Using this cookshack is just too much work. I put on 3 pork butts last night at 11:00 and went to bed. I woke up at 4:40 to discover we had a momentary power failure, sometime during the night. (made me glad to have the low tech 008 since I am not sure what the electronics on the AQ would do) Anyway, the whole neighborhood smells wonderful. My pork butts appear to be plateauing around 180 or so - I think I will go back to bed and prepare myself for the arduous task of having to open the door and remove the pork butts right after breakfast. Sure wish I could have stoked a fire all night -NOT.

I think I am going to love this smokette...

I would be curious to know what the Amerique does with a momentary power interruption. Does the digital program drop out or does it hold it? Just curious.....

Nope. When you lose power, you have to restart it.

Dale_MT,

I am so sorry that you got a good night's sleep and your Smokette just kept on cookin' after the power interruption.

Maybe you should buy a big old stickburner and fire it up at bedtime, then go out every hour to check the temperature and make sure the fire is not out. Then, after you have been awake all night, you could put on a wetsuit and climb inside the thing to clean it. Now THAT would make you appreciate your Smokette!

I know...and it was a real chore opening the door this morning. The butts turned out beautifully.

Has any consideration ever been given to some sort of "internal battery backup" on the AQ to hold the program during short power interruptions. I know in my situation (rural area in Montana with lots of little power burps) and a lot of overnight cooks, I would say I would stick with the old fashioned controls like the smokette. That would be a big drawback to the AQ for my situation. I know, I know..move to the city where the power doesn't go off a bunch...

Anyway, the smokette is a great little product.

I don't know if this would work or not but some of the comp. guys have thier FE's hooked up to marine batteries and power inverters to kick in if the AC is lost. For short power interruptions the battery/inverter might hold the AQ program until normal power is restored. Just a thought.
Don

Hey Trucky1008 whats is the biggest difference you see from cs55 to FEC 100. Is it worth the jump. I am torn between adding an Amerique or FEC100. I do not plan on competitions and have a little food prep area in my store.

quote:

Originally posted by xcon897:
Hey Trucky1008 whats is the biggest difference you see from cs55 to FEC 100. Is it worth the jump. I am torn between adding an Amerique or FEC100. I do not plan on competitions and have a little food prep area in my store.

Check out the "which cookshack to buy" forum.

Here's a recent thread on just that:

http://forum.cookshack.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9701035064/m/6591020493