Newbie from Ohio, thanks to the forum!

[Bdogggut34]

My 4 rack digital arrived today. Beyond excited. Ribs on the agenda tomorrow. Going to put together Jan's rub and a Memphis rub from amazingribs.com and do a combination of only smoke and spritz and 3-2-1 method to experiment and see how this thing works and my preference.

Thanks to the forum for all the awesome info and pictorials I've been reading the past week while I waited on the smoker.

[Smokin Sparky]

Welcome from Southwest Idaho.  As you might have read, there is a wealth of information on this site and the members are more than willing to help.  Remember we like pictures.  (No pictures. Never Happened!!!!!!)    ;D

Blake

[Saber 4]

Welcome from Texas and Happy Smoking to you.

[TedEbear]

Beyond excited. Ribs on the agenda tomorrow. Going to put together Jan's rub and a Memphis rub from amazingribs.com

Welcome aboard. I like the Vermont Maple Glazed Pig Candy from the Amazing Ribs site that I sometimes make when I smoke ribs.

[Bdogggut34]

I've seen that recipe...I'll give that a try also.


Ok so first question...seasoning the smoker everything was working well. I preheated the smoke and set the oven to 230 to see how the temp would respond. Monitoring with ET732 on the 2nd rack up from the bottom. I soon got the alarm and saw the temp go above 250. Went out and the Bradley is showing 187. Is it really that far off?? I set the oven temp to 200 and at the moment has held 230-240 then still goes above 250. Could there be something wrong with the internal thermometer? I guess I could test the ET732 in my oven upstairs to be sure.

How would I check it and anyone have a pic of where it's at? I think it's the small circle midway up the cabinet

[beefmann]

welcome aboard and your gonna  enjoy, remember top vent open... top vent open.. top vent  open

[Saber 4]

The answer to your question is yes, the internal temp sensor is that far off, that's why the remote thermometer is so important and why so many members get the pid controllers. I may need to get one myself for doing sausage.

[KyNola]

One other thing, as the meat comes up to temp, the temp swings you see will lessen.

[Ketch22]

Welcome from NJ  :)

[Bdogggut34]

Thanks everyone. I've found without any meat that an oven temp of 200 along with the smoke burner fluctuates a 210-245 temp. I think I'll start there by getting the everything up to temp then add the ribs and see how it goes.

I'll post pics later on.

[ragweed]

Welcome to the forum from Nebraska and good luck with the ribs!

[tskeeter]

Bdog, temp swings in the range to 20F or so +/- your set point are normal.  The temp swings aren't an issue with much of what you will smoke.  But, if you will be smoking some of the more temperature sensitive products, such as fish, sausage, etc. many folks add a PID controller so they can control the temperature to +/- a couple of degrees.

The reason for the temp swings is that once the heating element cycles off when the temperature sensor determines that the smoker is at your set point, the hot heating element continues to release heat into the smoker.  The reverse happens when the heating element cycles on.  The smoker cabinet continues to cool down while the heating element is starting to add heat to the cabinet.

Another thing to be aware of is that the temperature sensor in your smoker is mounted through the back wall of the smoker.  Right above the heating element.  So the Bradley is likely to read a warmer temp than a temp probe placed more toward the door of the smoker.  Why your Bradley was reading 60F less than your Maverick, I can't explain, unless your Maverick was reading a temp from lower in the cabinet than that Bradley sensor.  Bradley's generally display some heat stratification.  The bottom back, right above the heating element is the hotest.  The top front, against the door is the coolest.  You can use this stratification pattern to help get different size pieces of meat to the proper internal temperature (IT) at closer to the same time.  Or to help with cold smoking by placing temperature sensitive products as far from the heat source as possible.

If you haven't found your way there yet, check out www.susanminor.org.  That's the web site where many of the forum's best recipes and wisdom are stored.  A much handier reference tool than searching forum posts and lots of great how-to and ideas.   

[Bdogggut34]

Thanks for all the info... I know it'll take time to get used to how it works. After putting the ribs in the Bradley was more on par with the Maverick to where the Bradley was reading about 20 degrees less. So I had it set on 210 and it fluctuated from 245 down to 210 then back....good enough for ribs and should be on for pork butt and chicken I would think.

Thanks all for great start ribs should be fully done soon and we will really see then :-)

[pz]

Welcome from Idaho  ;)

[NorthShoreMN]

Welcome from NE Minnesota