Just finished break-in; some unburned wood remaining

[bbqnewbie]

Does this tell me anything about "hot or cold spots" in my unit?  Placed 3 pieces in burner: far front, middle, and rear.  The front piece was all ash, the center piece ( a smaller piece) rolled a little to rear and was almost all burned.  The rear piece was maybe 40% unburned - it was black but still a solid core is visible.  The front and rear dowel pieces were about the same size - similar to 90% of the typical pieces that were included with the smoker.  There were two incidences of combustion at about the 30-45 min. mark.  Not black smoke but heavy white smoke with the noise accompanying it.  Temp. was at 250 F and 3 hours for break-in.

 

[NDKoze]

Typically seasoning should be 4-5 hours at 250.

My smoker actually burns hot toward the rear.

I don't think it is anything to worry about.

 

[DivotMaker]

Sounds like your element is a little hotter toward the middle and front - good to know, when you place your wood!  A little foil on the bottom of the wood chunks will eliminate the combustion - works great for me.  It will also get less with use, as the door seals tighter from the creosote buildup (less air).