Grab your Weber Connect App Update !!!

[SillyRabbit]

Update is a failure for me. 1st cook flame out won't start. Dig out all the unused pellets and restart. Grill get up to 225. Let it sit 10 min to let it stabilize. Put steaks on, 5 mins later temp is 115.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Update is a failure for me. 1st cook flame out won't start. Dig out all the unused pellets and restart. Grill get up to 225. Let it sit 10 min to let it stabilize. Put steaks on, 5 mins later temp is 115.

Did you do both updates by chance?

 

[SillyRabbit]

Yes. Ready to tell weber to take this tin can and put it where the sun don't shine.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Finally gets back up to temp, then drops 60 deg.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Bruno]

Interesting, I’m not going to update this week either, big cook Friday night.

 

[rwhapham]

Sounds like I was fortunate that the updates applied without incident for me. And I've had a couple successful cooks since as well. I too have a big cook this Friday...the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding. That would have sent me to another level of mad had a forced updated left my SmokeFire unusable. Weber really needs an opt-in update process vs. the current force-fed one. And way better change logs to go with it. Speaking from experience in my line of work, software (the app) is one thing, but it really is a professional no-no when you when a client has your hardware and has it working how they want it to and you make them take new firmware. And give them no way to revert back.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Luckily it was just a couple of strips. I finished them off on the Genesis. I am gonna cycle it a few times today and see how it goes. It has been in the teens, so maybe that affects it. Usually doesn't.

 

[Cambridge Brian]

Failure for me as well. After update started heating and after about 20 degrees it stopped. Pulled it apart while it was still turned on and found the firepot filled with pellets and glow plug did not seem to be working. Put in shutdown mode and by all sounds seemed normal but the auger did not reverse and kept adding pellets. Powered off cleaned it out tried again and same thing. Replaced glow plug just in case( I still had in the original). Worked fine after that. I am worried that both times that I tried to do a shutdown during start up the shut down process kept adding pellets. Will call Weber when I have more time. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't looked at the amount of pellets added to the fire pot during shutdown and just started it. Maybe I would have a new Smokefire on the way courtesy of Weber.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Failure for me as well. After update started heating and after about 20 degrees it stopped. Pulled it apart while it was still turned on and found the firepot filled with pellets and glow plug did not seem to be working. Put in shutdown mode and by all sounds seemed normal but the auger did not reverse and kept adding pellets. Powered off cleaned it out tried again and same thing. Replaced glow plug just in case( I still had in the original). Worked fine after that. I am worried that both times that I tried to do a shutdown during start up the shut down process kept adding pellets. Will call Weber when I have more time. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't looked at the amount of pellets added to the fire pot during shutdown and just started it. Maybe I would have a new Smokefire on the way courtesy of Weber.

I noticed the same thing. The pellets kept feeding after I put it in shutdown. It did eventually reverse.

 

[ROCKEWEHARD]

So to be clear, if the app is not on the phone the grill wont try to update anything by itself even though it will still be connected to the WIFI right?

Got no problem using the grill without the app for a bit till they get it fixed if it means the grill stays working as it is at the moment.

 

[SillyRabbit]

Something is definitely not right with the new firmware. I cleaned the grill before running it today. I set it to 250 and it started up normally and held temperature. I increased the temp to 350 after 10-15min or so. It reached temp and held. Another 10-15 mins or so, I set the grill to smoke boost. It started cooling off and notified me temp set. After 10-15 mins, I set it to 225. It left smoke boost and climbed to 225 pretty quick. After it set there for 5-10 mins, I shutdown. Hmmm, maybe it was the weather or too much ash build up? NOPE.
I let it sit for awhile, then started it up again aiming for 500. It started normally, took longer than expected to reach 500. It finally made it. I let it sit there about 5 mins, didn't want to burn up too many pellet. I adjust temp down to 315 and it started to cool. It notified that temp was reached. I was letting it just set and then get an error that a temperature drop was detected. This is a new error to me. Temp was at 175. I went out to the grill and same error on the screen. I stirred the pellet hopper for good measure and notice smoke coming up. I think it must have had a problem feeding pellets and then started the glow plug again. Temp started to rise, so I walked away. A few minutes later I get the temp drop error again and temp is 115. I walk outside and thick heavy smoke is bellowing out of the grill. I set it to shutdown. As the shutdown fan kicks in , there is a burst of flame and there is a large fire in the base of the grill. I guess it overflowed the pot, which killed the flame and then when it tried to get it going again?
Not sure what is going on. I had just cleaned the grill and this type of behavior has never happened before. It wasn't like a grease fire, just a lot of pellet smoldering until the shutdown fan feed them.

 

[SillyRabbit]

So to be clear, if the app is not on the phone the grill wont try to update anything by itself even though it will still be connected to the WIFI right?

Got no problem using the grill without the app for a bit till they get it fixed if it means the grill stays working as it is at the moment.

Correct, without the app, the grill won't update.

 

[SillyRabbit]

I decide to set it 600 and burn out the rest of the pellets, then I am going to blow out all the sawdust and particles to make sure the auger is all clear. It gave a notification that I was low on pellets. Once it hit 600, it never showed a drop in temp. I went back out to check and it's ice cold, all pellets gone, fan still running and display showing 600. I put it in shutdown and will clean out.

I think I will factory reset and let it get the update again. Looks like others are not having issues.

Update - Smokefire stuck in Recovery Mode, won't pair or leave recovery mode. App finds grill but never pairs.

Update II - Weber is sending a replacement control unit and wiring harness.

Update III - Control unit and harness replaced, will be reverse searing tonight and see how it goes. New control unit updated and connected to wifi and app fine. I ran it a little yesterday and all seemed normal.

 

[MackeyC34]

Concur. I did my update a few days ago and am just about to wrap up a 5 hour cook with my picanha (brisket style). No problems at all with the cook so far. Now - the picanha itself - TBD - wish me luck with my picky eaters.

As a follow up - seems the picky diners were happy. After dinner and I went to clean up (and planning to hide off a slice or two for a sandwich) seems it was all gone. My thanks to DutchieCooks for the suggestion. BTW - SF performed flawlessly. I started off with a 1.5 hour smokeboost using pure hickory - then turned off SB, clearned out the hopper and switched over to Kingsford Classic and upped the temp to 250, wrapped at 160 pulled at 200 and let rest. Happy wife - happy life, eh?