# Can't get my temp above 200!!!!



## duckman2569

Hi all, My name's Dana and I just got my first smoker.  It's a horizontal smoker with a fire box.  I'm trying to some some pork and I can't seem to get my temp in the large part above 200.  I put in allot of chunk hickory and it's quite hot in the fire box but the temp gauge is just hovering at 200.  Has anybody else had this problem or is there something that i'm not doing?  Any help would be welcome.


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## ba_loko

Dana, welcome to the forum.  We're glad you're here!

What kind of smoker (brand) do you have?  The reason I asked is because I bought a CharGriller with side fire box that was preassembled at Lowe's.  After I got to looking at the thing, I realized that the person that assembled my unit didn't knock out the plug on the side of the cooking chamber.  The reason the plug is there is because the SFB is an option as some people use the CharGriller strictly as a grill.  

Can you post some pics of your set-up?


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## geek with fire

Without knowing your exact brand and model of smokers, I'll take a shot in the dark: You have 2 problems. 
1.) You are most likely getting your temps from the stock temp gauge, which, like mine is total garbage. Get yourself an inexpensive digital thermo, and use that for a reading. Or, even cheaper yet, go to Wally World and get a dial type oven thermo; they are like 3 bucks.
2.) Most charcoal grates on most horizontals are too low to the bottom and don't allow enough ventilation. Plop a couple rocks or bricks under the grate, and you will have plenty of air flow. Not to mention a place for the ash to buildup in a long smoke.

The only other thing that I can think of, is I have seen some folks install their side fire box without punching the knockout in the smoking chamber. For instance, my smoker is a chargriller pro. You can get this as just a grill; with the small 3" damper on the right side. If you install the firebox, you have to punch out the large football shaped opening or you will never get up to temp.

Let us know what kind of smoker you've got and I'm sure we can get you up to molten temperatures in no time


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## walking dude

like kev and josh said........

also where are you located........is the wind blowing a lot..........you mite have to add a wind break.......wind steals heat BAD........outside temps.......alittle more info would be nice......

btw........welcome..........

d88de


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## duckman2569

Thanks guy's.  I have a char-griller & smoker. I do wonder about the quality of the temp gauge and I will get a better one.  I've taken in the suggestions so far.   Here are some pic's of it. 
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...l/PB052407.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y15...l/PB052409.jpg
This is a pic of the opening between the fire box and the grill.  Is that the football shaped thing you were talking about?

edit:  It's great to be here, I'm soooo excited about smoking!  Thanks for the welcome! I'm in Phoenix, AZ....no wind haha  The grill was like almost 100 just sitting in the sun!


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## moltenone

Duckman knock that part out of there with that damper it is not supose to be there.

Mark


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## moltenone

also welcome to the forum.

Mark


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## deejaydebi

Welcome Duckman

No wonder you can't get it hot the doors blocked up! Save the little vent door might need it later!


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## duckman2569

Ok, well I have an adjustable lower grate and it was all the way up so I put it down.  
Also the whole grill including the grates are cast iron.  How do I cut that out?  

Are the pics enough or do you all need more info?


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## backlash

Pull that tree out of the flue pipe....HeHe


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## walking dude

just take a hammer and knock it out...........


d88de


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## moltenone

knock it out with a hammer and chisel/screw driver also save the damper part.

Mark


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## gramason

Take the fire box off the grill. You will see a football shapes piece of metal with the damper in it on the grill. Take a hammer and screwdriver and Knock that piece out. You can turn your charcoal rack in the grill over to make a baffle also.


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## moltenone

Duckman do it from the fire box side,also all the grates  and all the other stuff are removable.

Mark


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## duckman2569

So I should just make a hole where the damper is?  Or do i cut out the whole area that the firebox attaches to the main grill?  Will a chisel and a hammer be enough to cut through the cast iron frame, because it's just bolted on to the griller.


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## ba_loko

Duckman, if you need an actual person to tell you how to do this process, I can call you.  Shoot me a PM with your number, if that will help.


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## moltenone

Duck Duck Duck,listen buddy that football shaped area will fall completely out
if you give it a good whack or three,it's tack welded in place.
the only castiron on that unit is the grates! they are removeable is that not one sitting on the bottom grate under the smoker??
just give it a whack!

Mark


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## walking dude

what the heck kev.......the rest of us aren't REAL people?

lolol

d88de


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## ba_loko

No, I didn't mean that at all, Dude.  It's just that sometimes it's hard to follow in text form.  My apologies.


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## duckman2569

Yea, I got that, the grates are cast iron and i've removed them from the firebox.  So from what I understand from what all of you are saying is that I don't have enough flow of hot air from the fire box.  The opening is too small?


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## gramason

Yes, for the unit to work correctly the metal piece has to be removed between box and grill.


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## ba_loko

That's correct, Duckman.  Just outside the perimeter of where your sfb is bolted on, in your second picture, you will have a tack welded piece in there that will pop out fairly easily....kinda like a piece of paper that has been perforated.  In my case, I removed the sfb and gave it a whack or three.  Be careful to not bend the side of your cooking chamber by striking with too much force.


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## moltenone

Duck that football shaped area is removable, in the picture you took from the side fire box looking in,knock that part out,it is not solid,ok!!

Mark


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## Dutch

Duckman, click on the link below, it will take to a thread where mods have been done to the char-griller. In the second pic you will see that the 'football' plug has been removed. Your's should look this way as well.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ead.php?t=9774


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## duckman2569

Ahhhhhhh!   OK ok ok I got it now!  Thanks Kev!!!  I see now that is is perforated and I will knock it out today.   Thanks for being so patient with me! You guys are great and i'll keep you informed as to my progress on my smoking once I get it out and start some beef back ribs and some pork butts!   I'm sure i'll have more  questions for you guys and i'm now convinced that i'll get all the answers from you all!!  

LONG LIVE SMOKING!!!


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## cajun_1

Maybe page 7 of the Silver Smoker will show the opening.

http://www.charbroil.com/CharbroilWa...HEB_Smoker.pdf

Hope this helps


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## walking dude

ahh good one cajun.............i tried to see the opening that dutch gave the link too, but couldn't really see it..........

great link

d88de


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## cajun_1

I was hopeing the owners manual would show it and help.


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## duckman2569

Ok, so I knocked out the football shaped opening between the fire box and the smoker. I'm trying to smoke some chicken.  The temp gauge on the smoker still won't go above 200.  I know that gauge is not accurate and is a probably piece of crap.  I put about 5 pounds of hickory block charcoal in and the fire box is quite hot. I have basted and checked the chicken every hour and the temp of the chicken (via a meat temp gauge) is not above 140.  I have added more charcoal every hour and 3/4 or so because the charcoal is dying. It has been a little over 2 1/2 hours.  I have an hour or so to go and I want to know if I'm doing everything right.  Does it normally take that much charcoal?  I'm afraid that the chicken will not be up to temp when it's done.  I don't see any smoke just heat.  Even if the meat gauge does not say 167 could the chicken be done?  And should I check it?  

Thanks for the help guys!


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## moltenone

Hi Duck,glad you fixed your problem,to regulate your temps with this smoker
i will recomend this,that you open the chimney all the way,open your side fire box damper about 1/3rd of the way.
you should hold a steady 225 degrees.
also replace your cook chamber thermo,or get a remote,also,and maybe it's just me but i have a thermo on my fire box also,it tells me at a glance what i need to do to keep a steady temp.good luck.

Mark


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## duckman2569

Ok, I took your advise( thank you soooo much for it!!) and the chicken came out a little overcooked (probably because the chicken was too close to the opening and because I did not have a true reading of the temp of the smoker and because I did not take your advise until the last 1 1/2) but the taste was great.  I will be getting a separate temp gauge.  I'll be trying  4 chicken 1/4 again to see if I can get it just right.   This is soooo fun and it's been exciting!  I have a rack of beef ribs just waiting for me to get to the point to be good enough to give it a try at smoking it.  I give it 2 more days and then I think I'll be ready to give it a try!  Any suggestions you all can give a newbie like me I am welcome to it!  I have read all I can get my eyes on and been through all the forums that I can find.  So I'm hoping that all your guys falls I can learn from.  

LONG LIVE SMOKING!!!

P.S. Pictures of the ribs will come!!!  Thank you again guys!!!


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## richtee

Hahahahahahaha!  that one's gettin' REP POINTS!
Phew!


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