Hey Ravel, quick question, what did you use to test the heating element? I would like to test mine as I have a problem with my wood just looking like charcoal rather than burning all and just leaving ash.
Bill,
My "test" was to use a dummy meat load (cold, damp sand) and try to get the smoker temp up to 275 or 300 deg. That will pretty much tell you if your element is working correctly. My experience with other similar heating elements (water heater & oven) is that it either works or it doesn't. There is not any in between. If you have a volt-ohm meter (sometimes called a multi-meter), and have the back off of your SI, you can test the element by disconnecting the cables from it and measuring the resistance across the element. It should be really low (say 15 to 25 ohms) if it is working properly. (My new 800 watt element reads about 18 ohms.) While you have the back off and the cables disconnected, go ahead and measure from each side of the element to the SI metal cabinet. This reading should be infinitely high (or a completely open circuit). If you read any resistance at all, you have a short of some type between the element and the cabinet (this is not a good thing).
If you don't have one, you can pick up a relatively good multi-meter on Amazon for $15-$25. It is a very handy tool to have around.
I hope this answers your question about the element.
As far as the color of the wood, it seems that the wood will be black after a relatively short smoke and will turn to ash on a long smoke (like a Boston Butt). Others on this forum have told me that this is normal (I had the same question).