Please help!!!

[scbridg13]

So I just bought a convection plate from horizon smokers for my Oklahoma Joe Longhorn. I was really looking forward to getting more even temps across the grill. I started cooking at about 3:00 this morning and was very excited to use this for the first time. My temps are running 30 degrees apart form one end to the other. I'm using two different digital thermometers. One is a maverick and the other is a I grill 2. Anybody have any suggestions on what could be causing this. I would only run about 15 degrees apart before I installed the plate.

 

[gary s]

  Good morning and welcome to the forum, from a hot & partly cloudy day in East Texas and the best site on the web. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything.

Gary

 

[daveomak]

One reason..... your smoker may not be air tight..... being air tight is a BIG deal.....

 

[scbridg13]

I feel like I have it sealed up pretty good. I have put gaskets on all the doors and in between the fire box. I have no smoke coming out other than at the smoke stack!! Is there another way to check?

 

[scbridg13]

I took it out and now I'm reading 3 degrees difference. I don't understand what would cause that.

 

[daveomak]

pics.....

 

[scbridg13]

image.jpg

• scbridg13
• Jul 4, 2015

image.jpg

• scbridg13
• Jul 4, 2015

 

[scbridg13]

image.jpg

• scbridg13
• Jul 4, 2015

 

[eman]

did you calibrate both thermos in boiling water? there could be a difference in them

 

[scbridg13]

Yes they were both calibrated.

 

[tropics]

Yes they were both calibrated.

You need to update your location!!

Altitude plays a big difference in water boiling test.

Richie

 

[pineywoods]

Try raising or lowering the tongue of the trailer and see if that makes any difference it does on a lot of them

 

[daveomak]

If your convection plate was one long piece, almost full length of the Cook Chamber, it was designed for a Reverse Flow smoker... Won't work unless you move the exhaust stack to the FB end of the CC....
For your SFB conventional smoker, "tuning plates" are used to even out the heat distribution... with your temp variance, I wouldn't worry about plates except for dinner plates....

Exhaust stack is USUALLY opposite the Fire Box....
...click on pic to enlarge......

Tuning Plates for a SFB.jpg

• daveomak
• Jul 4, 2015

 

[scbridg13]

I guess this would be called a turning plate. I got it from horizon smokers. It was built specifically for my smoker.

image.jpg

• scbridg13
• Jul 4, 2015

 

[daveomak]

That should work and work well.... Small holes toward the FB right....

 

[scbridg13]

yes sir!