Temperature Adjustment

[BHamel]

You can adjust the temp settings up or down somewhat on a Smokin-It smoker,  here is what to do:

Remove the thin cap off the black temperature control knob by using a thin screw driver

Now remove the black control knob  from the smoker by lifting straight up

The black control has a knurled center part that you can push out by using a flat head screw driver.  Please note that this part has a small arrow indicator on it to show its current position before you remove it.  By rotating this part to the right or counter clockwise it will increase the temps.  I suggest starting with moving it around 90 degrees and placing it back into the knob

Now place the black control knob back on the smoker and you can check the temp to see how close to the set point it is.  No need to replace the top thin cap until you have it adjusted to your liking.

 

[DivotMaker]

Great tutorial, Ben!  I've read several descriptions of this, but now it's clear!  Like the new avatar, btw.

 

[Jerz]

I'm doing a brisket and the graph feature for my igrill works awesome now for my Android Tablet and I have the knob pointing between 225 and 250 and the highes temp is about 220 and the lowest is 200.  Should I adjust the know so it points to the highest temperature,  average temperature,  or something else?

 

[Jerz]

OK... nevermind, I answered my own questions.  I decided to use it as the maximum temperature so if my temp is set to 225 then the max will be 225 and I know I have 20 degree swings so it'll go from 205 to 225.... once I made the adjustment the max my knob will now turn is exactly at 250 so I'm thinking that is how it's supposed to be set, at the maximum temperature in the graph.  Cheers and thanks for the tutorial!

 

[Wik]

Would this process work to offset the temp by 50 degrees?  Meaning if I dialed to 250 and had it act like 300 in the smoker?  I'm using Auber PID and thought this might give me a second level of safety from overheating AND still allow me to use the smoker without the PID.  Otherwise I'll probably just bypass OR bypass with a switch drilled into the unit to give this flexibility.

Edit - I just bypassed the thermostat so I guess I'm not too worried about it anymore, maybe others might have this question...

Thoughts?

 

[Paul Case Luca]

Wik:

I thought of this too (i.e. not bypass but change the setting) for extra protection.

I am changing from a "hard wired bypass" to an outboard toggle switch that will allow me to bypass when wanted / needed.  In this fashion, I can use the SI controller if wanted without the Auber OR if running with the Auber I can bypass if needed (or leave it NOT bypassed if the two controllers aren't competing and thus have extra protection so to speak).

Regardless, I think you're fine. Just since I'm not in "full smoke season" which will be April to October (about 3 smokes a week) ... I'm going to tinker with the unit some more. ;-)

Steve

 

[MarkF]

I just checked my #3 and with the dial at 250, it swings between 257 and 225. I cannot adjust the knob to get more top temperature from it. Is this ok?

Mark

 

[SuperDave]

I just checked my #3 and with the dial at 250, it swings between 257 and 225. I cannot adjust the knob to get more top temperature from it. Is this ok?

Mark

Mark, it sounds like you are right in the range.  Do a couple more range tests at your typical smoke temps and see what you get. 

 

[gregbooras]

I ran this test this weekend to give me a base line for my #2 smoker.



Greg

 

[Dockmaster]

I got my #2 about a week ago and received my ET-732 yesterday.  I wired the box probe to the bracket at the back where the SI probe is located.  Put some black pepper, salt, etc. in and turned the unit on, set on 250.  After a while I just about freaked out when I saw the box was at 346!!  I turned it down to 175 and the temp began to fall -- when it was around 205 I set it at 225.  When the box temp got to the 270's, I lowered it to 200 -- the box is at 253 and coming down.  SO -- I'm really pleased to find this great information about calibration, Ben.  One thing, "rotating the inner part to the right, or counter-clockwise" -- that's looking at it from above??  Thanks so much!!

 

[jcboxlot]

You only had salt and pepper in the smoker?

Maybe someone will correct me, but if you have a hunk of meat in there the swing won't be what you saw.  You need something in there to "sink" or take in the heat besides salt and pepper.

Try and see what the temp swings are with meat in there before you mess with the knob. 

 

[DivotMaker]

I got my #2 about a week ago and received my ET-732 yesterday.  I wired the box probe to the bracket at the back where the SI probe is located.  Put some black pepper, salt, etc. in and turned the unit on, set on 250.  After a while I just about freaked out when I saw the box was at 346!!  I turned it down to 175 and the temp began to fall -- when it was around 205 I set it at 225.  When the box temp got to the 270's, I lowered it to 200 -- the box is at 253 and coming down.  SO -- I'm really pleased to find this great information about calibration, Ben.  One thing, "rotating the inner part to the right, or counter-clockwise" -- that's looking at it from above??  Thanks so much!!

Steve, with only salt and pepper in there, you essentially had an empty smoker.  If you try to monitor box temps when it's empty, you'll go insane.  They swing wildly, which is not the case with a good heat sink (meat load) in there.  If you're going to smoke only salt & pepper again, I would add a few bricks or a pan of sand to act as a heat sink.  You don't need adjustment, just something in there!

 

[Dockmaster]

jcboxlot, I had the salt and pepper in coffee filters like Tony had written about and it turned out pretty good.  BUT, I now understand what Tony and you are telling me about a heat sink.  WOW!!  I get smarter every time I visit this forum.  Again, thanks guys!

 

[DivotMaker]

We're here to help, Steve, because we've "been there, done that!"

 

[Dockmaster]

Hey Tony - I wanted to run the pepper some more to see if it would get more smoky so, following your advice, I wrapped two bricks in foil and put them the bottom.  It worked great, thanks!  And, with the ET732 I could monitor the temp swings at a given temp setting.  For example, I now know that setting the SI on 200, it cycles between 210 and 260; setting at 225 yields 230 to 275.  So my T-day 12 lb turkey needed a 250 temp (from the chart) so I set the knob on 225 & Viola!!  Great bird.  Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[DivotMaker]

Steve, good to hear.  Next time, try not wrapping the bricks in foil.  The foil shields the heat, and you want the brick to absorb it.  Your temps will be even tighter.

 

[SuperDave]

Steve, I still think you have a temp control problem as thermostats aren't supposed to be so smart as to know what is or isn't in the smoker.  They are supposed to just measure temperature and turn on or off as needed. 

 

[DivotMaker]

Steve, I still think you have a temp control problem as thermostats aren't supposed to be so smart as to know what is or isn't in the smoker.  They are supposed to just measure temperature and turn on or off as needed.

Dave, I agree that the analog controller is not "smart," but he essentially had an empty smoker.  If you monitor the crazy swings in an empty box, you see that the not-so-smart controller can't even handle the "on/off" function very well with nothing in there to absorb the heat.  It's why we tell folks to not bother monitoring their smokers during seasoning...it freaks most people out!   When you have a heat sink, whether it be meat or bricks, the controller will function much more accurately because the temp changes aren't so drastic. 

I say we let Steve try a few more smokes with something in the box, and see how it goes.

 

[SuperDave]

Hey Tony - I wanted to run the pepper some more to see if it would get more smoky so, following your advice, I wrapped two bricks in foil and put them the bottom.  It worked great, thanks!  And, with the ET732 I could monitor the temp swings at a given temp setting.  For example, I now know that setting the SI on 200, it cycles between 210 and 260; setting at 225 yields 230 to 275.  So my T-day 12 lb turkey needed a 250 temp (from the chart) so I set the knob on 225 & Viola!!  Great bird.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Tony, if we preach that temperature swings average out to the temperature setting we want, you'll see that he is trying to develop his own code to get a desired temperature.  His 225 degree setting averages 250, that's not how we should be cooking. 

 

[DivotMaker]

Good point, Dave.  From the sounds of it, though, I think his controller is working.  I think Steve may be trying to estimate the "average" temperature by simply looking at the low/high temps; that does not create an average, because there is no way to manually track how long it's at either extreme.  I bet his temp is a lot closer than he thinks, and may only need a mild knob correction.