New Smoker Problems Help

[704gary]

Tried my new charcoal smoker yesterday, no matter what I did. I could not get it in the ideal heat range. I added more charcoal, cracked the door open and moved the lid to give it some vent. This smoker is just like the one I have had for years from lowes. Any suggestions?????
Thanks Gary

[i-catch-cartags]

Usually when you crack that door mine goes to hot pretty fast. I had one once before that had a faulty guage you might try to stick a probe in to check the temp.

[minnowsoaker]

without seeing the smoker in action I'm guessing it was not enough ventilation. Sometimes adding charcoal can snuff the other coals also. I use my smoker all year long regardless of weather but I've noticed on days when it's raining even very light rain I have the same problem (lower temps). Ditto on checking the gauge.

[1perchjerker]

704gary,
Sometimes the smoker needs a little help with air movement.
The wind doesn't always blow directly into your intake vents.
Suggestion: Go to a $ store and get you 3 or 2 small battery powered fans (about 6, 5 or 4" or so), - you know the ones like the women who are going through the change of life use - and place them to blow into your intake vents at the bottom.
Once the charcoal gets going, you can turn them down or off.
Happy Smokin !
1perchjerker

[ricky]

Make sure you start off with hot water.

[704gary]

There are no vent in the bottom, just what can get around the charcoal pan.
Think I should add a couple 3/4" holes about pan level. I made killer jerky on my old one years and never had trouble.

[DRPEPPER]

What kind of job did it do cooking the meat? When I first started using my smoker, I worried about the guage too. I learned to trust my senses.....

If it is smoking, it is cooking.
If the charcoal is glowing, it is cooking,
If it boils the water out of the pan, it is cooking.
If I can't keep my hand on the top for over a couple of seconds, it is cooking.

I ain't smart enough to be a wise a**. So please don't take my comments as one. My guage stays too smoked up for me to see and rely on.
DP

[704gary]

I cleaned the smoker the next day. Under the top layer of gray coals, the rest of the charcoal looked like I just poured it out of the bag. It used about half the water. Like I said it's just like my old one and took longer. The ribs were done but, looked like they were cooked in the oven not the smoker.

[DRPEPPER]

I cleaned the smoker the next day. Under the top layer of gray coals, the rest of the charcoal looked like I just poured it out of the bag. It used about half the water. Like I said it's just like my old one and took longer. The ribs were done but, looked like they were cooked in the oven not the smoker.

I am certainly not the expert. But, I do stir my coals every once in a while. I just started smoking meats in the last 4 or 5 years. So, I don't know how smokers are supposed to act. I just know what mine likes. Steel your wife's little shovel from her fireplace and stir them around every once in a while. Careful not to stir the ashes up into the cooking chamber. If I am doing a turkey or brisket, I use the little shovel to add briquets. I also place wood chips that have been soaking on top of the stirred coals for extra added smoke flavor each time I stir them. It helps if you have a dip of snuff. Just about the time the goody runs out of the snuff, it is time to stir the coals. I don't dip no more. So, I am not sure how long you are supposed to go between stirs.
DP

[Goldeneye]

I found out that charcoal is very sensitive to humidity. When the weather has been damp, or high humidity for a few days, your charcoal has a hard time burning without alot of draft on it. Once the weather starts heating up, I keep mine inside where the AC keeps the moisture low. Also I buy only Kingsford, I've tried other brands, and usually end up with coals that won't stay lit. This seems to work for me.