Temperature swing

[jw102870]

Just recently set up a new model 3.  I'm seeing temp swings of 50°F...  I've done some reading here and i've seen mention of 30° or so, but 50° seems a little excessive, no?
Have done a few smokes, pork loin, bacon wrapped chicken breasts, and the food has turned out fine.  Was probably going to throw in several slabs of ribs this weekend but was a little concerned with the temp swing and overcooking them.
Would a full water pan in the smoker act as a heat sink and help to stabilize the temp? 
Anybody have any suggestions.
A PID controller is on my to do list for next season, so i was hoping to avoid one for the time being.

 

[jcboxlot]

The more you put in the less, I think the swing temps will be.  I have a #2 and I saw 30 or so in the beginning, but now dont even check box temp on a smoke.

Ribs, put the water pay right next/on side to smoke box.  You wont over do ribs.  235 let it go for 5 hours.

 

[DivotMaker]

First, Jeff, I recommend you stop wasting time monitoring box temp.  Is the food coming out good?  If so, then it's averaging to your set temp.  Secondly, you're going to drive yourself crazy chasing temp swings on a smoker that big, with nothing but a loin or some chicken breasts in it.  That's not much of a step from an empty box (volume-wise).  When you load it up with a Boston butt or two, or a big brisket, you'll see much smaller swings.  But, back to the first recommendation; trust your smoker, if the food is good!

 

[Pork Belly]

Stop checking box temp, problem solved.

As for a PID, you don't have to drink that Kool-Aid to get good eats.

 

[DivotMaker]

Stop checking box temp, problem solved.

As for a PID, you don't have to drink that Kool-Aid to get good eats.

First point - well said!

Second point - it's not Kool-Aid, Brian.  You are absolutely right that you don't need it to get "good eats," but I still contend it is a very good tool that makes a great smoker even better.  Nothing wrong, at all, with the stock controller, but it's the whole "Chevy vs. Ford" argument...no "wrong" answer, if it fits your needs, and works for you!  Personally, having smoked a lot both ways, I won't go back to the pre-Auber smoker.  I'm not afraid to say I love my Auber, and it makes my smoking life complete.   Some day, I hope to sway you to the "live and let live" frame of mind.  Different strokes for different folks, brother! 8)

 

[jw102870]

Thanks for the response.  I understand it's not necessary to dial in a constant temp to make good food.  I've been smoking for several years, just never used electric until now.  Was just curious if the temp swing was excessive.  I've been building/calibrating/testing PID controls systems on lab testing equipment for years and just enjoy getting things as close as they can be.  Little bit of an OCD i suppose....  The upgrade of the PID controller is more for the fun of the gadget than the necessity of maintaining my smoker temp to the nearest degree.
Finished a brisket and half dozen slabs of ribs last weekend.  All turned out great.
Thanks again for the response
J

 

[bigfoot21075]

Stop checking box temp, problem solved.

As for a PID, you don't have to drink that Kool-Aid to get good eats.

First point - well said!

Second point - it's not Kool-Aid, Brian.  You are absolutely right that you don't need it to get "good eats," but I still contend it is a very good tool that makes a great smoker even better.  Nothing wrong, at all, with the stock controller, but it's the whole "Chevy vs. Ford" argument...no "wrong" answer, if it fits your needs, and works for you!  Personally, having smoked a lot both ways, I won't go back to the pre-Auber smoker.  I'm not afraid to say I love my Auber, and it makes my smoking life complete.   Some day, I hope to sway you to the "live and let live" frame of mind.  Different strokes for different folks, brother! 8)

I agree, not checking and just eating fixed that problem for me. I went with the Auber as well, mainly because I wanted a better range of temps and I needed a fairly exact heat for the yummy Jerky. Oh and the Auber is a cool gadget.

 

[cantonn11]

The more you put in the less, I think the swing temps will be.  I have a #2 and I saw 30 or so in the beginning, but now dont even check box temp on a smoke.

Ribs, put the water pay right next/on side to smoke box.  You wont over do ribs.  235 let it go for 5 hours.

Would a smoker with a lighter load have a higher temperature swings than a smoker with a heavier load let’s say for instance a smoker with a 3 lb rack of ribs vs a smoker with a 15 lb brisket?

 

[old sarge]

My answer from 30 JAN:
"I cannot recall any posts where someone remarked that the swings were more or less influenced by the load."

You can use the search feature.  Type in temperature swings.  There are a lot of posts.

 

[LarryD]

I wouldn't expect the load to impact the overall temperature range covered.  I started to think it might impact the frequency/oscillation period, but I doubt that, as well.  There is a temperature probe inside of the smoker that is feeding temperature information to the rheostat.  It's the analog nature and lack of precision of the rheostat that causes the swings.  Unless you are smothering the temp probe, the load shouldn't appreciably impact its readings.