FE100 and venting - smoke seepage

Smoke seepage isn't a big problem with these units, although a little does escape from time to time. The more it is used the less seepage you see----probably because the "gunk" buildup acts like a gasket. You can always pipe your exhaust outdoors with 5" stove pipe, but unless you have a major hood in your garage (not attached to your car, preferably, but an exhaust hood)the biggest smoke problem will be when you open the door and it comes billowing out. No little seam in the door will solve that problem and that would be the biggest problem of indoor smoke.

Whereabouts in the NW do you BBQ? OOPS, never mind! Just read your other post in the Roll Call.
Welcome!

I see your point Kerry. However being that I intend to use the FE100 for set it and forget it bbq..like I do with my smokette but on a larger scale, I tend not to open the door except when loading and unloading.

I dont dont need a mop sauce like I used to use on my Hathorn because the smokette and I am sure the FE100 keep the meat so moist anyway. For that reason, I just wanted to ensure all my smoke was going out the window and not partially into my garage. Upsets the wife, dont ya know .

I have noticed by looking at some of the pictures of the insides of the FE100's that there does seem to be a lot of smoke escaping around the door. I am sure I could fix it myself with a wool fiber gasket, but was really wanting to know if CS was going to take it on.

I've heard that SOME fe100s come with a gasket and some don't. Mine made at the end of 2003 doesn't. Why couldn't a person just install some head gasket material and give that a shot? As long as it went on and came off if it didn't work well, what would be the harm?

I doubt that CS will do anything about it soon. They don't even list the FE100 on their website yet, and the one you can find which is on Fast Eddie's site is no longer the current model. CS needs to settle a number of things about this smoker, including publishing some form of an effective user's manual, before it worries about smoke leakage. Especially since, even though it can be used indoors with proper venting, it is designed as an outdoor smoker
I use mine in the garage over night. I pipe the smoke from the exhaust out under the door. I don't worry about any leakage. Not a bad smell and not enough to get excited about. And this with ALSO a wife who can't stand MY smell when I come into the house after having had a cigar on the deck! LOL>

K

There is a gasket kit that Cookshack will send you for free. I haven't installed mine yet, but I got it for the same reason you are doing. Although, I learned it is easier to get a divorce than to please the wife, so that is what I did.

All current fe100's have gaskets. The new photos and info are up now on CS site.

Thanks Eddy. Just a heads-up for you: I just clicked on their site and it is there under "Products", but if you click on "Pelletheads" instead of Products it says the FE100 will be on the CS site "soon" and in the meantime it refers them to YOUR website to get information.