PPG1
Smoking Fanatic
I did have the problem of the hopper lid leaking but I tighten the latch screw some and the lid sealed just fine.
Yes sir nice color and bark there ! Looks like a win on your initial voyage !I have finally had the time to break in, season and install all of the LSS mods for my 1050 and today I finally had time to smoke something and I made some pulled pork.
Overall I'm very pleased with my 1050. I had about a 35-40 difference between the grill temp and my inkbird but it stayed consistent in terms of the gap. I burned B&B briquettes, temp control/consistency is excellent and had a nice amount of TBS all day. I wish I had just a bit more chunks in the hopper for a little more smoke flavor but that's my fault.
The pork butt was 8.5lbs after some trimming and I attempted my first turbo cook 275-315 F and sprayed it with apple juice and spiced rum every hour. It finished in 9h 20mins and I'm very happy with the bark, color, smoke ring and tenderness. I also used sofalaquer's finishing sauce for the first time ever and am never going back. All in all, I'm really happy!
My only complaint is the hopper hood leaks smoke. Anyone run into this and have a suggestion for a solve? My guess is a better gasket is in order...
so what is the consensus on the best hopper lid replacement gasket?
I replaced mine with lavalock but it was the 1/2" x 1/8". actually leaked worse so i added a layer of foil again. was thinking about ordering 3/4"x1/4". Thoughts?
Mine leaked from the get go and tightening the latch almost made it worse. Too much pressure on the front kind of raised the back. There is a sweet spot for latch tightness.did you replace just to mod or it wasn’t sealing after tightening down the latch? Just curious I havnt had a problem since I tightened up on the latch for mine. Every now and then I’ll scrub the door surface to break up the build up before it becomes an issue
Most of the stories I've heard are that replacing the hopper lid gasket with a lava lock or similar end up making the hopper lid leak more. Because of these stories, I haven't tried it, though I do get a little leakage from the hopper lid.so what is the consensus on the best hopper lid replacement gasket?
I replaced mine with lavalock but it was the 1/2" x 1/8". actually leaked worse so i added a layer of foil again. was thinking about ordering 3/4"x1/4". Thoughts?
Mine leaked from the get go and tightening the latch almost made it worse. Too much pressure on the front kind of raised the back. There is a sweet spot for latch tightness.
When do you add to the ash bin? Right away or after it has time to drop some hot coals down?I usually load a layer(maybe 4-6 inches) of coal then add the cunks then more coal and repeat until full. I also add a few smaller chunks to the ash bin and they catch on their own.
My only complaint is the hopper hood leaks smoke. Anyone run into this and have a suggestion for a solve? My guess is a better gasket is in order...
I have the LSS mod for the hopper lid and after the first few smokes creosote build up started allowing a bit of smoke to leak between the mod and the rest of the hopper. I bought some 7/8" x 1/8 FireBlack and just installed it. Now I will have a seal between the hopper and the mod as well as the hopper lid and the mod. I'm thinking it should do the trick.Rip a a nice sheet of aluminum foil, fold it in half and use it as a barrier between the hopper and lid. Not only will it cut the creosote buildup on the lid, it also seals nicely.
No need for an external mod.
What about a putty knife ?I have the LSS mod for the hopper lid and after the first few smokes creosote build up started allowing a bit of smoke to leak between the mod and the rest of the hopper. I bought some 7/8" x 1/8 FireBlack and just installed it. Now I will have a seal between the hopper and the mod as well as the hopper lid and the mod. I'm thinking it should do the trick.
As a side note, cleaning off the creosote buildup from around the edge of the top of the hopper was nuts. I had to resort to some zippo lighter fluid and a scotch brite pad to get it off. I tried hot water, then soapy hot water, then some fairly strongly concentrated Simple green and none of it hardly touched it. The zippo fluid did the trick, but it evaporates pretty fast.
What about a putty knife ?
I believe the slip of paper that it ships with recommends any pan that is less than 2" tall/deep. I used some that are ~13 1/2 "x9 1/2"x1 7/8" under a pork butt that worked really well.Any recommendations on the best size drip pans to use on the 1050 with lss mods?