Author Topic: 3 vs 3D Questions  (Read 1048 times)

delvanhorn

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3 vs 3D Questions
« on: May 26, 2018, 02:10:16 PM »
After 20 years my analog CS 50 has finally died which means I am in the market for a new smoker.  I have narrowed my choice down to the SI 3 or 3D.

The smaller temp swings of the 3D is intriguing but I have an analog brain so am concerned it may be too complicated.  Here are my questions:

Q1 - Can you use the 3D in"analog mode".  In other words can I just turn it on, set the box temp I want, and just walk away?  I don't need anything beyond temp control so I don't want to have to go thru a bunch of programming steps just to turn it on and set the box temp.

Q2-  It seems to me when cooking tough cuts of meat like brisket and pork butt there might be an advantage to the wider temp swings of the analog by helping to break down collagen ... your thoughts?

cookingdude555

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Re: 3 vs 3D Questions
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2018, 04:00:12 PM »
I have had the #3 for 4 years.  I just installed an auber today to make it digital.  Temperature swings were never an issue.  I always set the smoker for max temp and just let it run.  I would monitor temp and it would swing between 230-275, and that is just fine.  I went digital not to get tighter heat tolerances, but I went digital so that I could bypass the 250 temp limit and get it hotter.  You would be fine with either choice.  If I were to do it again, I would still do what I did.  That is, buy the cheaper analog #3 and upgrade it with a $250 auber wifi controller.  It gives you digital performance, and higher heat limit.
John - Utah

old sarge

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Re: 3 vs 3D Questions
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2018, 06:47:14 PM »
After 20 years my analog CS 50 has finally died which means I am in the market for a new smoker.  I have narrowed my choice down to the SI 3 or 3D.

The smaller temp swings of the 3D is intriguing but I have an analog brain so am concerned it may be too complicated.  Here are my questions:


Q1 - Can you use the 3D in"analog mode".  In other words can I just turn it on, set the box temp I want, and just walk away?  I don't need anything beyond temp control so I don't want to have to go thru a bunch of programming steps just to turn it on and set the box temp.

Q2-  It seems to me when cooking tough cuts of meat like brisket and pork butt there might be an advantage to the wider temp swings of the analog by helping to break down collagen ... your thoughts?
Welcome delvanhorn from SE Arizona.

Q1 - I would not call it analog mode. But yes, you can set the cooking temp and time or cooking temp and desired internal temp and just walk away. Of course you need to cycle through the remaining steps and zero them out. 

Q2 - Temperature swings on the analog may seem kind of wide but over the length of the cook, they average out to the temp you set. Regarding tough cuts of meat, it is the low temp of the smoker and the long time that brings them to tender goodness.  Analog or digital,  there is no discernible difference in how long it takes to smoke cook a particular item. Only the stability of the set temperature is affected, not the end product or the time it takes to produce good food.
« Last Edit: May 26, 2018, 09:09:25 PM by old sarge »
David from Arizona
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