First smoke on the OBS and same concerns as many others

[jimmyb]

In the middle of my first smoke in the OBS and doing it up with some nice spare ribs. All looks good. I see that many others have the same concerns as I am experiencing. Temps took three hours to get up to 225 with two racks in there. Pretty big racks. Each filled the shelf. Did what many suggested as far as leaving ribs out for a couple hours to come up to room temp, adding boiling water, leaving the vent wide open, and I added some wood stove bricks in the smoker too.

So after three hours the temp finally came up to around 225 and I foiled them and added some apple juice in the foil. Put them back in the smoker, changed the water with more boiling water and after 1/2 hour it is up to about 210 degrees.

Many say don't worry so much about the exact temp. My concern is making sure they are done. I probably have to go more than the 3-2-1 but if I have to add time, do I just add it to the end? I actually did about 3 1/2 hours in the first stage.

I will post the results here but I also wondering if it's worth it to add another heat element along with a PID (definitely a PID).

[GusRobin]

I have an OBS and have never cooked without the second element and a PID except for when I first seasoned the unit. I reach initial temps in a matter of minutes, recover temps rapidly when I add meat, and the part I like most I get to peek a lot and not have to worry about long recovery times. For $25 or so investment it is well worth it. Most say that you shouldn't add the element without a PID or other type controller for safety reasons. I like the PID because I can control temps within 1-2 degrees. In addition the new dual model, while a little more expensive, allows you to control the smoke generator also.
In short, I think it is worth it.

[Habanero Smoker]

What did you use to monitor the cabinet temperature? If you used a probe where did you place it? The location of your temperature probe, can give you an inaccurate reading.

I get better results by adjusting the vent to 1/2 open. Two racks of ribs are not going to produce enough moisture for you to be concerned about keeping your vent wide open, unless you are using an oversize water pan. If you adjust the vent you may have had faster recovery times.

Vent Settings

I've had my OBS for over six years. I've added the second element about a year ago, and I'm very pleased with it.