When to upgrade to Auber?

[pugs]

Just curious if I should consider getting an Auber or upgrade my 3 to a 3D if they offer a kit for that.

I am currently doing a pork butt and have the the temp set at 225 and it seems like the temp of the butt is climbing faster than it should for its size.  I dunno maybe it will hit a wall at some point.  In another of my posts someone mentioned my 3 might be running a bit on the hot side.....  Just thinking an Auber might be in my future to get my cooks more consistent.

At what point did you upgrade and for what reasons?

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[SconnieQ]

All meats climb a lot, quickly, in the beginning. The climb slows down, stops, and sometimes even goes backwards at the stall temp range. Don't panic at the initial temperature climb.

[pugs]

Yah, it seems to be alright, but still curious about the Auber.

[old sarge]

The Auber is going to give a more stable control of the cooking temperature, as well as some other programming benefits. But meat is still going to do what it does which is like Kari stated.  The stall sort of balances everything out. The Auber will also allow you to cook to a internal temp or a fixed time, and you can program it to go to a safe 140 degree hold time. A great many SI owners are doing quite well with the stock controller and a Maverick. Relax and enjoy!

[RG]

I have a 3 and would LOVE to have a 3D but at the end of the day, the 3 does fine. I am used to temp swings anyway, charcoal grills and smokers fluctuate as it really is a tough environment to stabilize since you're burning a fuel. A piece of wood might catch fire and raise the temp. All I know is at the end of the cook, the meat turns out fantastic so I'm happy!

I actually use Auber Instruments ATC (automatic temperature controllers) on my Kegs and it does a great job keeping the temp swings to a minimum but I mostly use it for insurance to make sure the fire doesn't die while I sleep. I let it roll through the night and it keeps the fire stoked!

[DivotMaker]

Pugs, if you are handy with tools, the 3D Upgrade Kit is the way to go, if you want a PID controller.  But, I bet your butt eventually stalled.  You said it's "climbing faster than it should."  Sometimes, they'll rise so fast, initially, that you think something is wrong!  But, they always stall, and it seems the faster the initial climb, the longer the stall!  Not sure how big the butt you're smoking is, but fortunately, there's no way to cheat on the length of time they take per pound. 

[es1025]

I have a #3 with an auber. It works great, set the temp and no worries about any fluctuations.

[drains]

The question that needs to be asked is does the food produced in an SI smoker taste better if it has an auber attached versus one that does not? I have not heard nor seen any evidence to support it if it does. Anybody ever do a side by side comparison? I haven't seen one. So long story short unless the food is tastier then I'm good with my standard #3. Others will see it differently and some actually need the precision the auber offers but for smoking butts, ribs, brisket, etc. Its not a must have. Just my 02 cents.

[DivotMaker]

The question that needs to be asked is does the food produced in an SI smoker taste better if it has an auber attached versus one that does not? I have not heard nor seen any evidence to support it if it does. Anybody ever do a side by side comparison? I haven't seen one. So long story short unless the food is tastier then I'm good with my standard #3. Others will see it differently and some actually need the precision the auber offers but for smoking butts, ribs, brisket, etc. Its not a must have. Just my 02 cents.

Unequivocally NO.  The PID control is absolutely not about taste; it's about convenience and precise control.  You will never be able to tell any difference in food smoked in a standard, or D-model smoker.

Rock on with your standard 3!!  If you're happy, that's what counts!  Just respect that, just like the whole Chevy/Ford argument, some of us really like to know that we are holding the temperatures we set.  And, for those of us that smoke things that need 2-3 different profiles (such as things like Canadian bacon), we can set the changes and it will automatically follow the program - no manual changes!  Plus, for low-temp smokes, like for jerky or fish, you won't have to worry about the spikes above the set point ruining your meat. 

That's it, in a nutshell!  It's just a matter of preference, not a matter of right/wrong, better/best!

[drains]

Yea the question about if the food tasted any better with an auber as opposed to without was rhetorical, I knew the answer. And as I  stated in my post some people need the precision the auber offers. However, sometimes reading posts where someone is trying to decide auber or not there is a sense of confusion almost as to whether they can produce good Q without the auber. Its like the "what size smoker should I get" question. It depends on how you want to use it. I wish someone would develop a flowchart that asks questions like if you want to do this then get this  and so on.  Then they would have their answer. By the way if the auber goes kaput does the smoker still work?

[DivotMaker]

By the way if the auber goes kaput does the smoker still work?

Dale, short answer: No...until you get a replacement.  With that being said, the failure rate is very low (I have 3 standalone Aubers, and never a problem with any of them, and D-model smokers).  But, look at it this way - if you have a kitchen oven, with electronic controls, does it work if the controller goes out?  Let's look at your automobile...does it drive if one of the computer-controlled components go out?  The reality is that many of the products we use today are electronically-controlled.  But, the reliability of said electronic controls has gone way up, over the years.  Yes, the analog dial on the standard SI smoker is reliable, but those fail, too (I can point you to posts about it).  Bottom line is that technology is a benefit, and a burden.  Kind of a risk/reward scenario.  I, for one, am willing to take that risk for something that (in my humble opinion) works better. 

[Limey]

However if you have a conventional SI and a stand-alone Auber and the Auber goes down you can simply unplug the Auber, plug the SI into the wall socket, and still have a useable if slightly less convenient smoker. Tradeoffs, tradeoffs.....

[old sarge]

A conundum! I wonder how long it will take before someone with a 'D' model (and time and talent) hacks it and installs an analog controller with a switch to cover just such a scenario.  To each their own and happy smoking.  (Off topic, I know)

[DivotMaker]

A conundum! I wonder how long it will take before someone with a 'D' model (and time and talent) hacks it and installs an analog controller with a switch to cover just such a scenario.  To each their own and happy smoking.  (Off topic, I know)

Hehe...Yeah, I'm sure it'll happen!  The "Auber bypass" will take on a whole new meaning!

[Pork Belly]

For the price of an Auber you can pick up a pretty sweet used gun, or a pile of bullets for the guns you already have.....