New smoker

[smokindave]

Got it.  Will do.  Any reason the "oven" time couldn't still be done in the BS?  Thks. 

[projump]

icerat4,
      I plan to do baby back ribs next weekend and I will follow your advise. I have a Sams Club card.
                                        Thanks, projump
PS   I'll post some pics when they are done. :D

[icerat4]

In the oven is best with them wrapped up in the pan and foil over top.Better heat distribution around all parts of the foil.If done in the bs you will have a heat problem.More heat on the bottom and less around and on top.Imo. ;D

[coyote]

My goodness that looked good icerat4. If you would've had a beer in that picture I wouldn't even
need a midnight snack tonight.
                                                    Coyote

[West Coast Kansan]

smokendave sounds like your well into it now!  Glad your ribs turned out well...

The "indicated" temp on the digital is slower to update than the actual temp measured with an independent thermometer hanging in free space. The most accurate location to reflect reality seems to be about two inches away and below the meat in center of the tower.

My observation has been the "high indicated" temperature is higher than reality due to the probe location on the back wall (the back of the tower will be hotter due to air channeling). The "low indicated" temperature is lower than reality because of lag time in measurement or display update or just the low power available to return to temp when the unit finally cycles back ON.

The more meat in the smoker the less the actual temp will fluctuate it seems to go with me.  Also, leaving the puck burner going after smoke is finished seems to dampen the fluctuations (a consistent heat source).

In time you will learn your smokers personality and it will behave consistently. The rest is just fun to master the difference which really boils down to low and slow like we never had it before.

FTC on ribs seems to be more of a religious act than a need to me... not much depth of meat to try to distribute moisture. You may have actually lost some if not wrapped real tight.

My 23 year old son is the only purist in the family now - still using an offset chunk smoker. I have to agree there is something special about not sleeping, burning your hands, messing with ashes, looking for wood and all that to smoke a piece of meat with those real smokers.

So bla bla all i was really going to say is welcome to the forum. I look forward to reading your experiences.

[West Coast Kansan]

Sorry I'm stupid. The "lower indicated" is also higher than actual (  I said lower in my post above).  other possible -most likely-reason not given above is the heat sink effect again. On the downward swing it is the actual temp in the tower that is lower than the "indicated temp". I have started looking at the oven set point as a target temp. It averages out over time and makes less and less difference as the total time in the smoker increases. The downward (OFF) swings are the greatest. The swings do narrow as the meat comes to temp. 

Sorry again. I probably messed something up in this post too and just dont see it...

Bottom line is still the same. Your smoker is going to be consistent and you will enjoy it greatly. Still a lot easier to learn than the relationship between temperature and how high the smoke leaving the stack goes before it starts to disperse on a cold night. Sorry for the confusion.