I'm trying to keep the 4 Rack Digital at or near 220 for pulled pork. I usually run it at 220 and occasionally it will get to 250 for a few minutes here and there. Acceptable. Today a whole new story. I keep dropping to be 10-20 degrees and it wont stop going past 250. Anyone know whats happening? Thanks in advance for any help.
Hi SERVPRO;
Welcome to the forum. More information would be useful.
Is it possible you are monitoring the temperatures more closely than usual. The temperature swings you are describing is about average temperature swings. If this is not the case, is there a change in the weather on that day, that you usually do not use the smoker in. Such as temperature, wind, rain etc. How far over 250°F is it going? Have you changed your vent settings? Is the amount of meat you are cooking a lot less in weight?
Also, what are you using to monitor the temperatures? If you're relying on the digital generator temperatures you may be getting inaccurate information as they are not all that reliable.
As Habs, said, those temp swings sound about normal. A stock Bradley will over shoot the target temp by 20-30 degrees, shut off the heating element allowing the temps to drop 10-15 degrees below the target temp turn the heating element back on and repeating the cycle. As your food comes up in internal temperature you will notice the temp swings lessen and lessen.
You could also buy a PID controller to fix this situation if you feel you need it but it may not be necessary.