OBS temp recovery...

[pnw-smoker]

Just want to check with all you experts to see if my OBS is acting "normally".  Today I did ribs... all 4 trays.  Smoker was pre-heated empty to 250, and ribs were allowed to warm up for an hour before loading them.  Temp dropped to about 130 as expected when ribs were loaded.  Problem is I can NEVER get it back up to my desired 225.  I'm 6 hours into it and the highest smoker temp I've achieved is about 185.  Is that the way it's s'posed to work?  I've had the vent open between 1/2 and 3/4 all day.

Also... I read how the fats breakdown between 160 and 170.  I'm confused.  If my target temp for the ribs being done is 150-155, how can I ever get to that crucial 160-170 stage for proper rendering of the fats?

Any expert advice is much appreciated.  Thanks.

[FLBentRider]

First I would ask: Where are you measuring the temp?

The door gauge is, well... not all that accurate.

If you are measuring the temp with a more accurate device, where is the probe ?

I usually put the probe right under the lowest rack of meat.

Make sure you rotate racks front to back and top to bottom. The tower is hotter on the lower racks and toward the back of the cabinet.

Assuming the second case, is the heating element glowing red ? Make sure the tower plug is in there good and tight.

As to your second question, I don't measure ribs by temperature, but by how the meat is pulling back from the bone.

Ribs cooked to 150-155 will be "done" but tough. Ribs that spend some time in the 160-180F range will be tender.

Done and Tender are not always the same destination.

[pnw-smoker]

Thanks for the answers... especially the part about the difference between done and tender!

I am using an Auber PID, I've got the probe about midway in the tower... right under the second (from the top) rack.  I smoke a lot of salmon at lower temps and know the PID works great when I want to hold temps down around 140 or 150... so that's not the problem.  Controller was never cycling on and off... as you would expect... was ON all day.  After 7.5 hours when I pulled the ribs my tower temp was up to 190... that's as high as she got.

[FLBentRider]

So how were the ribs ?

[HawkeyeSmokes]

First I would ask: Where are you measuring the temp?

The door gauge is, well... not all that accurate.

If you are measuring the temp with a more accurate device, where is the probe ?

I usually put the probe right under the lowest rack of meat.

Make sure you rotate racks front to back and top to bottom. The tower is hotter on the lower racks and toward the back of the cabinet.

Assuming the second case, is the heating element glowing red ? Make sure the tower plug is in there good and tight.

As to your second question, I don't measure ribs by temperature, but by how the meat is pulling back from the bone.

Ribs cooked to 150-155 will be "done" but tough. Ribs that spend some time in the 160-180F range will be tender.

Done and Tender are not always the same destination.

FLB has gave a lot of good advice. About the only thing I can add is let the ribs tell you when they are done. Once they pull back from the end of the bone about 1/2" they should be ready. Or give them the twist test, grab a bone and twist, if it turns, they are ready.

[pnw-smoker]

Ribs were good... just not great.  As FLB suggested they were a bit tough... not fall of the bone tender yet.  I'll do better next time!

At this point I'm thinking I have a heat problem... shouldn't take 7+ hours for the tower to come up to temp.  I can't do tender ribs if I can't get my bradley over 180.

Thanks for the advice!

[Smokin Soon]

Were those ribs babybacks or spareribs?

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi pnw-smoker;
Welcome to the forum.

This is does not appear to be normal functioning of the smoker. Is the circuit that the smoker is plug into being shared by other appliances, such as a refrigerator, air conditioner, fans etc. If too many appliances are drawing power from the same circuit you could experiencing voltage drop, and not enough current is getting to your smoker. If this is the case try unplugging some of the appliances while you are smoking; if that is possible. If you are using an extension cord use the shortage cord possible, and make sure it is at least 16 gauge.

Or you can transfer the food to you kitchen oven. I know it hard to have the oven running on a hot summer day, but you will get better result then leaving the ribs in the smoker at such a low temperature.

The answers to FLB's questions would be helpful:

    Assuming the second case, is the heating element glowing red ? Make sure the tower plug is in there good and tight.
 
And if it is glowing it should be bright read except for about an inch or so from each end.

[Caneyscud]

Habs and FLBR have good advice and I agree that the temp should have gone higher even with the big load!   Although 7.5 hours doesn't seem too long for a full load of spareribs.  I've had a load or two go that long.  Babybacks should not take anywhere all that long. 

[pnw-smoker]

Thanks to habs and all that have offered advice!  My heating element (solid type) glows red.  I don't know if I'd call it bright red.  It's about the same red as a coil of an electric stove set on medium-high... sort of a dull red-orange.  Takes about 5 minutes for it to get to this color.  It's definitely not that really intense red you get when you turn a stove on high.  About 1.5 inches on each end are not glowing at all. 

Nothing else major on the circuit... no big current draws.  I am using an extension cord, but don't see any difference if I move the smoker and plug it straight into the outlet.

Has anyone tried by-passing the rheostat slider completely?  Since I'm using a PID controller, the rheostat isn't doing anything anyway.  Are there any issues in just removing the rheo from the power circuit?

thanks.

[Mr Walleye]

pnw

There is a thread somewhere where they talked about bypassing the slider. I'll see if I can fins it for you.

Mike

Update...

Here's the thread....
http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=8708.0