Cold meat into the smoker

[rod g15]

I have a small electric smoker with a 700 watt element. When I put cold meat in it to start smoking the temp I preheated it to falls way down and takes forever to recover. Any tips or am I at the mercy of a small, low powered smoker?

Thanks much

 

[bad santa]

Howdy Rod, all smokers drop temp when a cold mass (larger cuts or number of items of meat) is placed inside of them. The difference in smokers is the temperature recovery rate of the heat source and how well they hold temperature inside. Since yours is a 700 watt unit the recovery rate will be much longer than say a 1100 watt element. Try letting the meat to be smoked to set out of the refridgerator for a little while (30 to 40 minutes or so) allowing the cold to dispell some before placing into the smoker. Also set your temp in the smoker higher, if possible, than the temp you want to smoke at, so that when the colder mass of meat is placed inside the smoker, the temperature drop will be closer to the recovery temp that you want to smoke at and then adjust the temperature control as needed to come back up to the temp you want.

I'm sure that others will chime in with further ideas to help out with your question.  Keep seeking the truth in the thin blue smoke.