HVR Cleaning? Venturi Cleaning? ::panic::

[princess]

I'm so aggravated right now, I could just spit.

I started another 30 lb of Summer Sausage (Cervelat) two days ago (giving a bunch as holiday gifts).  Got it all reground and stuffed this morning, went out to fire up the smoker aaaaannnd....nothing.  I just used it three weeks ago for my son's birthday, with no issue.

I have a 36" Weston Model #41-0301-W

Here's what it was doing:

I attach a tank, turn the dial on tank to ON. No tell-tale hiss.

Turn dial to HIGH, hit with flame, no lighting of burner. No smell of gas.

Here's what I have done:

Attached 3 different tanks (one is FULL, two are half-full from the grill)

Checked and tightened everything on the venturi/burner line.

I then thought 'Well, it's been damn cold out, lets try adding some heat."  I poured an entire kettle of hot water over the HVR neck (figured ice? dirt?) reattached and now, on HIGH, I have a small amount of blue flame.   I gotta get this sausage smoked, there's 30lb down there!   Do I need to clean it? How the heck do you do that?

Help!!

::panicked pleading::

-Princess

 

[ddemerath]

Have you tried shuting off the control and the gas and then open the gas valve and relight?  My GOSM will not work if I turn the control knob on first.

 

[princess]

I usually do it in that order anyway, but yeah, you're right to suggest trying it. Thanks! :)

Like I say... I have her lit now, but that flame is TEENY tiny. I'm a little worried about getting the cabinet hot enough for the 2nd phase of the smoking. I'm following Rytek's recipe and he calls for 3-4 hours with a 125* cabinet and "heavy smudge" then dragging up the temps to 170* or so to get the sausage over 145*  I've got the 125 no problems, I'm hoping I can play with the dampers enough later to get the 170.... I dunno. I'm really fretting. I have never had this happen before and that's a LOT of meat and work to go to waste...

I suppose I could get them to safe temps in the oven, but some of those links are HUGE and then I'd get lines, and these are for gifts... ... ::grumble::

-P

Have you tried shuting off the control and the gas and then open the gas valve and relight?  My GOSM will not work if I turn the control knob on first.

 

[daveomak]

The new propane tanks have an idiot proof safety device. If the tank is open and not hooked to anything, propane will not come out from the valve.

Cold weather will not allow propane to turn into a gas.

Depending on your temp, try the following.

Turn off the tank

Put the tank in a pan of hot water

Turn off the smoker propane/temp/control knob

Turn on the tank wide open

Turn off the propane tank tight

Turn on the tank wide open

Slowly, very slowly open the smoker propane control valve

The valve on the tank needs to have equal pressure on both the tank side and the cooker side in order to have propane flow.

Hope this works.

 

[princess]

The problem is that there is NO discernible difference in flame height from low to high. It's on or off, and the best I've got is low low low flame. I could easily hold my hand over it at a 5" height with no issue.

The new propane tanks have an idiot proof safety device. If the tank is open and not hooked to anything, propane will not come out from the valve.

Cold weather will not allow propane to turn into a gas.

Depending on your temp, try the following.

Turn off the tank

Put the tank in a pan of hot water

Turn off the smoker propane/temp/control knob

Turn on the tank wide open

Turn off the propane tank tight

Turn on the tank wide open

Slowly, very slowly open the smoker propane control valve

The valve on the tank needs to have equal pressure on both the tank side and the cooker side in order to have propane flow.

Hope this works.

 

[daveomak]

Princess, Hope things are better. I could not find any help looking up your smoker on the web.

My lack of help should encourage someone else to jump in here.

 

[fester]

It sounds like the regulator has gone bad or the knob has a crack in it and is not depressing the safety valve in your propane tank. Does your connection to your tank wobble a bit more than usual? also when attaching your tank make sure your burners are in the off position this will sometimes will lock up the reg.

 

[princess]

I got at water  buddy who works for the gas co, says maybe my regulator froze? Which would explain why the kettle of hot water took it from No Flame to Low Flame. He suggested bringing the HVR into the house and trying again next time. Didn't help me today tho...

::sigh::

Ah well... now I know to test my smoker before I start a big project.
 

Princess, Hope things are better. I could not find any help looking up your smoker on the web.

My lack of help should encourage someone else to jump in here.