How does the iQue 110 control the temperature of a charcoal cooker?

Can I hang the iQue 110 from my pit?

What do the different LED codes mean?

Where should I clip the temperature probe?

How should I set my vents?  

Is the iQue 110 temperature resistant?  

The iQue 110's LED is solid green indicating my temperature is at the set point, but the thermometer on the pit does not agree with the set point.  Why not?

Does the temperature cable require any special handling precautions?

What are the iQue 110's power requirements?

Can the iQue 110 be operated in the rain?

How can I remove the air manifold from a bullet style cooker when it's hot?

What size air manifold do I need?

Do the air manifolds fit other pits?

Will the iQue 110 work with my Big Green Egg or other ceramic cooker?

Will the iQue 110 work on other cookers?

Can the iQue 110 manifold be attached to a top vent?

How do I start up a Big Green Egg, Primo Kamado, Big Steel Keg, Bubba Keg or other egg style cooker with the iQue 110?

The blower in the iQue 110 seems to be too powerful for my small cooker, even when it is blowing "low and slow".  Is there anything I can do about this?

Will the iQue 110 work with the Weber One-Touch Gold or the Weber Performer?

Q:  How does the iQue 110 control the temperature of a charcoal cooker?

A:  The cooking temperature is measured by the alligator clip on the temperature probe.  This temperature is adjusted to match the temperature set on the dial by increasing or decreasing the amount of air blown into the cooker. go to top

Q:  Can I hang the iQue 110 from my pit?

A:  Only if you are running the pit at 250°F or lower, and the iQue's enclosure is at least 1" away from the pit, and the fire is not built directly behind the iQue's enclosure.  If on a kettle, the fire must be built for indirect cooking in the REAR of the pit.  If the metal behind the iQue's enclosure is too hot to touch for 1 second, then it is too hot to hang the iQue there.  Instead, set it on the ground or a small table.  Overheating the enclosure will void the warranty. go to top

Q:  What do the different LED codes mean?

Q:  Where should I clip the temperature probe?

A:  It depends on the type of pit and how the fire is built.  For a kettle with an indirect fire in the rear, the best place is on the cooking grate between the meat and the front of the kettle.  See the Gallery page for a video showing this.  For a bullet style cooker, the best place is in the center of the cooking grate because the heat flows up the sides around the water pan.  Put the clip where it is not in the heat flow and where the fire can't radiate directly on it.  A neat trick it to place a wood skewer through the meat being cooked and attach the clip to it a couple of inches above the meat. go to top

Q:  How should I set my vents?  

A:  The iQue works by adding air, or not adding air to the fire.  Your vents should be set so that when additional air is not being blown into the fire, it will eventually go out.  This will allow the iQue to lower the temperature by not blowing air, and to increase it by blowing air.  If your pit is leaky, you should probably run with all vents closed.  If it is tight, you might want to run with the top vent open 1/8", but in all cases always run with the bottom vents closed off.  If you can't tightly close off the bottom vents, cover them with high temperature aluminum tape. go to top

Q:  Is the iQue 110 temperature resistant?  

A:  Yes, when used according to instructions, the iQue will not be damaged.  If the iQue is on a pit and the temperature ramps up very high, due to a grease fire or improperly starting the pit, the iQue may be damaged.  In this case, the warranty will be void. go to top

Q:  The iQue 110's LED is solid green indicating my temperature is at the set point, but the thermometer on the pit does not agree with the set point.  Why not?

A:  Frankly, almost all factory installed pit thermometers are junk.  Even when they are new, they are not very accurate.  As they age and are subjected to weather and extreme hot or cold temperatures, they become even less accurate.  Finally, they are measuring the temperature of the air just inside the lid.  The iQue's thermometer is VERY accurate.  The platinum RTD element inside the housing attached to the alligator clip is accurate to 0.2%!  The overall accuracy of the iQue is 1%.  Additionally, you are measuring the temperature of the cooking grate near the meat, not the air near the lid.  If you are accustomed to cooking at a particular reading on your pit's thermometer, simply adjust the iQue's set point to run your pit at the temperature you're used to running it.  But know that the iQue's set point is the actual temperature near the meat, not the reading on the pit thermometer!  go to top

Q:  Does the temperature cable require any special handling precautions?

A:  Yes.  It must be kept 6" from the fire.  Use aluminum foil as spacing or shielding if necessary.  Do not pinch the cable between the pit's lid.  This will damage the insulation on the wires.  Keep the sensor end of the cable dry where the cable exists the sensor housing.  It is water resistant, but not water proof.  Additionally, dripping meat juices (fat, salty rubs, etc.) on the probe at this point may cause erroneous temperature readings.  We recommend purchasing an additional temperature probe as a spare.  go to top

Q:  What are the iQue 110's power requirements?

A:  The iQue 110 requires 12VDC at 500mA.  The jack is 5.5mm OD, 2.1mm pin, and center positive.  A 120VAC to 12VDC power supply is provided.  A 12VDC cigarette lighter cable is available from out store for powering with a car or a "jumper box". go to top

Q:  Can the iQue 110 be operated in the rain?

A:  The iQue 110 must be kept dry at all times.  Subjecting it to water may void your warranty.  It is dangerous to use 120VAC appliances in wet conditions, and may lead to fatal shock.  If it must be operated in wet conditions, it must be covered so that water cannot get in it, yet the blower intake must be able to breath, and it must be powered with a 12VDC battery.  Check out the rain box video on the Projects Page.   go to top

Q:  How can I remove the air manifold from a bullet style cooker when it's hot? 

A:  If you're using the toggle wing nut, you can back the mounting wing bolt out until the toggle wing nut falls into the bottom of the pit and retrieve it after the pit cools.  The preferred method is to use the additional hardware included with the iQue 110 to mount a stud to the pit.  This way, the retaining wing nut is simply removed and the air manifold slipped off. go to top

Q:  What size air manifold do I need?

A:  The standard air manifold fits the Weber Kettle Silver, Weber Smokey Mountain, and most other pits.  Weber Kettle Gold models usually needs to have the ash catching hardware removed.  See related FAQ on this page.  go to top

Q:  Does the standard air manifold fit other pits?

A:  Yes.  To test, find a cereal bowl that just covers the desired air vent.  If the cereal bowl completely covers the vent and rests squarely without rocking, then the air manifold closest to that size should work.  Choose from the following table:

Q:  Will the iQue 110 work with my Big Green Egg or other ceramic cooker?

A:  Yes.  The BGE M/L adapter is required for the Medium and Large Big Green Eggs.  The BGE XL adapter works on the Extra Large model.  The Primo Kamado adapter works on the Primo Kamado.  For other cookers, choose the closest size by measuring the height of the lower vent door and choosing from the following table:

Q:  Will the iQue 110 work on other cookers?

A:  Probably.  The temperature probe cable is 72" long.  This must be long enough to reach the desired cooking temperature regulation area.

However, the 15 CFM air blower is powerful enough for almost all cookers.  It has been tested on many pits from 25 lb. Weber Kettles to 600 lb. Superiors (Stumps clone). go to top

Q:  Can the iQue 110 manifold be attached to a top vent?

A:  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  The air injection point MUST be at or below the level of the fire.  Attaching the injection manifold above the level of the fire risks hot gasses passing through the iQue and guess how bad for it that is!  go to top

Q:  How do I start up a Big Green Egg, Primo Kamado, Big Steel Keg, Bubba Keg or other egg style cooker with the iQue 110?

1. Do not power the iQue or connect the temperature probe until instructed to do so.
2. Inspect the fit of the iQue adapter to make sure there are no major air leaks around it. Make sure your lower vent door is closed and butted up against the air adapter.
3. Inspect the fit of your lid against the body of the cooker to make sure there are no major air leaks.
4. Free your top vent so that it turns freely.
5. Remove your cooking grate.
6. Make sure your firebox is clean and free of all ashes and old charcoal.
7. Position your iQue, get your extension cable or power source ready and connect the air tube to the adapter but don’t power up the iQue yet!
8. Place a ½ load of dry charcoal in the firebox.
9. Make a small hole in the center of the charcoal load from the top, about 2” deep.
10. Place a lighter cube in the hole and light. Let the cube burn, with the lid open, until it burns out all the way, about 5-10 minutes.
11. Place your smoke wood in the fire box.
12. Place your cooking grate and diffuser, if using one.
13. Attach the temperature probe to the cooking grate ONLY IF THE FIRE IS SMALL AND THERE IS NO THREAT OF THE FLAME GETTING WITHIN 6” OF THE PROBE/CABLE.
14. IMMEDIATLY after attaching the temperature probe, close the lid.
15. Set the top vent to about 1/8” open. Try the thickness of a nickel.
16. Apply power to the iQue and set the desired cooking temperature.
17. Wait until the iQue is stable in the green region, 10-20 minutes, then add food to be cooked.

Tips:

1. Don’t try to understand the iQue’s blowing pattern. It is complicated and it will drive you nuts. Drink a beer instead.
2. Don’t worry if the iQue enters the red (warm) zone or flashing green (cool) zone during startup – it can be as few as 10 degrees off at this point and if you have built the fire correctly, the iQue will recover.
3. If you are struggling with the learning curve, try using Kingsford Competition briquettes – they burn much more predictably than lump and are all natural like lump is.
4. Moving air is at a lower pressure than static air. Strong winds blowing over the top of the cooker will create a low pressure that will suck air through the cooker and the iQue. You may have to close the top vent a tad more, but not all the way as this will snuff the fire out.
5. Some users have found the blower in the iQue overpowers their highly insulated efficient cookers. Try covering ½ or even ¾ of the blower inlet “pie slices” with clear tape to reduce the blower’s air flow and leakage path.
6. Feel free to experiment and find a method that suits you and your cooker!  go to top

Q:  The blower in the iQue 110 seams to be too powerful for my small cooker, even when it is blowing "low and slow".  Is there anything I can do about this?

A:  Insert the Flow Reducing Washer into the last corrugation in the air hose.  Instructions are included with the washer.  This will reduce the flow to 50% of normal.  Alternately, try covering 11 of the 12 blower inlet “pie slices” on the front of the iQue with clear tape to reduce the blower’s air flow and leakage path.  go to top

Q:  Will the iQue 110 work with the Weber One-Touch Gold or the Weber Performer?

A:  Yes!  There are two ways to accomplish this.  The first method is to remove the ash catcher hardware and simply attach the Standard Manifold and hi-temp tape strips to the kettle as shown in the installation video.  The ash catcher hardware removes without tools.  In the second method the ash catcher hardware is left on and a 1/2" conduit hole (7/8" hole saw) is drilled in the kettle down low and near the front using the Standard Manifold's 1/4" mounting hole as a hole location guide.  Remember to keep the air injection point well below the level of the charcoal grate.  The Standard Manifold toggle bolt is then placed through the hole.  The hi-temp tape is not used in this case as the One-Touch vents are kept closed.  When the iQue is not in use, the hose barb can be capped off using the included Kill Plug.  Installation pictures can be seen on the "Weber Gold and Performer Installation" page.  NOTE:  The Performer Kettle has an attachment for a propane bottle.  The propane bottle MUST be removed from the kettle and stored in a safe location while modifying the kettle and using the iQue to regulate temperature.  The charcoal should be started with a paraffin cube as shown in the usage video.  go to top