Rotating Racks in smoker?

[Whytefish]

Hi,

new to smoking and this forum so please bear with me. I am wondering if I should rotate the racks with fish or meat when smoking. Doing Kommoks recipe on Northern Pike today. I am from Ontario so lots of Pike available. I have heard that rotating racks keeps the smoke flavor more consistant but tradeoff is loss of heat. What do you guys think? I thank you in advance.

[Tenpoint5]

Kind of a loaded question in your poll. I would say yes to the rotating racks on fish. As for everything else some do some don't. It all depends on what it is your smoking and how long it is going to be in there. Myself I dont rotate racks unless I am doing sausage.

[waterkc]

I would say get a fan kit and leave it be, as some one else here has said in the past. If your looking your not cooking. I think anytime you open the door you loose heat, smoke, etc. No good, very bad,  ;)

Its all the same if you like to play with it, play with it. I bet you could do them both methods and never tell the difference. would be a great test, and the results no matter what they are would be great....Good luck and let us know.

[KevinG]

I don't rotate when doing a butt cause there aint that much room to go anywhere, but smaller stuff I do. Sausage, jerky, etc.

[Kummok]

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't...it depends on the size and type of meat mix I'm smoking. I prefer to NOT open the smoker during the smoke cycle and strategic meat placement to start goes a long way in helping me with that objective. I like the idea of a fan but I haven't invested in that as yet so I can't speak from experience....sure works well in our kitchen convection oven though.

[Habanero Smoker]

Rotating the food is done more for the food to cook more evenly. There are hot spots in the smoker; especially by the back wall, and the closer you get to the heating element. It's more important to rotate when you have small cuts of meat and/or tender cuts. Or you can add a fan.
Circulation Fan

I generally rotate every thing that I smoke. Depending on what I am smoking depends on the frequency; such as butts and briskets I will only rotate every 3 - 4 hours. Sausage, fish, ribs and other thin items; I'll rotate ≈ every 2 hours after the smoke has been applied.

[RAF128]

Generally I don't load my smoker with more than one thing except sausage.   I also don't like to open the door unless I absolutely have to.    I don't use racks for sausage, but hang them from dowelling.   So I guess I can say I don't rotate.   Only exception is when I'm making jerky.

[beefmann]

i use to rotate the racks top to bottom and front to back, now that   i have a blower/  fan in mine, i have became  lazy and let the  fan do the  work with the vent  wide open.

also i never.. NEVER EVER  put in the  bottom rack just  for added ventilation and  recovery. also adds more stability to the  heat  through out the  box, im now  with in 10 degrees  of what  my  pid says and the thermometer says on the front, funny thing is that  sometimes my  pid is  higher, other times the  door thermometer is higher,