Pucks are not lighting!

[Hackk]

I asked this in my other thread, but for future people searching this problem, I figure I would title it correctly.

This is the first run with my OBS with PID, the setting are correct, the smoke generator is on, the pucks are loaded, my finger can tell you the puck tray is hot as hell, I can see the glow of the heater inside the smoker, the pucks are feeding, but they are NOT lighting! I dont think I am doing anything wrong, but Im sure. Can you please help? Thanks guys?

PS, the pucks are brand new right out of the package

[Tiny Tim]

Are the pucks turning black after a few minutes?  That's all they are supposed to do, not actually burst into flames.

[Hackk]

no, they are staying healthy and uncooked

[Hackk]

UPDATE: Well I cant really answer this for myself, but after checking on it, its finally smoking. However, the first two pucks that are already in the water are not burnt at all. So it seems to be working fine now, but I honestly cant understand why it wouldnt work in the beginning.

[Tenpoint5]

You might have a loose wire inside of the S/G cabinet.

[Habanero Smoker]

I replied on your other post. You didn't allow the bisquette burner to preheat first.

[devo]

Seems I have the same problem. This has happened the last two times I used my DBS. The first time I thought it was just bad luck. The second time I searched in here for a answer and did the preheat of the SG even if I didn't need to before. I also cleaned it out and checked all wires inside to make sure it was all tight. It did it again the second time. I'm going to smoke some ribs today and this time I moved the smoker closer to the plug in so no extension cord is needed. Hopefully this will solve the problem. If this don't work then I guess next step is to call Bradely and see what they have to say. Don't mind a few buck getting trashed but not three every time I smoke.
Like Hackk said the buck burn is fricken hot as hell before the first buck goes on it. So I'm wondering if the timer for the buck advance could be screwed up somehow.

[devo]

Well so far so good. After two good cleanings, and going direct to the wall plug in instead of a extension cord the pucks advanced like they should. Don't know what fixed my problem but its working. The ribs should be done in time for supper time  :)

[NePaSmoKer]

Ditto what habs said.

I let my PID and smoke gen heat before i put pucks in the tube.

[Hackk]

Im just surprised it took almost an hour before the pucks lit. Next run we'll see how it works out. How long do you guys preheat your s/g? and if using a PID, how should that work? If I wanted to run smoke for lets say 1 hour on the second step, does that mean that I'll only get 20 minutes of smoke time if it takes this long to heat up?

[TedEbear]

I let my PID and smoke gen heat before i put pucks in the tube.

Hmm...I'm not sure why you would need to wait until the sg heated up before loading pucks in the tube.  It takes an hour for the first puck to reach the heating element if left to advance forward at 20 minute intervals on their own.  By then it should be nice and hot.

[Sorce]

I let my PID and smoke gen heat before i put pucks in the tube.

Hmm...I'm not sure why you would need to wait until the sg heated up before loading pucks in the tube.  It takes an hour for the first puck to reach the heating element if left to advance forward at 20 minute intervals on their own.  By then it should be nice and hot.

That's pretty much what I do, turn everything on and advance the pucks 1 meaning 40 minutes till smoke starts rolling, that gives me plenty of time to get everything else in there and ready to go.

[Hackk]

so let me ask my question again if you dont mind. If I need to preheat my s/g, how does that work? If running a PID, and I only wanted 1 hour of smoking lets say, am I only getting 20 minutes of smoke by the time it heats up and gets a puck across? How do I time it better?

[freakaccident]

so let me ask my question again if you dont mind. If I need to preheat my s/g, how does that work? If running a PID, and I only wanted 1 hour of smoking lets say, am I only getting 20 minutes of smoke by the time it heats up and gets a puck across? How do I time it better?

For a basic smoke I set it up in cycles.  I set heat cycle 1 for one hour at 250* to preheat.  Then I set cycle 2 for the amount of time I want the smoke rolling and at the temp I want the meat to cook at.  Cycle 3 I use for a no smoke cycle and set it to stop at IT.  Attach the smoke setting to cycle 2.

Before you plug in the PID make sure the smoke generator is plugged into the wall and turned on and get your pucks advanced so one is on the puck burner then move the power plugs to the PID.  You basically just want the pucks in the starting lineup and prepared for the smoke cycle.

Once cycle 2 starts the puck is in firing position and hot.  Basically with this way you can set it up and go away for hours.  The key is to make sure your pucks are advanced to the burner before cycle 2 starts.  The other option is to add an hour to the smoke cycle to account for the 3 pucks that won't be loaded.  I like to get the smoke on early though so the smoke penetrates the raw meat. Basically I make sure there is a puck on the burner when I add the meat at the beginning of cycle 2.  

So basically as an example for a turkey breast:

Cycle 1 = 250* for 1 hour - No meat
Cycle 2 = 225* for 3 hours - Attach smoke to cycle 2 - Add meat now.
Cycle 3 = 225* until IT is 160*

So cycle 1 is preheat.
Cycle 2 is smoke.
Cycle 3 is on until IT is 160*

Make sure you started with the smoke gen on without the auber plugged in so you can advance the bisquettes so that one is on the burner and ready for cycle 2 to start.  

You CAN just use the advance button once cycle 2 starts and you put the meat in too but I like to get the meat in ASAP to reduce heat loss in the cabinet. You may have to hit the advance button several times and keep checking to make sure a puck is on the burner which looses a lot of heat.  Easier just to get them advanced from the start IMHO.

The key point to your question is to make sure there is a puck on the puck burner at the beginning of your smoke cycle.