New controller software and app update

[AHoneyman]

This is about what I have always seen using the controller and an ambient probe. However, I saw something new today. I did a run (not to be discussed) and went to shutdown. The shutdown proceeded until the point where you should see the "It is now safe to shut off" message. The fan quit and the controller froze right there. I did a hard shutdown (flipped the switch) and will check it out when I start up next time. I wonder if I will get an error message.

When I started the SF up again, I did not receive an error message. Turned it on, it wanted a new temp, shut it down with the knob, and it gave the correct "Turn it off" message. Weber has received all info.

Weber was not really interested. Suggested that I delete the app and reinstall. I have done that but I have not used the app. It looks like rain (or some variety of water) until New Year's Day. I will use it then.

 

[bbq4ever]

Short Question to all, never had issues with my Smokefire so far (almost 1 year old, original setup). But since I have updated to the latest firmware. I suffer from flameouts after approx. 3 hours (running 125 C/ 250 F) Anybody else having similar issues.

To overcome the issue: I dit a shutdown (yes I wrapped my ribs and burned ends first ), cleaned out the fire box (completely filled with pellets). After the shutdown was completed, started up again and continued the cook. All in all added +/- 30 minutes to the cook. But as it was my first time experience with this kind of failure and did not have the issue before (I have done 14 hours cooks without issues) I'm wondering if maybe others have/had similar experiences with the latest firmware.

Tip/remark: I always check the firmware version before starting a cook to avoid getting into an update cycle during the cook. It is about time that that Weber starts asking the owner for permission to start an update cycle and I want more detailed change logs. I also work in IT and it is good practice to be transparant. No vague descriptions of General device enhancements, would be nice to know them so we can enjoy the enhancements and improvements. Bug fixes, would be cool to know what bugs have been fixed so we can confirm them or point out that there is some more work to be done....... In this case I'm wondering now if the upgrade was the cause of the issues.

Still like my SmokeFire but it needs to be stable and consistent, lets hope it was a glitch (that always can happen) but still curious to you replies.

Greetings from Europe

 

[Dassman5]

Short Question to all, never had issues with my Smokefire so far (almost 1 year old, original setup). But since I have updated to the latest firmware. I suffer from flameouts after approx. 3 hours (running 125 C/ 250 F) Anybody else having similar issues.

To overcome the issue: I dit a shutdown (yes I wrapped my ribs and burned ends first ), cleaned out the fire box (completely filled with pellets). After the shutdown was completed, started up again and continued the cook. All in all added +/- 30 minutes to the cook. But as it was my first time experience with this kind of failure and did not have the issue before (I have done 14 hours cooks without issues) I'm wondering if maybe others have/had similar experiences with the latest firmware.

Tip/remark: I always check the firmware version before starting a cook to avoid getting into an update cycle during the cook. It is about time that that Weber starts asking the owner for permission to start an update cycle and I want more detailed change logs. I also work in IT and it is good practice to be transparant. No vague descriptions of General device enhancements, would be nice to know them so we can enjoy the enhancements and improvements. Bug fixes, would be cool to know what bugs have been fixed so we can confirm them or point out that there is some more work to be done....... In this case I'm wondering now if the upgrade was the cause of the issues.

Still like my SmokeFire but it needs to be stable and consistent, lets hope it was a glitch (that always can happen) but still curious to you replies.

Greetings from Europe

While I have not experienced what you describe, there seems to an increasing number of owners on other web site that have experienced similar issues since the latest software update.

 

[Bruno]

Short Question to all, never had issues with my Smokefire so far (almost 1 year old, original setup). But since I have updated to the latest firmware. I suffer from flameouts after approx. 3 hours (running 125 C/ 250 F) Anybody else having similar issues.

To overcome the issue: I dit a shutdown (yes I wrapped my ribs and burned ends first ), cleaned out the fire box (completely filled with pellets). After the shutdown was completed, started up again and continued the cook. All in all added +/- 30 minutes to the cook. But as it was my first time experience with this kind of failure and did not have the issue before (I have done 14 hours cooks without issues) I'm wondering if maybe others have/had similar experiences with the latest firmware.

Tip/remark: I always check the firmware version before starting a cook to avoid getting into an update cycle during the cook. It is about time that that Weber starts asking the owner for permission to start an update cycle and I want more detailed change logs. I also work in IT and it is good practice to be transparant. No vague descriptions of General device enhancements, would be nice to know them so we can enjoy the enhancements and improvements. Bug fixes, would be cool to know what bugs have been fixed so we can confirm them or point out that there is some more work to be done....... In this case I'm wondering now if the upgrade was the cause of the issues.

Still like my SmokeFire but it needs to be stable and consistent, lets hope it was a glitch (that always can happen) but still curious to you replies.

Greetings from Europe

Make sure you have the welded auger installed. I know it may not be the problem, it made my EX6 work like it was meant too after the swap.
Good luck!!

 

[rexster314]

My Gen 2 EX6 started out with an earlier version of software, when I started the controller up after assembly it updated to the November release. I cooked on it several times with great results, then it updated to the December release. Again, it's been smoking/grilling without a hitch after that update.

 

[AHoneyman]

Guys, my SF is still being a little flakey. Yesterday, the air probe stayed at least 45 degrees below the controller. Today, started at 200 and went to SB. On SB, it stayed at 145, which is lower than usual. After SB, it stayed closer to the controller temp. Generally, about 25 degrees below. However, during the 4 hour run the temp set point was dropped twice and had to be re-entered on the controller. And the notifications did not always come through on the iPhone lock screen. I still think there are some funky electronic components out there.

 

[Dassman5]

Guys, my SF is still being a little flakey. Yesterday, the air probe stayed at least 45 degrees below the controller. Today, started at 200 and went to SB. On SB, it stayed at 145, which is lower than usual. After SB, it stayed closer to the controller temp. Generally, about 25 degrees below. However, during the 4 hour run the temp set point was dropped twice and had to be re-entered on the controller. And the notifications did not always come through on the iPhone lock screen. I still think there are some funky electronic components out there.

Assuming that the grill air probe is not gunked up and in need of a cleaning — which could account for the difference, If you have a spare air probe, or even a food probe, you can always put it next to the grill’s probe to check.

If it continues to happen you might consider reinstalling the software via your iPhone to see if that helps.

I know a lot of people on other sites are complaining about periodic flameouts after the most recent software update.

 

[AHoneyman]

Assuming that the grill air probe is not gunked up and in need of a cleaning — which could account for the difference, If you have a spare air probe, or even a food probe, you can always put it next to the grill’s probe to check.

If it continues to happen you might consider reinstalling the software via your iPhone to see if that helps.

I know a lot of people on other sites are complaining about periodic flameouts after the most recent software update.

As we have discussed before, the air probe temp matches the controller prior to start up. And after long times with no changes, the probes again match. And it matches my Mavrick probe. And it changes with each software update.

I have deleted and reinstalled the phone app.

I agree about the flameouts. I have had a couple. It seems that getting started at low temps and stabilizing is a problem. My concern is that multiple controller types may have small issues with the software updates. My theory only, no data.

 

[Dassman5]

As we have discussed before, the air probe temp matches the controller prior to start up. And after long times with no changes, the probes again match. And it matches my Mavrick probe. And it changes with each software update.

I have deleted and reinstalled the phone app.

I agree about the flameouts. I have had a couple. It seems that getting started at low temps and stabilizing is a problem. My concern is that multiple controller types may have small issues with the software updates. My theory only, no data.

The perplexing thing is that there a large number of SF owners on other sites complaining about both wide temperature variations/discrepancies and flameouts since the latest December update; some from owners that previously had no issues.

 

[AHoneyman]

Folks, I am still trying to figure out how this thing works. Several people have commented of problems with SB when temps get below about 40 degrees ambient temperature. I am wondering what your controller displays when it gets cold. Does the controller show 20 degrees when it gets that cold? Or is there a lower limit on the controller and/or the PID? Thanks, alh.

 

[JpsBBQ]

Folks, I am still trying to figure out how this thing works. Several people have commented of problems with SB when temps get below about 40 degrees ambient temperature. I am wondering what your controller displays when it gets cold. Does the controller show 20 degrees when it gets that cold? Or is there a lower limit on the controller and/or the PID? Thanks, alh.

Mine doesn’t display right now. I wasn’t sure if 40 was the low end or they made a change in the last update. It is below 40 here so I’m thinking it won’t display below 40.

 

[AHoneyman]

Yesterday, mine only went down to 40 degrees also. And that is about where the reported problems with SB started - below 40 degrees. I might think that the PID was coded down to 40 and when data comes in lower than that, it gets a little funky. Mine run was yesterday was strange because the air probe showed the correct temp all along with the controller probe being all over the place. At times, the PID jumped 50 degrees above the air probe.

 

[johanns]

Yesterday, mine only went down to 40 degrees also. And that is about where the reported problems with SB started - below 40 degrees. I might think that the PID was coded down to 40 and when data comes in lower than that, it gets a little funky. Mine run was yesterday was strange because the air probe showed the correct temp all along with the controller probe being all over the place. At times, the PID jumped 50 degrees above the air probe.

I live in Austria and did a cook yesterday approx 28 F -2 C other than the unit taking awhile to get up to 160 c it did and worked fine. However with the new update I get major fluctuations in temp inside the cooker (EX 6, welded auger, new glow plug, latest firmware) while getting to temperature.
Just before Christmas I did pulled pork in temps of around 35f had a flameout with super smoke cleaned up after that and had no issues rest of cook at 120c other than fluctuating temps inside the cooker.

 

[Dassman5]

Folks, I am still trying to figure out how this thing works. Several people have commented of problems with SB when temps get below about 40 degrees ambient temperature. I am wondering what your controller displays when it gets cold. Does the controller show 20 degrees when it gets that cold? Or is there a lower limit on the controller and/or the PID? Thanks, alh.

I started mine yesterday to cook some back ribs. It was 28F outside, yet the controller showed 40F, while my 2nd ambient probe showed the actual outside temperature.

However, it ran flawlessly when I initially set to 325F, then down to 225F for a 6 hour smoke.

 

[Chris Z]

So many people having completely different results when starting their SF's up in cold weather. I started mine yesterday for it's first run (seasoning) with 28 degrees ambient temp in the driveway. I set the target temp to 460 and started it up with the lid open. Waiting for my first whiff of burning hickory, the controller was showing the target temp and two dashes indicating (I'm speculating) that the pit temp was below it's range of display. Smelling some hickory burning.I closed the lid and waited.

As the pit temp came up the display on the controller eventually showed 40 degrees and slowly started to climb. As I wrote yesterday, the grill responded without a problem to many temperature changes both up, down and then back up before shutdown a couple of hours later. I did not test Smoke Boost.

Seems like a lot of people are having completely different successes and failures with the same version software.