Circulation fan questions?

[nodak]

I screwed something up ;D.  I installed a fan like described and it actually made my temp variance worse.  I changed motor direction and followed diagram on olds site and when I turn my fan off my box temp from top to bottom shelf are less than when fan is on?  I put fan under first rack above v pan centered.  Fan is blowing to back of box.  Maybe in my cold temp F. pulling the against back wall and up is cooling the air cuz of cold outside temp against back of smoker?

[Habanero Smoker]

Keep us up to date on this one. I am planning on installing a fan one of these days. If you are right, it may not work the same in cold weather.

[acords]

I installed a circ fan and have had great results top to bottom.  Front to back has just become a problem though.  I was smoking summer sausage, 2/rack and the rear 2 cooked faster than the front 2.  This was Sunday (Minneapolis) and the temp was about 5 degrees.  I never seemed to notice a difference before, but did not have the circ fan last winter.  Sunday was the first day that I smoked anything when it was that cold.  We've had a pretty nice winter here too!!  You may be on to something with the temperature thing.

[Oldman]

Maybe in my cold temp F. pulling the against back wall and up is cooling the air cuz of cold outside temp against back of smoker?

I'm having a hard time seeing this unless you are in some super cold weather.

The next time it is cold set up your Bradley as you would to smoke, but with the fan off. Drop a thermometer about mid way down the vent. After 2 hours turn on your fan and see if the temp changes.

Please keep us updated on this issue, and thanks!
Olds

[BurntFork Ken]

I too have experienced the rear areas cooking faster than the front.  In the perfect world, the heating element would be nearly a full circle directly centered under the v-pan.  Given it's placement though, it seems natural for the heat to rise more intensely along the back wall, and even faster if being drawn out.

What about an internal fan blowing directly on the heating unit down below to difuse the heat before it begins to rise?

Always open to ideas on this one.

Cheers!
Ken

[Wildcat]

Too much trouble for me.  I think I'll stick with rotating. ;D

[Patience]

I just smoked x6 two pound summer sausages in 15 degree weather.  I only had a 3 degree difference in doneness from middle row to front row when hanging on the chez bubba sausage rack.  Using a dual probe wireless digital, I pulled them when they were 148 and the front 145 deg.  I only flipped/rotated once during the 14 hour slow cook marathon with final cook and hold temp of 170 deg. 

I have not installed a fan yet, I don't really see a big difference in heat from top to bottom or front to back (of course, the area just above the heating element is always hotter and I avoid putting meat in that area).  Using the two probes in different areas of the smoker its less than 5 degrees difference at the most, usually less than that.  I have only smoked in weather below 50 degrees since I just got my smoker in October, at first I thought about a fan a PID, but I just don't see the need right now.  I always turn the smoker so the smoke gen. is facing the wind with hopes of SOME air circulation entering thru that, maybe this is all the circulation you need?  Perhaps your fan is blowing a little too hard and pulling colder wall temps like you said.   ???