Temp Problems

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james1nc

Meat Mopper
Original poster
Apr 11, 2014
271
23
jacksonville N,C
Just installed my convection plate on my OK Joe's and I can't get my temp above 225. It stayed at 200  until I opened the firs box door then it finally got to 225. Before putting in the plate my temps today would of been over 300 easily . any suggestions?
 
How is it designed, with holes? How many, how big? Does it go all the way to the other end, if not how big is the gap at the end? How much room under the plate for heat flow? We need more detail and/or some Pics...JJ
 
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chef JJ there are 8 rows of 8 and the holes closer to the FB are about 1/2'' and increase to about 1 1/4'' holes, it covers just a little more than half the CB and its 3'' below my cooking grate. and from the bottom of the plate to the bottom of the cooking box is 4''. I bought it from Horizon.
 
I don't see any issues there. There are a bunch of folks with more build experience who may be more helpful. Sorry I didn't have more info....JJ
 
Sounds like your plate is too long and there is not enough room between it and the bottom of the cooking chamber.

Btw I do not think that there is anything wrong with cooking at 300°. JM2C
 
The problem was before my temp by the FB would be 75deg hotter than the opposite side of the grate. That's why I ordered the CP to have a more even heat all the way across the grate.
 
I didn't think to ask before, do you keep the stack 100% open? What are you burning for fuel? In a basket or on the stock grate? Is the baffle from the factory or a one off custom? A factory baffle should be designed for that unit. You may need to build a bigger, hotter fire compared to what you are used to...JJ 
 
I keep the stack 100% open. Fuel is charcoal. i use a grate but I have raised it about 3'' to allow more air flow under it. factory baffle.
 
 
The problem was before my temp by the FB would be 75deg hotter than the opposite side of the grate. That's why I ordered the CP to have a more even heat all the way across the grate.
IMHO this is not a problem either. You can use the temp difference to your advantage.

I have cooked on an unmodified Chargriller for years with great success by learning where to cook which meats. Ribs to the left of center and parallel to the short axis, chicken in the center to start, moving toward the firebox as the cook progresses and finally as close to the fire as I can get it to crisp the skin and get a little char, brats nearer the FB, pork loins and chuckies in the center the whole time. Good Luck
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Sounds like an air flow issue. Look at the air in take, is it blocked by the charcoal basket? If you extend the stack above the smoker it will create a bit more draft. Lowering the stack with drier duct into the cook chamber will help retain the heat.

Any time you change the air flow inside the smoker it will effect something. Even when you add meat or food into the cook chamber it will effect the heat movement.

You said when you opened the firebox door it helped increase the heat. I would play with the heat control without food. When I made the mods to my old char griller, including a baffle plate, it took a lot longer to get up to temp, but once there it was good.
 
The stack on the outside is approx. 18'' it's factory. I think I will go to lowes today and get a dryer vent pipe and extend the inside down to the grate. " Cliff" I have gotten use to cooking with different temps across the grate the only problem is when I do two or more butts I have to keep switching them around because a 75deg difference is a pain. I may try lump coal since it burns hotter and see if this helps. Thanks for all the replies guys this is what makes this site so useful.
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Just called Horizon smokers where I bought the convection plate , They told me that all offset smokers need wood to achieve 250+ temps in the cooking chamber. and by adding the convection plate I will definitely need to use more wood than charcoal. Is this time for the
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 Because without the plate I could get up to 300 easy with coal
 
Guess I owe Horizon an apology . I put two sticks of oak wood on the smoker and low and behold my temps went up as normal even got it up to 300 fairly quickly. Guess I will start stocking up in wood  . I guess with the convection plate you need a hotter fire to get even heat across the CB. My temps only vary 20 deg from FB to smoke stack I can live with that.
 
i start with charcoal and then switch to all wood and also if temps fall you can use a angled head fan blowing towards the fire box holes . just do not put on high or your temps will really spike , kinda works like a bbq guru .
 
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