Temperature Mapping a CS/FE 100

I would like to see that. I just check the temp on the shelf I am using.

Planned on doing that next week when mine arrives, you are going to save some people a lot of time.

Thanks......

Okay, first of all, let me say I'm not trying to be overly scientific.

But, I've been smoking for 30+ years, so I like to know my smoker.

Here is a page that shows my first run at mapping. I also tried to figure out an easy way to show the temps. It's not perfect, but you'll be able to figure it out --- I hope

I did the Smoke setting, 275 & 325

Mapping of CS/FE 100

Okay, here are the details, Probably will update the HTML page, but this was a rush job and MAN does it take a lot of time. To do this, took about 3 hours.

Columns, left to right are for Smoke setting, 275 and 325. The numbers are grouped by shelf, from top down to bottom

I placed 5 remote probes on each shelf, so that if you were looking down on the shelf, the probes were Center, Front Left, Front Right, Back left and Back Right.

I based the temps off of the central spot, for example showing a +/- off that temp.

Look at 275

Looking at shelf one, in the center, you see two temps; 310 and 275. The 310, indicates the HIGH temp, as the auger feeds pellets. I watched the smoker and about the time the smoker thermometer hit 275, I watched until a high temp was reached. Here it was 310.

The others temps are +/- for that shelf. The two numbers for each corner indicate the +/- from the high temp and from the 275 temp. One shelf one (top) @ 275 setting, the back right corner got +26 degrees from 310 at it's hotter and a -1 from 275. Confused --

Again, Top Shelf, 275, shows that the back right ran a little hotter and the others a little low than the central temp

Observations

There are initial observations, I'm sure you can get more from the numbers if you study

• On average the unit does a great job of maintain the selected temp, there will be highs and lows, but the average is fine
  
  
• The left side (away from the airflow) tends to run hotter -- on average
  
  
• The right side (nearest the airflow) runs below the indicated temp
  
  
• The 3rd and 4th shelves show the lowest fluctuation of temps -- on average
  
  

I'm glad you did this. I conduct a similar test, though with only two probes, shortly after buying my FE100 and I too found approximately the same results.

I would be curious to see what results you get with the setting just below 275. I had thought this would be a 225 degree setting, though this is not what I found.

Since purchasing my FE100 I have had to cook at hotter temperatures than I've been custom to. Things are slowly working out, though I have always cook at 225 degrees and have found the FE100's cook either hotter or cooler, but not 225 degrees.

Hi, this is great, thanks for doing it and sharing it! If I read it right, you used 20 thermometers to do this. Is that right? Just keeping that many probe wires untangled would faze me.

Thank Tom, no actually, I only used five, I moved the rack, from one setting up to the next level. After doing it this way, I'd wished I'd had more, but it was okay.

BAM, I'll do that, next run of the test, I'll work the settings between smoke and 275 and see what I get.

Smokin'

Interesting results. I have assumed that the bottom shelf would have higher temps.

I think we all believed that, and it's something I wanted to verify. Maybe it's because there is only some much radiant heat that only gets through the drip pan, but MOST of the heat goes around the sides and up to the top.

I want to check on this with more mapping, but don't know when that test will be.

Nice job. It explains alot. Thank you for sharing. Bill

In my results, I found the bottom rack to be the most consitant temperature, and always cooler than the top. Eddie thought this might change after the unit was well used, but I don't think so. Only time will tell.

I belive what you will find is when you have the shelfs loade with cold product the burnner runs at a higher rate. Thats when the temp on the bottom will change and become hotter.

I don't know FE. Based on the test, I don't think a longer burn is going to make it hotter on the bottom. Even at the higher temp setting, the burner shut off after it reached the set temp. The average, between top and bottom was the top was hottest, not the bottom.

But I'll run some test. I think we all feel that the bottom "should" be hotter, but the test didn't prove it. Hey, just checkin' out this new fangle doodad is half the fun

This isn't any different than any other smoker I have used. Must have something to do with heat rising.

I would guess that the temperature between the drip shelf and the bottom shelf can get pretty warm, which may account for chicking cooking better on the bottom shelf when it is fully loaded.

I also wonder if the vent was partially blocked/dampened would lend to a more consistant temperature throughout the inside of the smoker. Is such are large vent required for the operation of the FE100?

I'll check this condition, the next time I have a full smoker, though that won't be until the ice incrusted smoker thaws out some! LOL

I bet Florida is nice this time of the year. LOL

What ever you do DO NOT BLOCK THE VENT. This will cause a jam in the feed system. Believe me the vent must be the size it is.

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
[QB] The average, between top and bottom was the top was hottest, not the bottom.
QB]

I have been cooking conventionally for over 35 years and have NEVER had any kind of oven cook hotter on the bottom. The top of the oven has always been hotter for two reasons:
1. Hot air rises and cooler air falls.
2. The ceiling of the oven acts as a reflector of the high heat at the top, pushing it back down into the food at the upper levels, giving the top of the oven not only ambient heat but convection heat as well. (This convection heat is present closest to the walls of the oven, as well).

I gotta go on these assumptions when cooking in any oven, including the FE, until science (including Smokin's experiments) indicate I'm all wet.

FE, why does dampering or blocking the vent jamb up the auger system? Just curious.

Traegers aren't vented, are they?

About venting, how about putting an elbow in and putting a cap on it?

quote:

Originally posted by SmokinOkie:
[qb]About venting, how about putting an elbow in and putting a cap on it?[/qb]

My question, exactly. I've been wanting to do that to keep the wind from blowing INTO my exhaust and blowing ash around.

Seems to me that FE posted somewhere that this is OK. He said it uses standard 5 inch pipe and, he suggested, a dryer vent type cap to keep rain out.

Not sure if it was here or on the professional CS forum but Someone put a pix of my smoker with the 2 elbows and pipe running through my ceiling and I used a cap. I explained the double wall and the single wall galvanized steel. But someone also stated they thought they might have a problem because of high winds that are prevalent in their area. I suggested a rotating Charlie Noble, a vent that looks and works like a wind vane. I pointed him to a url that sells them for diesel stoves for cruising sailboats. That is only a 3 inch pipe but I am sure the marine store would share from whom they buy them.

Peter

Elbows and caps are fine. If the flue is blocked off any it will raise the temp on the feed system and swell the pellets before there realesed in the fire pot jamming the auger.

Thanks Eddie, that's why I love these forums, you can get real answers.

...from the "designer" no less

Smokin'

Updated the link and added the Map back in

I just found this and maybe it has already been posted but loaded my numbers are more consistent. When I put 2 Butts on the top shelf and a Brisket on the next lower I seem to average the set temperature on both. The bottom empty with this load runs 10F average hotter with the empty probe rack at temperature. Another attempt was 2 butts on the top rack, 1 butt on the second with a brisket on the probe rack and empty on the bottom. With this configuration I had 5F raise on the top rack and close to set temperature on #2 and the probe rack with the lower rack still 10F hotter. I am still testing and will graph my finds when I finish.

This was done on an NON-IQ equipment FE, using the old Traeger Dial therm.

I would still think there would be some fluctuations because of heat dynamics, but your point is correct, they should be less like you're seeing.

It took me most of a day to do that mapping, haven't done an IQ because of it and a true data logger would be a lot of money, can't get CS to buy me one.

Another reason for the bottom being cooler is the fan is introducing outside air at the bottom. The hot air gets trapped at the top because the vent is out the side.
The auger jam is probably also due to moisture buildup in the hopper due to increased back pressure. Ever see smoke coming out of the hopper? There's a lot of water in smoke and it will swell the pellets as FE said.