Hello everyone...I am a newbie when it comes to smoking. In fact, I have NEVER smoked anything. (I posted yesterday on Roll Call.) I just purchased a new electric smoker from Smokin-It.com and I just did the break-in period yesterday. I hope to have my first official smoke tomorrow.
Anyway, when I was doing the "break-in" I noticed my temp ranged from 201 to 240. Basically the temp would drop to around 202...thermostat would kick in and the unit would heat up to 240...(usually 235 but once to 244). For some reason I expected a constant temp of 215 or 225...or whatever I selected. Since I was a little concerned I asked the support line for my smoker about the variance in temp. He said a 30 degree variance was normal for this smoker.
1) Should I be worried that the temp range is around 30 degrees?
2) When cooking, should I target an average temp, a min temp, or a max temp?
I had no food or shelves in the unit during the break-in period. Used about 4-6 ounces of wood. (4 1/2 hours with a target of 215)
Thanks,
JJ
Anyway, when I was doing the "break-in" I noticed my temp ranged from 201 to 240. Basically the temp would drop to around 202...thermostat would kick in and the unit would heat up to 240...(usually 235 but once to 244). For some reason I expected a constant temp of 215 or 225...or whatever I selected. Since I was a little concerned I asked the support line for my smoker about the variance in temp. He said a 30 degree variance was normal for this smoker.
1) Should I be worried that the temp range is around 30 degrees?
2) When cooking, should I target an average temp, a min temp, or a max temp?
I had no food or shelves in the unit during the break-in period. Used about 4-6 ounces of wood. (4 1/2 hours with a target of 215)
Thanks,
JJ
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