well i finally tried my first smoke. 2 whole chickens about 5 lbs each. used 2 1/2 hours of smoke for a total cooking time of about 4 1/2 hours. the problem was that the highest temp the smoker got to was about 200-210 why is that? can i get it higher?
by the way the chicken was excellent
The temp should get higher than that.
Two questions:
1. Vent position ?
2. Where how were you measuring the temp?
vent was wide open. i was using the ET-7 1 probe in the chicken and 1 probe just hanging. the ET-7 read about 200 and the therm on the smoker read the same. the element is probably 5 years old. think its the element?
Maybe heat it up with nothing in it but your temp probes to check out the element?
test i will definately try that. think i should replace my element? i just got done reading your "adding a second element" do you think its worth me doing that? since you have no temp regulator on the 2nd element how do you regulate the temp? do you use the 2nd element as primary and the original with the slide switch to regulate? what temp will you get with just the 2nd element on?
Quote from: dAWGS on August 23, 2010, 09:56:54 AM
test i will definately try that. think i should replace my element? i just got done reading your "adding a second element" do you think its worth me doing that? since you have no temp regulator on the 2nd element how do you regulate the temp? do you use the 2nd element as primary and the original with the slide switch to regulate? what temp will you get with just the 2nd element on?
It is highly recommended to use a PID with two elements.
i dont fully understand the concept of a PID can you explain a little? what PID unit is recommended?
I made the decision real quick after my first smoke to add the second element. I think it was ribs and I had the same problem with not getting but to about 200-205.
I'm using a PID for control when I run both elements and I wired my second element in with a switch so I could use it without the PID or not.
Before you decide if the element is bad or not, open the vent and heat it up with nothing but the temp probes say in the middle of the 3rd shelf down. Time how long it takes the cabinet to heat up to 250 and if it will go above that (spec is 280). So don't let it go over that.
You can also check you probes in boiling water to see if they are close to being right but don't let any water run down the wire into the back end.
Let us know what your time and temp turns out to be and we'll go from there!
Good luck.
PID stands for proportional–integral–derivative controller. The Auber dual control will control the cabinet temp and will give you a digital read out of the IT of the meat. I just got my PID so I am by no means and expert and other will be along shortly to chime in on the PID.
When doing sausage you can set the cabinet temp to 140 for say 2 hrs then ramp it to 150 for 2 hrs then to 160 for 3 hrs until the meat is at 152-155 IT. I have used the PID for 2 smokes and it kept the cabinet temp spot on for the duration that I had programed. As some have said....it is like flying a plane on auto-pilot.
which model do you use? how is it hooked up to the smoker?
I have the dual probe and love it.
Try this for a little more info:
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?672-Auber-Plug-amp-Play-PIDs-Single-Dual-Probes
TestRocket has you covered on the PID. If you want the Auber web site it is http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14&products_id=151&zenid=e8d2329343c2be206610a1c54e654fea
Here are a couple of links for adding the second element:
Additional Heating Element (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?572-Additional-Heating-Element-Modification)
For OBS with On/Off Control (http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?578-Additional-Heating-Element-for-OBS-with-On-Off-Control)
I had a low heat issue on my first smoke too, couldn't get to 200. My issue was the extension cord. Plugged straight to the house it went from 180 to 250 on 15min.
Boz,
Good catch! That has been an issue for many in the past!
I have also had issues with my jumper cord from the smoke generator to the cabinet being hard to fully seat. That makes a big difference, too. From reading the posts, however, I think your main issue was that you had cold meat near the temp probe, making the temp look lower than what it was. Running with nothing in the smoker will tell you if that was the issue. Also, some Bradleys have the fabled "dead spot" at the high end of the slider (thankfully I have never seen this happen). As far as the spec. of 280 goes, I have never be able to achieve that high, but 250 is not a problem.
Major panic on Labor Day. All four racks full - 3 racks of salmon (nearly 10#) and a rack of pork tenderloins. After filling the smoker it would not rise above 130 degrees. 35 wine-happy, hungry people and all my timing out the window. :o
Open vent , closed vent, neither budged the door temp. Flipped the temp lever back and forth a couple times and pushed it full right (again). Finally stated to creep up but barely hitting 150 degrees. Checked the tenderloins themselves and had 157 degrees - what the heck?!?! ??? Pulled 'em out and checked the salmon temp - 140 degrees - perfect.
Checked it out while empty this morning after reading about the "flat spot" on the temp lever in another posting. Pushed it all the way over (I broke the plastic knob when I first unpacked the smoker about a year ago) and then backed it to the left about 1/4", vent wide open. Watered the herb garden, checked it about 20 minutes later and I am pushing 210 degrees. Beware the "flat spot"! Element is just fine.
Sounds like your cabinet temperatures where higher then the temperature probe you were using. If you were going by the temperature probe in the cabinet door, that is not reliable when you have food in the smoker; especially when you have food on the second self from the top.
As for the flat spot, that may have been problem with earlier models (if the problem ever existed), but Brian from Bradley Tech. posted some time back that is not an issue with the later models. So you either may have damage your particular adjustment, or try retesting again with an empty smoker and place the slider all the way to the right and see if you obtain a higher temperature then you did when you backed off 1/4 inch.
Will do - this weekend.
Thanks.