I didn't know that

[HCT]

I was watching BBQU this morning and he was talking about the vent on the top of the smoker. He said that the more closed it is, the cooler the smoker, wide open, more heat. Here I was thinking just the opposite. ??? :-[. Well smoke and learn. :D

[manxman]

Here I was thinking just the opposite

Me too!!  ;)

[cingnut]

OK all you physics majors..... Explain!!!  It all sounds like shrunken heads and chicken bones to me.

[standles]

Assuming we are working on our electric smoker base.


If you close the vent all the way you have inhibited the natural convection that carries moisture out of the smoking chamber and into the atmosphere.   this moisture is general a atomized like liquid.  You have also at the same time limited the amount of O2 i nthe box so your inhibitiing the production of smoke as well.    The water mist trapped in the air has a material property called specific heat.   This is:

The ratio of the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one unit of temperature to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a similar mass of a reference material, usually water, by the same amount.

So the water is trapped and is soaking up heat from the heat source in its quest to obtain a phase transition (liquid -> steam).    This captured heat is heat that is not available to transfer to the meat or environment.   This in an endothermic (aborbing heat) type reaction results in a cooler box temp


NOW lets open the vent.  (I do not buy the wide open theory but here goes) the water has an escape route.   Since it does not linger it does not abosrb heat and will not transition to its next phase.   There fore this heat can be available to raise the box/meat temp since it is not bound in the h20 cycle.


I personally buy the "keep the vent open enough to expel moisture but closed enough to make the smoke linger."   It is a balancing act you see.   I usually run 1/2 - 1/3 open depending on the meat in question and its moisture content.

Steven

[NePaSmoKer]

And all these years i thought the vent was for more light to enter

nepas

[Habanero Smoker]

If he was talking about a wood or charcoal smoker, closing the vent reduces the draft thus limiting the amount of oxygen the fuel has to burn, therefore producing less heat.

[Oldman]

If he was talking about a wood or charcoal smoker, closing the vent reduces the draft thus limiting the amount of oxygen the fuel has to burn, therefore producing less heat.

I agree 100%. The Bradley is electric and it will continue to heat the box. I agree to a point about the moisture, but there will come a point when the moisture cannot take on any more calories of energy.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Okay you PhDs (that stands for "Piled Higher and Deeper"). That comes after B.S. (bull sh1t), and M.S. (more sh1t).

This probably has nothing to do with latent and sensible heat (the conversion of liquid to vapor and the reverse). The original post probably reflected the "Weber" effect: less draft means less oxygen which means less combustion which means less heat.

Whew!!!!! I need an adult beverage to cool me down........    :D

[IKnowWood]

Almost blew a sprocket there AnS.

Now I wonder how this affects the Propane BS. Still no combustion.  I recently did (tried more like it) some ABTs in the propane smoker on a humid hot day.  Not many, like 15 of those nasty little monsters.

When I finally gave up and moved into the oven (after 2 solid hours with the burner full open), Moisture was intense under the tent, all other all surfaces.   And the bacon was just barely rendering on the top.  The underneath was barely turning brown.  The Cheese was fine and Pepper was still nice green.

Plenty of smoke coming from all over and some good active dropping and sizzling.  But not cooked.  So go figure that one out...

[smokin stu]

Read the explanation Standles wrote.....  my head hurt for a second and then I heard a pop sound.  Now everything looks sort of happy and silly.  I may have blown a piston.  Feels okay tho....

Smoke is good.....

[West Coast Kansan]

Well if there are more calories of heat available in a chunk wood smoker than the Bradley  ??? why have i gained so much more wieght since i switched to the Bradley  ;D

[Gizmo]

Nice one WCK.