First off, I must say that since I joined this forum a week ago I've learned a ton and everyone has been very friendly and awesome! I should have joined here on or before day 1 of owning my MF (which I've had for 1.5 years)!!
Even though I've done about 10 smokes (mostly pork shoulder), I still very much consider myself new and am constantly learning and having questions come up. The two biggest issues have been properly maintaining my smoker as well as finding ways to control the temperature, if it is possible.
1) Up until now I've been using wood "chunks" that I let sit in water anywhere between 1 hour or overnight. This works great up until the point where they catch fire and the temperature spikes up dramatically. Last weekend, it registered 400 degrees by the time I got to it. The wood ends up as charred pieces that don't ever disintigrate. Is this normal and just a fact of life of using a gas smoker where I have to watch it closer?
Note: I say "up until now" as I've ordered the AMNTS from Todd and will be using that going forward. I'm guessing that this will significantly help prevent the temperature spikes. I've also eliminated using a water pan and filled it with sand instead.
2) I may go the route of using an oven gasket to line the doors as I see enough smoke leaking out the doors. Should 3/8" do the trick and if so, what is best to use for "gluing" it on?
3) I've ordered a Maverick ET-705 to help with monitoring the temperature of the smoker (and not the meat). Any suggestions for where to thread the sensor on my smoker? Will it melt the cable if it is touching the side of the smoker if I were to thread it in through the bottom side vents?
4) Due to #1 and the small fires caused by it, it has literally burned some of the paint off a vent and the outside of the smoker around the vent (and now there is rust). Is the best solution to scrub with a wire brush and then repaint it? I'm guessing/hoping that Lowes/HD carry a kind of black paint that can be safely used on a smoker?
Thanks everyone!
Even though I've done about 10 smokes (mostly pork shoulder), I still very much consider myself new and am constantly learning and having questions come up. The two biggest issues have been properly maintaining my smoker as well as finding ways to control the temperature, if it is possible.
1) Up until now I've been using wood "chunks" that I let sit in water anywhere between 1 hour or overnight. This works great up until the point where they catch fire and the temperature spikes up dramatically. Last weekend, it registered 400 degrees by the time I got to it. The wood ends up as charred pieces that don't ever disintigrate. Is this normal and just a fact of life of using a gas smoker where I have to watch it closer?
Note: I say "up until now" as I've ordered the AMNTS from Todd and will be using that going forward. I'm guessing that this will significantly help prevent the temperature spikes. I've also eliminated using a water pan and filled it with sand instead.
2) I may go the route of using an oven gasket to line the doors as I see enough smoke leaking out the doors. Should 3/8" do the trick and if so, what is best to use for "gluing" it on?
3) I've ordered a Maverick ET-705 to help with monitoring the temperature of the smoker (and not the meat). Any suggestions for where to thread the sensor on my smoker? Will it melt the cable if it is touching the side of the smoker if I were to thread it in through the bottom side vents?
4) Due to #1 and the small fires caused by it, it has literally burned some of the paint off a vent and the outside of the smoker around the vent (and now there is rust). Is the best solution to scrub with a wire brush and then repaint it? I'm guessing/hoping that Lowes/HD carry a kind of black paint that can be safely used on a smoker?
Thanks everyone!
