Adding chips to a long smoke in vertical propane

[amills1210]

Hey Everyone,

I am currently 3 hours into my first 4 pound pork shoulder smoke. I have the temp at 225 and the meat temp is reading 140. I am using apple chunks and Mr Stubbs chips (cant wait til there gone so I can go all chunks) that have a mix of mesquite, hickory and apple.

I am using the masterbuilt 7-in-1 vertical propane smoker, very similar to the cabela's 7-in-1 unit. For those that are not aware, when you open the door to add more chips, the water pan curves down and really cuts half the opening of the wood chip door. I ended up buying one of those aluminum foil disposable trays, folding it up and created a V shape to funnel more chips into the pan. Now, 3 hrs into it, im just stocking new chips over burnt chips over and over.

I have read numerous times that the secret is to not open the smoker to lose heat. But with this unit i dont see any other way to get more chips in there than to disassemble momentarily to do so. Is adding chips continuously over burned chips no big deal?

For what its worth...this unit was a 5 year anniversary gift from work.

Thanks in advance for any input you guys may have.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I would be interested to hear others thoughts on this as well. I have a different smoker so I can't really say much about your particular case. If I need to add chunks in mine I usually just open the door and pull the wood tray out with a pair of pliers. I shut the door, dump the old, fill with new wood, and then open and put the tray back. I do lose some heat, but because the actual door is only open for a few seconds each time the temp comes right back up.  

 

[amills1210]

Drunkenmeat I wish mine could do that. Im very tempted to sell mine and get a MES that I have seen so much in these forums. I just started smoking this year, so I am going to wait and see how often I use it during football season and go from there.

Or I may sell the smoker and my gas grill and just get a traeger. The one I have, while not terrible, isnt ideal.

I ended up taking the unit apart, took the old chunks out and put new ones in. It was probably disassembled for 2 mins tops. The heat went from 225 to 200 and its back up to 225. Easy when you live in AZ and its 107 out :)