08 just arrived!!!

spoke too soon the temp just dropped to 185
is it normal to get temp swings?
Fumo

Yes, temp swings are normal. Unless you are just testing with your remote probe or heat-mapping, best not to worry about the oven temp too much, it will drive you mad.

You should bend the element down slightly to be sure it is not touching the woodbox. It can cause the thermostat to use the element and woodbox as a whole heating unit. The element should be suspended just barely under the shelf that holds the wood, and the woodbox should be slid all the way back into the oven.

It is quite possible to have door leaks for a long time until the smoker is seasoned very well. Mine still leaks some after a few years.

After it is smoked up very well, time to season with a large hunk of fatty pork. You need a large shoulder or butt for this and use alot of wood again. Use your remote probe, cook at 225* until the pork is at least 195*. This can take a long time, possible over 24 hours. You will be tempted to open the door. Don't. You can turn it up to 250* if you please. Use mustard, then a thick rub of choice. Do not forget to poke a drain hole and use a drip pan.

HTH

GLH has you covered but I'll toss in my $.02 as well. Don't concern yourself with the internal temp of the smoker unless you experience problems with the end result. The heating element cycles on and off as needed. You can expect +/- 20* swings throughout your smoke.

GLH,THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP,I AM NEW TO THE FORUM AND YOU HAVE RESPONDED MORE THAT ONCE TO ME.I THANK YOU.DO YOU BELIEVE I SHOULD SMOKE A PORK BUTT AS THE FIRST THING I PUT INTO THE SMOKER NOW THAT I HAVE SEASONED IT?I HAVE A MAVERICK THERMOMETER THAT HAS 2 PROBES,1 FOR THE SMOKER AND 1 FOR THE MEAT.I WILL BE SURE THE MEAT REACHS 190 BUT WHAT DO YOU FEEL THE SMOKER SHOULD BE SET AT?SHOULD I PLACE A SMALL
ALUMINIUM PAN OF WATER IN THE SMOKER FOR A MORE EVEN SMOKE?
FUMO

Fumo,

NO! Don't put any water into your 008. That's totally unncessary. Just get a nice 7 or so lb. butt, rub it down, throw it into the smoker and plan on smoking it at about 225 degrees for a good 16 hours of so until an internal temp of 195 is reached. DON'T OPEN THE DOOR! No reason to check on it. Don't worry about the actual cooker temp, it will cycle up and down and average out about 225. These swings are normal. Don't PANIC when your butt sits about at 165 for a few hours...it's the infamous plateau where your fat is rendering out real nice. It will increase after this pretty quickly. Use maybe 3-4 ounces of your favorite wood, pecan or hickory preferred. Don't use more.

Follow this and you'll be happy. Sometimes it make go for 18 hours, just monitor the internal temp of the butt and pull it about 195. Wrap in foil and some newspaper for another hour or two.

You'll love the results.

Later,
C'Nooga

Also, when it gets in that plateau, nothing wrong with cranking it up to 250* at that time. I do butts and brisket on 250* from the get-go alot and I cannot tell the difference when I start out at 200 or 225. Experiment! Keep notes!

Thank you for all your advices,ill let you know how it turns out
Fumo