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Smoking some pastrami for lunches this week and wanted more smoke than previous attempts. For time/convenience I am using the largest/thickest 'pre-corned' flat Costco had in counter. Still a small piece of meat so cook time to 160 will be brief. (gonna steam to 180 or so later)

Sliced wood (red oak cut last fall) thinner than previous samples. Probably 1/4" slices. Able to break by hand into smaller pieces.

Used 1.5 oz (3 - 2" square by 1/4" thick size pieces set in best 3 hot spots of wood box.

Set 020 to 225 degrees.

I've never 'seen' smoke from this smoker below 200 degrees. Checked 30 min or so after starting and smoke was boiling out the vent and from the door. Oven temp displayed 156 and rising.

Was it the thinner pieces? The different wood (normally use pecan/hickory)? Or the fact that I left the large drip pan out for better draft?

Dunno, but I see some smoked cheese in my future now... Smiler
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when you do the pastrami, make sure to do a search, we've had a couple of good threads,

now, back to the topic in question.

I'd try different wood. There is enough variation in wood, from a moisture content, I'd let this season and try something different.

I'd also call CS, describe the symptons and see what they say, I've not cooked on the essentials, so I can't really diagnose some things.

For low temp smokes like cheese, I use sawdust or pellets, you need something that will combust at very low temps. Wood doesn't even start to combust until 140-150 at best.

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