Reply to "Is think something is wrong with my smoker...."

quote:

Originally posted by lcubed:
i'd try a couple of things in troubleshooting

1) beg, borrow, or steal a dual channel remote thermometer (like a maverick et-73 or et-732) to verify temperature

2) bend up the heating element to touch the bottom of the smokehouse.

3) foil the bottom (and punch a hole of the grease drain)

4) foil the top of the smokehouse and load the smokehouse w/ a single piece of DRY wood

5) load a large aluminum foil pan w/ ice (to provide a load for the smoker to work against)
and insert into smoker

6) insert probes thru upper vent hole and mount one below the ice pan and one above

fire up the smoker for 225F and observe.

note the ambient temperature.

the smoker should ramp up to a high temperature for at least twenty minutes (to get the wood smoldering). the ice should force the controller to keep the heating element going.

let us know what you find