Smokin-It User Forum!
General Discussions => Introductions => Topic started by: Hotlanta on September 14, 2020, 09:58:40 PM
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Hey guys, Mike here from Atlanta, GA. I am a novice smoker and just received my model #3 analog. Can't wait to try my first smoke, which will be a pork butt.
Question #1: I seasoned the smoker per the instructions. I set the smoker at 250 degrees, took out all racks and hung a thermometer probe through the vent hole to see what the temp range and average was. It ranged from 261 to 331 degrees for an average of 296 and a range of 70 degrees. I then added a 2nd probe from a different thermometer with similar results.
I saw on the forum someone recommended to add a few bricks to the bottom of the smoker to get a more accurate reading. Once my four hour seasoning was completed, I started the smoker back up with the bricks on the bottom. The range was 60 degrees and the average temp at 290 (40 degrees above where it should have been). Is a 60 degree range on an analog too much?
Question #2: I am new to smoking and am concerned with the high avg temps, I may cook the meat too fast. If my smoker is running 40 degrees high, when I am cooking the meat should I set the smoker heat control knob to 40 degrees less than what the Lazy Q chart shows? For example, if I am cooking a Pork Butt and it calls for setting the temp at 225 degrees, should I set it at 185 degrees knowing the avg actual temp will be 40 degrees higher at 225 degrees? I saw in the forum someone said the knob can be adjusted, but is my thought an option as well?
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Welcome Mike from SE Arizona. I would not worry too much about the temperature swings. It was an empty smoker; nothing to absorb and regulate the heat. As for the bricks, that would simulate a load of meat, as would some loaf pans with damp sand. It is used with the digital models during an auto tune. Enjoy!
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Welcome to the board and congrats on the new #3! You are going to love it.
Now, I have the 3D - so, I can’t provide details from that, but I do know many on here with the analog models suggest not to watch the internal temp and the swings. They say it will drive you nuts. Even with my 3D I don’t use an internal therm, I just set the digital therm and let it go. So, just throwing that out there. But a question I have on the average temp - is this true average, and not just the median per say? Did the temp actually sit at the high/low temps an even amount of time? I don’t remember anyone posting info like that, perhaps someone has but I don’t, so just curious if that is a true average.
Anyhow - on to that pork butt. Pork butt is forgiving and will take quite a bit of time. And the great thing about a pork butt, if it finishes early, double wrap in foil, then in a beach towel and throw it in an ice chest and let it hold until you are ready to shred it. I always let a pork butt rest for at least 2 hours and add that in to my cook time.
Second - I like smoking at higher temps, no lower than 250F these days. I use to be a 225F smoker, but read other posts and 250F works just as good and is a quicker cook. Some on here with the digital models smoke at 275F, I haven’t tried that but I have on my Weber Kettle and it works great.
And for the last part of your post about the knobs, yes, they can be adjusted from what I have read, but I don’t know what that entails.
To finish, my Dad has a #2, and he cooks at 225F and gets consistent results that are great, and this includes pork butt, ribs, brisket and chicken. I don’t think he has ever tracked the internal temps, but he just sets it and goes on with his lazy Q cook.
Hope that helps. Others will be along to provide some feedback and thoughts. But enjoy that smoker!
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Jeremy, the avg temp I posted is the median temp. However, the low end of the range is higher than what I set the smoker knob to so the smoker is running hotter than it should be.
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I’ve got a #2 for over 6 years now been cooking at 225 all the time but you do get temp. swings of 30-40d never hurt my Smokin all have come out great,
But I did order an Auber last week just to try it out ,🎁
Just start smoking and have fun you will love it
Coyote
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I'm new to this too, got my #2 analog a month or so ago. I've done 1 smoke so far, a 7 lb pork butt. I watched the ambient smoker temp too and thought it moved too much and was too high. I did recalibrate my knob (there are plenty of how to's on that), but decided my cook was taking way too long and I put it back to where it was. I do think the key is to ignore ambient temp, watch the meat internal temp and roll with it. My 7 lb pork butt took just over 15 hours and was really good.
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Thanks Clay, I will do what you suggest: set the knob to the temp recommended and focus on the internal meat temp. Gives me comfort that you were in similar place I am and everything came out fine. I will let you know how the first smoke comes out.
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#1: Ignore it completely during seasoning... the temps will be crazy wild with no load in the smoker. It doesn't matter.
#2: Ignore it completely during smoking... the temps will vary by +/- 40 deg and it won't matter in the slightest as they average out.
If you look back through my first posts here you'll see that I asked the same questions about the box temp. The best thing I ever did was take everyone's advice to just ignore it. Never had a failure even once because of box temp and its variance.
Congrats, btw!