SG as additional heat source?

DoYouSmellSmoke? · August 06, 2011, 04:36:37 PM

A question for the veteran smokers: Do you leave your smoke generator on after your last bisquette is depleted? I'm currently in the middle of my first pork shoulder roast (blade in). It's a 6 pounder, so I figured a total cooking time of approximately 9 hours at 225 degrees, with 4 hours of hickory at the beginning of the smoke. I'm using 3 Bubba Pucks (Love' em, Yard and Pool. Thanks for the quick delivery!), an Auber single probe PID, but am still waiting on the arrival of my remote meat thermometer, so unfortunately, I'm kinda winging it on meat temp today.

After the smoke was done, I shut off the SG, and my tower temp dropped from 225 to around 210, and now, 3 hours after shutting off the SG, and 7 hours total cooking time, my tower temp has just come back up to 223. My vent is wide open (per Auber's recommendation), I haven't opened the tower once, and there's been very little wind this afternoon. Also about 58 F with no rain all day.

Should I have left the SG on to augment the heat from the main element? Is it even a factor, or are there other forces at work? I've read in other posts that the larger cuts of meats reach a plateau, and won't rise in temperature for a significant amount of time due to the breakdown of fats and muscles in the meat.

How do you guys do it? SG on or SG off after smoke is done?

FLBentRider · August 06, 2011, 04:41:57 PM

I leave my SG on the whole cook.

classicrockgriller · August 06, 2011, 06:05:56 PM

The Smoke Gen provides additional 150 watts of heat.

DoYouSmellSmoke? · August 06, 2011, 06:32:41 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll leave it on in the future.

ghost9mm · August 06, 2011, 06:40:00 PM

Quote from: classicrockgriller on August 06, 2011, 06:05:56 PM
The Smoke Gen provides additional 150 watts of heat.

Yep !!! Yep !!! Yep !!! after my smoke is done, no bisquettes..just the heat...

classicrockgriller · August 06, 2011, 07:36:25 PM

My Smoker is dualed out with 1000 watts of heat and I live in (HOT) Texas, so I turn mine off.

TedEbear · August 08, 2011, 09:46:23 AM

Quote from: classicrockgriller on August 06, 2011, 06:05:56 PM
The Smoke Gen provides additional 150 watts of heat.

I thought it was 125W. Anyway, I turn mine off to save energy after the last puck has dropped into the water pan. No need for the extra heat with 1000 watts of two elements on mine.

mikecorn.1 · August 08, 2011, 12:50:53 PM

i also leave mine on. i want to say that on the auber pid cd, it said that it can add as much as 16* worth of heat to the smoker. please dont quote me on that, i will try to remember and check when i get home. maybe someone can find out for sure about that. ;)