I did search, but I might just really suck at it... So hopefully I won't be the annoying person I used to hate that couldn't search properly.
Background:
I want to use my smoker to cook some delicious BBQ. But... The temperature varies HUGELY and it's based on the airflow coming into the unit. Ok, so I know there are other people with this issue, so off to the internet I go. A simple "barbecue automatic temperature controller" search in the search engine returns... HOLY CRAP?!?! A simple fan that spins faster or slower based on the temperature it reads inside the smoker, awesome!!! Oh, wait... You're telling me that something THAT simple costs upwards of $150 (on the cheap side) and going up to $400+. Alright... Y'all must be putting crack in these smokers cause that seems outrageous. There has to be a better way.
The question:
I have a raspberry pi zero already, and I even have some 5v and 12v fans with speed controllers! So... There isn't a huge leap to think adding a temperature sensor and maybe even wifi or bluetooth could be added to accomplish my goals. Does anyone have any ideas or experience with this? (not sure if a pi is the best use, maybe arduino? but being as I have a pi zero I figured I'd start here)
The ultimate dream would be a unit that has temperature sensors, connected to a pi zero (?), with a fan speed control, and a small screen (LED or simple) with buttons that let you set the expected temperature range, and maybe even allow you to adjust the fan speed based on temperature (since not all BBQ smokers will be the same fan speed to temperature adjustment).
Does this type of unit sound TRULY like it should cost $150 or more? Maybe I'm just overly insane on my expectations of cost