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I've had my 08 for 15 years and use it 8 - 10 times a year. I've done three or four briskets and pork shoulders plus 10 - 20 smoked salmons over this time period. My main use though is for BB ribs. I've never done much of a cleaning to the interior with the exception of scraping/wiping up fat from the bottom after each use. I have used a rigid plastic spatula to lightly scrap the sides and the top but never the back interior wall.

I recently placed an oven thermometer inside the smoker and set the dial for 225F. After an hour I opened the door to check the temp and it was a little over 250F. That got me wondering about where the internal thermostat gauge was located. In looking inside on the back wall I see a round horizontal thin tube about 4-5 inches long covered in what I assume is creosote. Could this be affecting the temperature and if so how would you suggest cleaning it without damaging it?
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If it is heavily coated it could provide the controller with an erroneous low reading, which could cause the temp to get too high. I would try a light (very light) scrub with a non-scratch scotch brite pad. If that doesn't work, you might want to call CS and see what they recommend. I clean the thermoprobe in my 066 with a damp cloth after every smoke.
Last edited by jay1924
Also remember that the controller on the 08 set at 225 will fluctuate (just like your home oven) up to 25* either way. so you could be at a low of 200 and a high of 250. If you have a way to monitor it consistently with a load over a period time you could more accurately determine if there was an issue. Having said that, a cleaning as Jay said certainly doesn't hurt and could help. Try checking the temp with the door closed also as it is a little concerning that with the door open and the release of heat it would still be over 250.

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