So Saturday I decided to smoke a couple chicken breasts and some salmon. Last week when I cleaned the smoker there was some sludge (meat juices and ash I presume) in the bottom of the barrel. Got it all cleaned up and decided to lay down a sheet of foil on the bottom for easier clean up next time. From end-to-end and went half way up each side. So when the salmon reached 145 I took it out. Chicken was also at 145. When I got back to my couch, the remote temp gauge said the chicken was at 144. Figured it dropped when I had the smoker open to remove the salmon. Then it dropped to 143, then 142. All this within 5 mins. Hmm, something ain't right. Checked the smoker and the digital temp gauge said 135, then dropped to 134, 133... I heard something running so I turned it off and unplugged it. Finished the chicken in the oven. Read the owner's manual trouble shooting guide and determined that the fire pot was not getting air flow (who knew, not I ). Must have been the foil bunched up under the pot and the ash built up and blocked any air from getting through. I'll reposition the foil next smoke and try again. Hopefully that's all it is. Moral of the story is keep your fire pot clear of any obstructions. Only picture, from the start of smoke.
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