FORUM SPONSORS > Savannah Stoker Pellet Grill Control System

Teach me why.

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veryolddog:
I have read many forum articles about your product and people speak about it very favorably. What I do not understand is how it interfaces with an existing pellet smoker with a control board and why one should buy your product over a replacement of the manufacturer's product?

To put this in perspective, I have a Yoder 480 which, for me, is just fine. If something happens to this controller int he next two or three years, I would normally call Yoder and ask them to send me a replacement.

Here are some questions:

What are the compelling functional reasons for purchasing your controller or a replacement controller from the manufacturer? What does yours do, that for example that the Yoder controller does not do?

Is there a compelling financial reason for purchasing your unit verses the original manufacturer's controller?

Please do not look upon this as a challenge. I simply want to understand what your product does, how it is installed, and the major benefits of this purchase. This is purely educational to satisfy the curiosity of a very old man.

Thank you,

Ed

Savannah Stoker Controller:
Hi Ed,

Thanks for your questions.

First, the Savannah Stoker was not designed to replace the controllers on the Yoder, MAC, Woodmaster, Memphic, Fast Eddy, and several others. The respective manufactures have a quality product with a well designed controller.  The Savannah Stoker was originally designed to overcome the short comings of the stock controller on Traeger Wood Pellet Grills.

Traeger owners quickly learn the stock controller is the achilies heel of their grill: It has large temp swings (25+), no cool down cycle, and limited cooking temperatures:  Smoke, 180, 225, 250, 275, 300, 325, 350, 375 and high (450).
To some the stock controller meets their needs, but for others better temperature control was needed. If was from this need that drove the design of the Savannah Stoker.

So what is the Savannah Stoker II?
It is a PID based artificial intelligent temperature controller that allows you to control your wood pellet grill with “simplicity but infinite control”.

Some of the feaures of the Savannah Stoker II:
•  Set the desired cooking/smoking temperature from 160°- 550°F or the max temperature your grill can reach in 1° increments.
•  Typical temperature swings are 5-10°F when cooking above 250°F and 10-15°F when smoking below 225°F.
•  Movable Temperature Sensor. Know what the grate level cooking temperature is; place the sensor there.
•  Optional hardwired permanent installed temperature sensor.
•  Grill cool-down cycle. The fan runs for 20-25 minutes after the grill is turned off to cool the grill down.
•  2 Speed Fan selectable by the user. Low for Smoking; High for cooking. 
•  Auger Bypass. Press a button and the auger runs 100% to get to grilling temperatures faster.
•  All of the operational parameters can be changed by the end user.
•  Autotune function. The controller will determine the most optium P,I,D, parameter settings for your grill.


Through the efforts of many the Savannah Stoker has been installed/programmed to operate almost any pellet grill that uses the Traeger or Ortech Controller.

This included:
Traeger Wood Pellet Grills: Texas, Lil’ Tex, Lil’ Tex Elite, Select, BBQ Deluxe 100, XL, BBQ 100, BBQ 124, BBQ 125/126, COM 190/200 (with an option relay). Maybe compatible with other Traeger models; will not fit in the Traeger Junior or the PTG with out modifications.
All models of the Blaz’n Grills Works Wood Pellet Grills, Royall Wood Pellet Grills (except the tailgater), Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro, Pro Smoker ‘n Roaster BBQ 100, Dreamwerk Smokers.
One user has adapted the Savannah Stoker to control their Yoder.

Some of our users like myself own the STOKER® Power Draft System from Rocks Bar-B-Que. (Info on the features of the Stoker can be found here https://www.rocksbarbque.com/ .) The Stoker is an Automatic temperature control device for stick burners and charcoal smokers. Though many have tried, the Stoker was never adapted to operate a pellet grill.... until the Savannah Stoker come out. With an optional interface cable the STOKER® Power Draft System can control some of the abovementioned wood pellet grills.

With the Stoker connected the user gains wireless control including remote temperature control and monitoring from a computer or Smartphone and graphing of the cook with StokerLog 1 running on a PC. There are several phones apps available including StokeMaster and BBQ Monitor2

Thanks again for your questions.

Billy
 

1StokerLog is a PC Application written by Amir Majidimehr that can be used as an alternate to the STOKER’s web browser interface. StokerLog adds many features: Learns the characteristics of your barbecue; Chart and save your cook data; Set alarms on your computer; Ramp temperatures up/down by time or food temperature; and more. The author posts on the Virtual Weber Bulletin Board http://tvwbb.com in the Automatic Temperature Control Systems area. Discussion and download information is found there.

2StokeMaster and BBQ Monitor are iPhone Apps used to monitor and make changes to the STOKER.

teesquare:
I would really like to encourage the person that has installed a Savannah Stoker on his Yoder to join us here on LTBBQ. I am curious about the application on my YS-640, and would really like to have more information about how it works on the Yoder!

PLEASE drag him in here Billy! ;D

veryolddog:
I would like to thank you very much for a very clear answer to my questions. I really appreciate that.

I just wondered about the product and what was the compelling functionality of the product that drew so many people to it.

You are very kind to do that for me.

with kind regards,

Ed

Hub:
Fantastic answer, Billy  ;D

I'm no good at posting videos but I'll give a great description of why anyone who owns a Traeger and wants to cook seriously on it needs a Savannah Stoker.

My Traeger is an American made, new old stock purchase from a hardware store that went out of business.  It came with Traeger's infamous "three speed" controller which was DOA when I plugged it in.  At the same hardware store I got (free) Traegers still infamous "225 Out-Of-Controller" which I installed to replace the original.  This controller "works" if you understand what it is doing.  The "smoke" setting will create a good level of blue smoke at very low temperatures (around 160 average).  The rest of the clicks vary a great deal in both what they will do and how accurate they are.  It won't get hot enough to sear a steak or burgers, but it will do an adequate job of slow smoking a butt or some chickens.  Since all I ever use it for is smoke infusion (reverse sear on steaks often) and the occasional low/slow butt or chicken for home (not contest) use I just tolerate the poor control and, actually, am kind of entertained by it.

A Traeger with a Savanna Stoker is a serious competitor and a much, much more versatile cooking machine.  If I did not own a Memphis Advantage (comes with one of the best PID controllers on the market) and great insulation, I'd HAVE TO upgrade my Traeger to get any kind of cooking flexibility out of it. 

I share T's curiosity about the Yoder installation.  The Savannah Stoker offers much more flexibility than the standard Yoder controller so it might be a great idea!

Hub

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