Doing the initial seasoning of the Model 2. Put foil over the smoker box and foil on the bottom. Added 2 chunks of supplied wood latch the door and turn it on to 250 degrees. Put a digital probe Thermometer through the hole in the top set to 250 to check calibration of the unit. 30 minutes later my Thermometer goes off and I go back to fixing breakfast. Look out the window a few minute later and see big white smoke billowing out of the top hole. Look at my digital Thermometer and its says 400 degrees. Go oh crap and run outside and unplug the unit.
Wait two hours and the temp is down at 225 and I open the unit. The heating element as somehow angled itself about 10 degrees. Using hot pads I pull out the smoking pan and open it and see essentially ash. I surmize now, that the wood caught on fire rather quickly and that's what caused the rapid increase in heat.
I will go ahead and redo the seasoning process with two pieces of supplied wood, but this time wrap them in foil before they go into the smoking pan and start again from square one.
PS. What did I do wrong?
Wait two hours and the temp is down at 225 and I open the unit. The heating element as somehow angled itself about 10 degrees. Using hot pads I pull out the smoking pan and open it and see essentially ash. I surmize now, that the wood caught on fire rather quickly and that's what caused the rapid increase in heat.
I will go ahead and redo the seasoning process with two pieces of supplied wood, but this time wrap them in foil before they go into the smoking pan and start again from square one.
PS. What did I do wrong?
I highly recommend (not being funny) that you never do that again unless you have very serious reason to believe there is an actual problem with the smoker. The analog smokers have a decent temp swing and new users also freak out. Experience and time will prove out that it doesn't matter in the slightest. You're likely correct about the wood catching on fire causing the temp to spike. Again, not a problem for seasoning the smoker.
