OK GUYS NEED SOME ASSISTANCE. I SEASONED THE SMOKER AS THE DIRECTIONS EXPLAINED FOR 1 HOUR AND WHEN I RETURNED ONLY 1 1/2 BISQUETTES FED. TODAY THE OUTSIDE TEMP IS ABOUT 50 F SO I DECIDED TO PREHEAT THE SMOKER AT A TEMP SETTING OF 270 F. WHEN I ADDED THE RIBS THE TEMP WAS AROUND 230 F. I TURNED THE SMOKE STACK ON AND I PUSHED THE WOOD BUTTON 3 TIMES AS THE MANUAL STATED TO DO DURING THE SEASONING PROCESS. I TOOK A QUICK PEAK INSIDE TO SEE IF THE BISQUETTE WAS IN PLACE AND IT WAS NOT. I PROCEEDED TO HIT THE WOOD BUTTON UNTIL THE BISQUETTE WAS ON THE BURNER. MY QUESTION IS DO I NEED TO PRESS THE WOOD BUTTON UNTIL THE BISQUETTE IS IN PLACE OR IS THERE A DELAY AND THE BISQUETTE WILL AUTOMATICALLY FEED? ALSO, IT SEEMED THE UNIT TOOK A WHILE TO HEAT UP IS THIS NORMAL? THANKS FOR ANY ASSISTANCE.
I'm not 100% sure on the operation of the digital, but on my original, when I press the bisquette feed button, there's a click, then a second or two delay, then you can hear the feeder back out, drop the bisquette, then the stack will rattle a little bit as the feeder slides back under the stack, pushing the bisquette out. Once this is done, there will be another delay of a second or two, then a click...after the click, I can press the button again to feed another bisquette and repeat the process.
Repeated pressing during a cycle does not register on mine. I hope my answer helps.
Matwell
When you are preheating your smoker turn the smoke generator on as well. This will help preheat the tower in addtion to heating up the puck burner as well. That way when you are ready to add the meat and start applying smoke the puck burner is already hot and will start burning the first puck immediately.
I usually turn the generator on for the preheat, than once I add my product I am going to smoke I shut off the smoke generator and turn it back on just to reset it. Once I turn it on you will hear it cycle once. When this cycle is complete ( takes a few seconds) I load my pucks. Once I load my pucks I advance them 3 times making sure to wait a few seconds between each time you press the button. Once you get the hang of it you will be able to tell by the sound of it when the cycle is complete. Basically what happens is the pucks are sitting on the plate that pushes the puck. when you push the button, the plate draws back, you can see you pucks wiggle then drop, then it pushes the puck in and when the cycle is complete the pucks in the tube are again sitting on top of the pusher plate.
Hope that makes some sense.
Mike
Yeppers, what they all said matwell. It's important to let each advance cycle finish before pressing the button for the next puck to advance. If you don't it's going to wait the 20 minutes before it cycles again.
WOW, YOU GUYS ARE FAST. I LOVE THIS FORUM. ALL OF THE ADVICE IS HELPFUL. I DEFINITELY DID NOT HAVE THE SMOKER STACK ON DURING THE PREHEAT AND I WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT FOR MY NEXT SMOKE. ALSO, I PRESSED THE WOOD BUTTON CONSECUTIVELY AS OPPOSED TO WAITING A FEW SECONDS IN BETWEEN. I AM ALMOST 2 HOURS IN AND THE BISQUETTES APPEAR TO BE FEEDING OKAY AND A NICE FLOW OF SMOKE IS COMING OUT OF THE TOP VENT.
Quote from: matwell on November 09, 2007, 08:50:34 AM
WOW, YOU GUYS ARE FAST. I LOVE THIS FORUM. ALL OF THE ADVICE IS HELPFUL. I DEFINITELY DID NOT HAVE THE SMOKER STACK ON DURING THE PREHEAT AND I WILL CERTAINLY DO THAT FOR MY NEXT SMOKE. ALSO, I PRESSED THE WOOD BUTTON CONSECUTIVELY AS OPPOSED TO WAITING A FEW SECONDS IN BETWEEN. I AM ALMOST 2 HOURS IN AND THE BISQUETTES APPEAR TO BE FEEDING OKAY AND A NICE FLOW OF SMOKE IS COMING OUT OF THE TOP VENT.
Just a suggestion here so don't get mad at me.
You should probably take your caps lock off when you type matwell. On the other forums I belong to it's considered "shouting" when you use all caps. ;D
Just thought I'd let you know so others don't take anything wrong.
Thanks Iceman for the advice. I did not mean to shout :) By the way has my package been sent. No rush I was just curious.
Quote from: matwell on November 09, 2007, 09:26:33 AM
Thanks Iceman for the advice. I did not mean to shout :) By the way has my package been sent. No rush I was just curious.
Should receive it any day now.