Smoker Noob - Oklahoma Joe's Experiences

So when installing the seals they worked really well except after my first smoke the firebox fiberglass rope peeled off in some spots. It's probably of no fault of the self adhesive that came with it from Lavalock. I tried to clean the area as best I could with some citrus grill cleaner and rubbing alcohol, but it clearly wasn't enough. I had already seasoned the smoker before the seal kit arrived so this probably was part of the issue. To repair it I just used some high heat cement that is good up to 2k degrees once properly cured.

When installing the thermometer I used the 3" Lavalock adjustables which have a 1/2" not thread. I went and purchased a 7/8th hole saw that worked perfectly. I just had to clean up the rough edges with a dremel and then hit it with some high heat black paint. I also had extra red RTV sealant and purchased some SS washers from Amazon (3/4" Hole Size, 13/16" ID, 1-7/8" OD, 0.105" ). I measured out where I wanted the thermo's drilled the holes at very low speeds and would put some oil at the location I was drilling to help lubricate it. Once the holes were drilled I used two washers per thermometer. I sanded out the center hole just slightly in the washers to get them to sit flush in the thermometer. I put a little RTV between the outside washer and the outside of the cooking chamber door and then tightened the locking nuts that came with the thermometer. Making sure not to twist at all on the thermometer face.

I'll post a little later about my experience with the door latches and how the original screw heads popped off after just 12-24 hrs of them being installed.


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Thank you for the warm welcome! I have smoked a brisket last weekend and 5 racks of ribs yesterday for the 4th of July. They both came out surprisingly well. I swear you learn something new everytime you put some meat on that grill grate, but boy is it fun to learn. I tend to do a lot or research before a cook and it really helps you understand what is happening and how to try to tackle the problem. Attached are some pictures of the ribs and brisket. I'll also post about the latches I installed and the Thermoworks Smoke my wife got me for my birthday which was on the 3rd.

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