Wood chips not smoking?

Hi Mike,

The chip tray should not be the problem, I also have a smoke hollow propane smoker and the chip tray works fine. Granted it is not the most heavy duty chip tray, but I have never had an issued with it and after 50 or so smokes it is still doing fine. One thing I have found is sometimes you have to push the chips or chunks towards the back as you add new to burn them completely. I have had some chunks that don't turn all the way to ash, but still smoke fine.

 There are a lot of people, myself included who do not soak the chips in water, they just use them dry with great results.

One thing I have noticed in my MES 30 is that if I let the chips soak for more than an hour or so, they take longer to get smoke. I am going with what would seem to be logic, that the more water the chips absorb, the longer it will take them to get to the smoldering point where they start to smoke.

If your chips are staying black, you are making charcoal.... Lack of oxygen makes charcoal....  Try modding the smoker so there is more air getting in and out....  Soaking chips delays the smoke......  At least that is what I have found....   Complete burn should look like this....

I have had black pellets from an incomplete burn... I added more air flow and this is what I get now....    Dave

                   .......click on pic to enlarge.......