What Is QPID?

A few years ago I started messing around with Texas-style BBQ (smoked ribs, brisket, turkey, etc.). It's pretty easy to do, but the tough part is having to keep a vigilant eye on the smoker and maintain a constant temperature for 7 or more hours. While it doesn't require a lot of time per se, it does mean that you need to hang around the house all day and remember to check it every 30 minutes or so. It'd be great if I could go for a bike ride, run some errands, or even take a nap.

Two years ago I got an ET73 remote temperature monitor made by Maverick Industries. It works great, but it only allows me to see the smoker temperature from inside my house due to a short-range RF link, and it still relies on me to go out and adjust the smoker. Clearly we need something more sophisticated...

The goal of Project QPID is to create an Internet-enabled controller for a my smoker that can do the following:

- Monitor and maintain the smoker at specified a temperature
- Monitor the meat temperature as it cooks
- Allow remote monitoring of the smoker via a web interface on a PC or mobile phone
- Provide updates and alerts via email, Twitter, etc. when the meat reaches a certain temperature, the fire needs attention, etc.

As for the name? Well, I expect that controlling the temperature of my BBQ may use some form of PID algorithm. And in case you're wondering, I absolutely refuse to call it 'iSmoke' or use any parts that are white. ;-)