
Blower Running Indicator	Yes, green LED	No	Yes, red LED	Yes, red LED
Audible Alarms	None	None	2	None
Integrated Flashlight	No	No	No	Yes
Temperature Probe Options	Only supplied probe	Only supplied probe	Any thermocouple with mini SMP connector	Only supplied probe
Blower Options	6.5 CFM blower	5-15 CFM variable output blower	6.5 CFM blower	4, 10 or 25 CFM blower
Blower Damper	None	Washer can be inserted into blower hose	Automatic, open or shut	Manual, variable setting
Power Options	4-AA batteries	120 VAC or 12 VDC (Note 2)	120-240 VAC or 12 VDC	120-240 VAC or 12 VDC
Price (Note 1)	$139.00	$139.95	$144.50	$197.00
Pricing for the PartyQ is for the system unit and an adapter for a large Big Green Egg. Pricing of the NanoQ assumes the purchase of a system unit, a Pit Runner 4 CFM blower and an adapter for a large Big Green Egg. Pricing of the Auber Instruments controllers is for a package for a large Big Green Egg. Pricing for IQ110 is for basic package. 120-240 VAC operation is possible with an optional international power supply. While the NanoQ is no longer sold by BBQ Guru, we have left it in the table for anyone who might have one or might find one on eBay.

PartyQ, IQ110, Auber Instruments or NanoQ?

The obvious competitors to the PartyQ are the iQue 110 controller, the BBQ Guru NanoQ and the Auber Instruments controller. All four models are low cost, and all four only control the temperature of your cooker. So which one should you choose?

As usual, it all depends on what you want. With the NanoQ, if you can find one second hand now, you get rugged build, quality temperature probe cable, more blower choices, Open Lid Detect and automatic Adaptive Control. Of course, you pay more for all that.

On the other hand with the Auber Insturments controller you get the ability to set a target temperature within 1 degree, a bright and VERY usable display, 2 audible alarms, and the ability to use about any thermocouple probe you wish.

With the IQ110, you get low price, all-in-one unit, simple operation, Platinum RTD probe, and the quick and easy-to-use dial method of selecting your target temperature.

And of course, with the PartyQ you get a truly all-in-one unit that runs off of AA batteries. No power cord and no blower cord. Just a temperature probe and that's it.

All four units are more than accurate enough to give you the kind of control you want for your cooker, so the choice really comes down the price and features of the units.

Summary

The PartyQ is a simple, easy-to-use, all-in-one temperature controller that comes at a very modest price. It is accurate and does the job very well. This updated version of the PartyQ includes a more finished package and an adjustable gooseneck to give you more flexibility in how you install the PartyQ in your cooker setup. Like we said at the beginning, when we first beta-tested the original PartyQ, we clapped our hands in joy at the prospect of a self-contained battery-powered temperature controller. Well, we are still clapping our hands and we will probably use this controller a lot for our personal use simply because it is so simple to hook up and use.

Contact Information

The BBQ Guru
353 Ivyland Road
Warminster, PA 18974

215-674-9992
800-288-GURU (4878)

www.thebbqguru.com