How to properly season - new Smoke Hollow 38202G

[Nickel City]

Hi,

Just finished assembly of a new smoke hollow 38202G propane smoker. I am confused and unsure on the right way to season it (newbie).

Based on what I had read beforehand I expected the instructions would say to spray the interior with cooking spray, then fire it up for an hour or so then add wood for the last hour then ready to go.

Instead it just says to add your favorite wood and water to the water tray, then run at 300 for 45-60 minutes.

Then later on in a Tips section, it talks about seasoning And this time it says to apply a cooking oil to the inside and heat at 300 for 45-60 minutes.

A few friends of mine have Smoke Hollows and I asked them and none of them seasoned with oil.

Confused that the manual has conflicting instructions.

Added pictures of the 2 sections.

 

[JC in GB]

A pretty standard technique is to clean it out of any residues then burn it at 300 F, or higher if your smoker is rated for it, for an hour. This will burn off any oils that may be still on the metal. Turn off the flame. Spray interior with cooking spray. Avoid gaskets. Run another hour at 300+ F. Reduce heat to 250 F add some smoking wood let go for another hour. You should be good to smoke now.

 

[Nickel City]

Thanks JC, that is what I was thinking as well.

Question - am I supposed to spray the wood tray, lid and water bowl also?

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I prefer using SPOG for seanoning...
Oh wait, you're seansoning your new PROPANE smoker.
As JC stated above, performing the initial burn off/seasoning burns off manufacturing oils and residues and lays down the initial smoke seasoning.
The second seasoning with a food grade oil is to ensure that the oil penetrates imperfections in the metal to prevent future rusting in the interior of the smoker.
Since water vapor is a combustion by product of propane you want that protective layer inside of the smoker.
Performing this second seasoning with oil is highly advisable if you live in an area with high humidity too.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Question - am I supposed to spray the wood tray, lid and water bowl also?

No.

 

[Tstern8660]

Spray anything that you can potentially see rusting one day... evenly coat all surfaces with a oil with a higher flash point (Conola or peanut) and run smoker for about 2 hours at 300 degrees. Don’t get too hot or the oil could potentially flash

 

[Mgar2112]

How do you like the Smoke Hollow 38". I'm about to pull the trigger on one or the wide body Dyna-Glow. Would you happen to know the dimensions of the cooking racks on yours?

 

[Nickel City]

Mgar2112:

I am a novice but the 38 seems pretty decent for an entry level smoker. Not too big, not too small.

Assembly was relatively easy, took about an hour just by myself. Isn’t obtrusive on the patio.

It seems to hold temp pretty consistently during the seasoning process and my first session of tritip. On low it is about 250, on high just to se how well it heated up I got it to 425 in just a few minutes. Didn’t push beyond that. Note I did add hi temp seal to the top chamber.

Great question on the racks. Perhaps in hindsight my one complaint. Online dimensions show 20” across. In reality the usable space on the racks I only about 17”. I have two racks of ribs in the freezer and they are about 18” long. I can probably get them both on one rack if I angle them. I think if you move up the the 44” SH you gain 3-4” in width.

 

[JC in GB]

How do you like the Smoke Hollow 38". I'm about to pull the trigger on one or the wide body Dyna-Glow. Would you happen to know the dimensions of the cooking racks on yours?

I used to have a Dyna-Glo wide charcoal smoker. I wish I would have gotten the propane version.

 

[Mgar2112]

N Nickel City
Thanks for the detailed response. I appreciate it. It's been challenging to find specific info about the rack dimensions. The SH 44 seems to be mostly out of stock but I'll keep looking.
Have a great 4th of July.

 

[Mgar2112]

I used to have a Dyna-Glo wide charcoal smoker. I wish I would have gotten the propane version.

How's the build quality of the Dyna-Glo? I've seen their grills and have not been impressed. No one appears to have their smokers in stock anywhere near me.

 

[JC in GB]

How's the build quality of the Dyna-Glo? I've seen their grills and have not been impressed. No one appears to have their smokers in stock anywhere near me.

The Dyna-glo is a good product for starting out. If you want an off the shelf solution that you don't have to modify, dyna-glo isn't it.

I put a welding blanket on the cooker and firebox except on the doors and bottom.

I added gasket material to the doors and mating area between the firebox and cook chamber. For a propane one that won't be necessary unless the burner is offset.

I also put a slotted pan in the bottom rack with a fitted firebrick and half block on the opposite end. This was for even heat distribution and thermal mass.

After all that, the unit performed well. I got some good cooks out of it then upgraded when I figured out what worked and what didn't. Made the best smoked fish I ever had and I smoked a fabulous pastrami in mine so they work just need tending.

Quality is middle of the road at best. I am sure that with the propane burner, you will not have the same temp control issues I had with my charcoal version.

If I had to do it all over again, I would get a Weber Smokey Mountain as a starter unit.