Problem With Smoker (Solved)

[rexster]

Smoked baby back ribs and three split chicken breasts last night. Today, since I did a little cleaning around the shelf racks and vent since they were getting so gummed up the vent wouldn't rotate easily and the racks were a pain to slide in or out. Used some Greased Lightening cleaner. This stuff worked wonders previously on my racks and water bowl. I used wet paper towels to clean up the gunk, and didn't think I dropped too much down the top vent. Anyway, later I got ready to smoke some baked beans and some sausage links to have during the work week. As soon as I plugged it back in, the smoker tripped my GFI plug on my deck. To make a long story short, I systematically checked the temperature slider, pilot lamp and heating element on the smoker. The GFI did not trip just on the smoke generator, only on the smoker box. I disconnected the pilot lamp first, still tripped the GFI; then disconnected the temp slider, stil tripped the GFI; disconnected the heating element, still tripping the GFI. I figured something got down the walls to the wiring in the bottom of the smoker. After 3 hours or so, I came back to try it again, and it must have been wet somewhere, because it came back on. Whew@@!!
I'm checking it periodically, but all seems to be OK as of this posting

Rex

[Oldman]

rexster,

First welcome to the forums. You have to be very carefull not to allow anything to run out the door and into the rheostat. There not too much to replace, but that type is not overly common so you would have to order it. When I clean the vent I always have a think towel on the first rack to catch anything I drop through.

Now you mention sausage. Do you make your own?

Olds

[rexster]

Yep, I should have put a towel down in the bottom, I didn't have anything run out the door, I didn't use that much water. I think enough water went down the venting through the double wall to the bottom of the smoker.

Sausage; I've made some summer sausage a couple of times, I'll be doing some links in the next week or so, finally got attachment for our Kitchenaid mixer.


Rex

[MallardWacker]

Dude of Rex,

One question, on your vent, was it open and how much?  It needs to be open at least 1/4 to 1/3rd or YOU WILL get fluid....


SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know.  But...

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

rexster,

Have you tried sausage spices from The Sausage Maker? They have a nice Polish sausage spice mix that I have used in the "smoke" mode that turned out great. Couple of hours of hickory, then on to 152 degrees.

Arcs_n_Sparks

[Phone Guy]

Liquid and electricity do not mix. If you did get liquid in the electronics of the smoker you may end up with a corrosion problem later, copper is quick to corrode. I'm not sure wear to look but it might be a good idea to investigate.

[rexster]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Phone Guy</i>
<br />Liquid and electricity do not mix. If you did get liquid in the electronics of the smoker you may end up with a corrosion problem later, copper is quick to corrode. I'm not sure wear to look but it might be a good idea to investigate.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Yep, when I get time, I'm gonna take the cover off the bottom and check the connections out, that's the only place I didn't look. So far it's still working, but wife said I could get a Stainless Bradley as a backup[;)] so guess I'll be doing some double cooking in the near future. Did I say I had a wonderful wife??

Rex