The item(s) contained in this review were purchased by The Naked Whiz Publishing Empire on the open market. No considerationss, financial or otherwise, were solicited or received from TipTopTemp™.

Introduction

A lot of folks complain that automatic temperature controllers take away from the mystery, the magic, the lore, or whatever makes barbecue special for them. They say they don't need or want technology. They say you only need your cooker's vents. Well, the TipTopTemp™ temperature controller has about as little technology as you will find in a smoker temperature controller. Using only a movable damper controlled by a bi-metal coil, this is about as simple as it gets. So perhaps it can strike a happy medium between those who want to only use their vents and those who want to be able to leave their cookers and have some peace of mind. Let's see!

Features

We will be reviewing the C5R model of the TipTopTemp™. This model is intended for the large Big Green Egg. Here is a list of features and specifications for the C5R TipTopTemp™ temperature controller:

• Construction: Heavy gauge plated steel
• Control mechanism: Temperature-sensitive, bi-metal coil
• Coil deflection rate: 0.346 angular degrees per °C
• Primary usage: Low and slow smoking
• Automatically controls cooker temperature by controlling airflow
• No batteries or power supply needed
• For charcoal grills only, not for use with gas grills
• Silicone gasket: 0.5" x 13.5" (13mm x 343mm)
• Additional gasket for large Big Green Egg: 2.0" x 15.0" (51mm x 381mm)
• Diameter: 5.0" (127mm) (C5R model for large Big Green Egg)
• Height: 3.5" (89mm) with damper open, 3.0" (76mm) with damper closed
• Weight: 7.125 oz (202g)

Compared To Other BBQ Temperature Controllers

The best comparison (and it's a bit of a stretch) is with the SMOBOT temperature controller in that they both control temperature by controlling the natural airflow of your cooker. However, unlike the SMOBOT, the TipTopTemp™ has no electricty, no servo motor, no App, no Wi-Fi, no display. Just a simple basic bi-metal coil to adjust the damper position in response to temperature changes.

The Basic System

The TipTopTemp™ comes in one size, but a variety of mounting options for use with different cookers. You must order the correct model for your smoker. Here's a list of the models:

• Kettle - Weber steel kettle style grills
• Ceramic 4F - Akorn Jr grills
• Ceramic 5F - Standard Akorn grills
• Ceramic 5R - Ceramic cookers with 5" chimneys like several Big Green Egg models
• Ceramic 6R - Kong grills with OEM removed

• Mounting ring
• Bi-metal coil control assembly
• 1 silicone gasket 0.5" (13mm) wide
• 1 silicone gaskets 2.0" (51mm) wide for mounting on large Big Green Eggs
• 2 stickers with graduations for application to the wooden knob
• Set of Weber clips. (Not needed in all applications but are included in the event of using a kettle grill.)

A Few Observations About The Components

You should be aware that the bi-metal coil is a rather fragile component and you should treat it with care. It wouldn't take much of knock to bend the coil. Otherwise, the unit feels reasonably substantial.

The System Unit

The "system unit" is essentially a metal cap with a hole in the top. The hole is covered by a rotating metal damper that is controlled by a bi-metal coil that reacts to temperature changes. What is a bi-metal coil? It's a coiled strip that consists of two different metals bonded together which expand at different rates as they are heated. These different rates of expansion are used to convert a temperature change into mechanical displacement. The different expansions force the strip to bend one way if heated, and in the opposite direction if cooled. We have included an animation at right showing how a bi-metal coil reacts to temperature changes. So essentially this bi-metal coil will close the damper as temperature increases and open the damper as temperature decreases. We will show you how you actually set the coil to achieve specific temperatures later. Here are some photos of the various components that make up the TipTopTemp™ controller:

Assembling The System Unit

As you saw in the above photos, the "system unit" is comprised of two parts, the mounting ring and the control assembly. As you can see below, the control assembly attaches to the mounting ring. There are three notches on the mounting ring and three tabs on the control assembly. You place the control assembly on top of the mounting ring such that the tabs on the control assembly fit down into the notches on the mounting ring. You can then rotate the control assembly until it is firmly locked in place on the mounting ring. It may take a little fiddling, but you will be able to mate the two. Just make sure that you rotate the control assembly as far as it will go so that there are no air gaps left that would allow air to escape and make it a little more difficult for the TipTopTemp™ to control the airflow.

Controls

The sole control on the TipTopTemp™ is a wooden knob attached to the damper shaft. In order to set a temperature on the TipTopTemp™, start your fire and rotate the knob to open the damper. As the temperature of the air exiting the cooker increases, the damper will close. Use the knob to open the damper and keep doing so as the cooker gets hotter and hotter. When your cooker's thermometer indicates that the temperature is about 50°F below your target, close the damper to about 1/4 opening. The TipTopTemp™ will now start regulating the temperature of your cooker. Make minor adjustments as your cooker reaches your target.

As for your lower vent, TipTopTemp™ recommends setting it to 25% open for lower temperatures. You may need to open it more for higher temperatures.