Been having temperature issues with my GMG the past couple smokes. Usually it has to do with its ability to come up to temp.
Today, I'm smoking buckboard bacon, and I didn't want to leave my garage door open to use my MES40, as it was below freezing, and we were still getting some snow last night and this morning.
So I went with the GMG, which is sitting on what's left of my deck. (Tree wiped it out. Whole other story.)
Since I'm doing bacon, I only needed it to get to the minimum temp of 150° anyway. Well, it got to the 70's okay, but took 5-1/2 hours to finally hit 150°. Not a big deal for smoking bacon, but still.
Pic at the 6 hour mark:
Initially, it had been a while since I've used it, and there was some damp pellet dust at the bottom of the hopper, blocking the entrance to the auger. I cleared that (fun at 6am), but I think what may be contributing today was that I didn't toss the rest of those pellets; I just put them back in. They were probably damp, too. I think that once they cycled through and we got to the new pellets on top, it finally got to 150°. At least I hope that's the case.
Once the bacon hits 128° IT, I'm going to pull it and see if the smoker can hit some higher temps.
Today, I'm smoking buckboard bacon, and I didn't want to leave my garage door open to use my MES40, as it was below freezing, and we were still getting some snow last night and this morning.
So I went with the GMG, which is sitting on what's left of my deck. (Tree wiped it out. Whole other story.)
Since I'm doing bacon, I only needed it to get to the minimum temp of 150° anyway. Well, it got to the 70's okay, but took 5-1/2 hours to finally hit 150°. Not a big deal for smoking bacon, but still.
Pic at the 6 hour mark:
Initially, it had been a while since I've used it, and there was some damp pellet dust at the bottom of the hopper, blocking the entrance to the auger. I cleared that (fun at 6am), but I think what may be contributing today was that I didn't toss the rest of those pellets; I just put them back in. They were probably damp, too. I think that once they cycled through and we got to the new pellets on top, it finally got to 150°. At least I hope that's the case.
Once the bacon hits 128° IT, I'm going to pull it and see if the smoker can hit some higher temps.
