PICs-FEC100

OK, time to jump in and share my experiences with the FEC100.
I am very new to the FEC100, having had my unit less than a full month.

First, some information about my FEC100.

At the time of ordering the FEC100, the cover and the meat probe, I was delighted to have been informed that the total cost to me was going to be about $350.00 less than I had counted on. At this point I was pretty HAPPY.

At the time of ordering, I was told that it would be three weeks before it would be delivered. In fact it was delivered to me in only two weeks. At this point I was MORE HAPPY than before.

When delivered, the FEC100 and all of the ancillary items (racks, wood pellets, rubs, hotel pan, sauces, mixes, owner’s manual and the FEC100 cover) were all in pristine and undamaged condition. I was even MORE HAPPY than before, even though the meat probe would need to come at a later date (out of stock).

I had trouble from the time that I had ordered the unit until it was delivered trying to find a five inch elbow and rain cap that would fit and function in such a manner so as not to impact the functionally of the smoker/oven. I also wanted it to look GREAT. With few choices available from the local building supply stores (LOWES, HOME DEPOT etc.) I ended up buying a five-inch diameter 90 degree chrome diesel exhaust elbow and matching chrome clamp, on line from IOWA 80. It is installed in the vertical position and looks amazing on the smoker. When smoking I add a high flow rain cap (very similar to the one shown by “SMOKINOKIE”) just stuck right into his FEC100 exhaust pipe (no elbow). When not smoking I remove the rain cap and replace it with a five inch to six inch expansion collar an then insert a six inch duct cap (plug) to keep out uninvited guests, leaves and what ever should not get in my smoker.

My Location:
I live in Palmdale CA. The front of my house faces due south. The wind, 95% of the time, comes from the west-south-west. The FEC100 is located on a covered (part solid cover, and part shade-bar cover) patio, adjacent to the house in the back yard. As the wind is bifurcated by the orientation of my house, it meets in the patio area coming from the east, north and from the west. This results in swirling gusts that come from all directions, and at times it seems they converge at the same time. I am talking about winds ranging from a breeze to over thirty MPH at times. This was one of my concerns when I ordered the FEC100.

My short history with the FEC100 and my exhaust system has put aside any such fears.
True, I have had only a few Cooking Smokes, and the original seasoning session, but I have yet to have the FEC100 “FLAME OUT” or challenge me with of any the other problems that I have read about, that would give me cause to question my decision to purchase this amazing and fine smoking machine. KNOCK ON WOOD (PELLETS that is).


To date I have smoked, (at different times) #(1) six full racks of loin back ribs, #(2) two chickens, and just this past weekend my # (3) was my first brisket. They all turned out great, to my surprise (that being due to my lack of smoking experience)

I will say that I did buy the Maverick-732 Remote Thermometer as an independent means of verifying the temperatures in the smoker. My use of the FEC100 showed that the controller temperature needed to be set about eight degrees lower than temperature that I wanted. This, to me was completely acceptable and may have even been caused by my placement of the BBQ probe in the smoker. I placed it on a rack that was (in the seven rack system) one rack position above the FEC-100 controller probe and on the smoker door side of the brisket. Also, the temperature tracking during the smokes have stayed within a window of about 10 degrees. Temperature recovery cycles as well were generally no higher that about twenty degrees above the set point on the controller.

Just a note the Maverick-732 worked great and was a great comfort during the all night long brisket smoke. I was so paranoid about a flame out or a fire during the smoke but the FEC-100 performed flawlessly. Again what a machine and with the diesel exhaust elbow, a right fine work of art.

I intend to continue learning from each smoke and refine the process, a task that I do not expect will ever end. But so far, my baby steps have been huge.

The short story is I LOVE THIS SMOKER!!!!!

In closing, I would wish that more posters could, if possible, provide the following information in their posts, if appropriate, as an aid to new FEC100 users like me.
Product
Product weight
Cook and hold times.
Controller set temperature.
Measured internal smoker temperature or cycle ranges.
Location (in the smoker of item being smoked and the location of independent temperature probe if any.
Pellets being used, (100%)hard-wood provides little information. Are they a blend and if
so, the flavor wood vs. cook wood %’s or are they 100% flavor and what flavor?

If reasons for being unable to include such information have previously been hashed out here in the forum I apologize for bringing it up. It is just that I would like all of the help that I can get. Sorry for the long post.