NDKoze
Moderator
Well, I unpacked the #3 in my stairway landing. Man, that thing was tough to wiggle out of there by myself.
After cleaning all of the packing Styrofoam off and out of it, I slowly walked it up the 8 stair steps to my living room. That about wiped me out. I had to take a break and just admire her sitting in my living room for awhile. I probably should have waited until my kids got home to help me, but I was too excited.
About an hour later I finally took the racks out except the middle one that I left in there with the probe from my new Maverick et 733 directly in the middle of the smoker. Loaded up about 4 oz. of hickory dowels and pushed her out on the deck and cranked her up to 250 around 8:15.
It started smoking within about 15 minutes and really got going around 30.
It climbed up to 342 before the red light kicked off. It then coasted to 347 (50 minutes in) before it started going back down again. I know this is an empty smoker and not really an indication of how it will do with food in it. But my worries about this thing getting up to temp don't appear to be a problem. It actually warmed up to be a pretty nice day here in ND. The wind has died down and it is still 20 degrees above.
Well, it's about an 1:05 into the 4:00 hour seasoning smoke and the temp has dropped down to 252 and the red light has kicked on again. Visible smoke appears to have stopped, but there it is dark and there is still a bit of wind so it could still be lightly smoking and I just can't see it. I am kind of wondering if my dowels didn't ignite causing the big spike up to 347.
About 1:36 in and I am back up to 316 and the red light kicked off.
So, my guess is that it will settle into a smaller range of ups and downs as the season smoke goes. When actually smoking meat I'll be setting at 225 and with food in the smoker and I am guessing that the temps will fall into even more of a normal range.
I have smoked a lot of different types of hickory over the years, and I will say that the hickory from Smoken-It has a very fragrant and deep smell that I haven't really got from my previous smokes with big box store hickory and electric and propane smokers. I am glad that I sprung for an extra pack of hickory and a bag of cherry from Smokin-It for my first order.
I can't wait to get some meat in this thing. Gonna be christening her with a Boston Butt starting on Friday night for an overnight smoke.
Summary:
:15 - Started Smoking
:30 - Heavy Smoke
:50 - Red Light turned off for the first time at 342 degrees.
:53 - Coasted to a high of 347 before it slowly started going back down.
1:05 - The Red Light kicked on again at 252
1:36 - The Red Light turned off at 316 and is starting to go back down again.
After cleaning all of the packing Styrofoam off and out of it, I slowly walked it up the 8 stair steps to my living room. That about wiped me out. I had to take a break and just admire her sitting in my living room for awhile. I probably should have waited until my kids got home to help me, but I was too excited.
About an hour later I finally took the racks out except the middle one that I left in there with the probe from my new Maverick et 733 directly in the middle of the smoker. Loaded up about 4 oz. of hickory dowels and pushed her out on the deck and cranked her up to 250 around 8:15.
It started smoking within about 15 minutes and really got going around 30.
It climbed up to 342 before the red light kicked off. It then coasted to 347 (50 minutes in) before it started going back down again. I know this is an empty smoker and not really an indication of how it will do with food in it. But my worries about this thing getting up to temp don't appear to be a problem. It actually warmed up to be a pretty nice day here in ND. The wind has died down and it is still 20 degrees above.
Well, it's about an 1:05 into the 4:00 hour seasoning smoke and the temp has dropped down to 252 and the red light has kicked on again. Visible smoke appears to have stopped, but there it is dark and there is still a bit of wind so it could still be lightly smoking and I just can't see it. I am kind of wondering if my dowels didn't ignite causing the big spike up to 347.
About 1:36 in and I am back up to 316 and the red light kicked off.
So, my guess is that it will settle into a smaller range of ups and downs as the season smoke goes. When actually smoking meat I'll be setting at 225 and with food in the smoker and I am guessing that the temps will fall into even more of a normal range.
I have smoked a lot of different types of hickory over the years, and I will say that the hickory from Smoken-It has a very fragrant and deep smell that I haven't really got from my previous smokes with big box store hickory and electric and propane smokers. I am glad that I sprung for an extra pack of hickory and a bag of cherry from Smokin-It for my first order.
I can't wait to get some meat in this thing. Gonna be christening her with a Boston Butt starting on Friday night for an overnight smoke.
Summary:
:15 - Started Smoking
:30 - Heavy Smoke
:50 - Red Light turned off for the first time at 342 degrees.
:53 - Coasted to a high of 347 before it slowly started going back down.
1:05 - The Red Light kicked on again at 252
1:36 - The Red Light turned off at 316 and is starting to go back down again.
).
