# Smoke Hollow Electric Smoker..  Questions



## tbone2k (Mar 18, 2008)

Hello all..  i've checked out some of the other fourms here and there and it seems like the threads i've checked out here have had the people with the most knowledge.

I've read a post that was over a year ago about this particular smoker and it didn't really answer many questions.

I just bought a Smoke Hollow brand Electric Smoker..  Model number 30166E.

I went with an electric smoker because i retired the charcoal smoker that i had before.  It was an offset smoker and very hard to clean.  i got VERY good with it.  and in my mind.  i proved myself a worthy smoker.  And thought i'd relax now and get the electric one.  

Voltage 120v  Watts 1500w Amperage 12.5A  Hertz 60HZ

http://www.olp-inc.com/downloads/30167E-30166E.pdf

that is the online instruction book. Maybe that will help anyone that needs to know any specs.

So anyway..  i'm pretty good at smoking.  here is my situation.

- Started about 11am, and used the 2nd to top rack.  Cooking boneless ribs and a pork loin.  Started the temp on medium to get it up to about 230 ish.  left and came back about 40 mins later to check on it.  the temp gauge said 225.  so i wanted to make sure it was doing ok on the inside.

- When i opened the front.  The ribs where damn near done.!!  seemed like the steam from the water pan and from the drip pan where cooking the hell out of it.!!

- I kept the heat set at a little above medium.  and took out the water pan. figured the drippings would make enough moisture to work.  and i didn't see much smoke all together.. so i used the water pan to also put wood chips in.

-  Checked back in about 1 hour 20 mins.  and the ribs where DONE..   I was able to somewhat salvage the porkloin.  But, the ribs went to the dogs.

So, why did it take 2 hours when it should have taken 6.??  was it too cold out.?  should i adjust for the temp outside even when the temp inside says 230 or so.?  It was snowing and raining that day so, i don't know if that will cause any problems.  I put the smoker just inside my garage.. so it didn't have direct contact with the snow or rain.

Maybe i have to relearn smoking all togheter.??  maybe i need to the adjust the temp to even lower.?  

Would love to get some tips so i can be 100% or as close to it next time i smoke.


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## domn8_ion (Mar 18, 2008)

I'm guessing, but I'd start with a known reliable thermometer to make sure the temps are right.


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## white cloud (Mar 18, 2008)

I have had the same smoker about a year now.  The temp gauge is not accurite on mine so I bought a digital probe for the smoke box, which I found the stock temp gage read about 40 degrees cooler than actual temp. They are good about replacing things all free, shipping incl. I have had the element and cord plus tried a new temp gage all came here free and the new gage still wasn,t even close. But all in all I like it and it works alot better with the new digital. I used to wonder why my turkeys would be done in 31/2 - 4 hours.


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## tbone2k (Mar 18, 2008)

White Cloud.. do you mean you have the same smoker as me.?? 

Is there a recomendation on what kind of gauge to get.??  and if you have the same smoker as me.  where did you put the temp gauge.?


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## white cloud (Mar 19, 2008)

PM on the way


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## salmonclubber (Mar 19, 2008)

t bone 

get a digital thermometer and check temp gauge i would also keep the water pan full and use it it provides indirect heat to your food i think your food cooked so fast because of the direct heat from the burner a lot of the gosm and smoke hollow smokers have bad temp gauges sorry you had to throw out all that food 

huey


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## tbone2k (Mar 19, 2008)

haha.  i didn't throw it all out.. i picked at some of the ribs that i soaked in BBQ sauce for about 4 hours after that.  and the pork loin wasn't THAT bad.  but, yeah, the dogs got a good bit of the ribs.


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## newb (Apr 10, 2008)

TBone2k - 

I have a question for you on your smoke hollow since I have the same exact model. heck anyone can answer as well..

When you put your wood chips in and started smoking, did you get a good quantity of smoke? I've just been running some chips in mine to season it before this weekend and I never see any smoke coming out of the unit. No whisps, no TBS no nothing. Upon opening the unit, I don't get any smoke rolling out of it but I can see some smoke coming out of the smoker box. I can also smell it outside so I know it must be doing something but I'm just paranoid i guess.

EDIT.............

Actually I just got off the phone with OLP and spoke with a wonderful gentlemen there to get my temp gague replaced and asked him the same question.  He said that you can drill 16 holes in the bottom of the woodchip box in a 4x4 fashion (5mm bit) and that will help.  He said that this will even be incorporated in next years design because it makes the smoke much better.  AND the best part he said if I dink up my chip pan in the process and turn it into a 'firebox' or whatever it won't void my warranty because of it.


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## tbone2k (Apr 13, 2008)

hey, sorry i didn't see this sooner.  i've been away.

Its funny you posted about this, because i came on to ask a similar question.

1st off.  Get yourself a wireless temp probe.  i found out the FIRST DAY that the gauge on the this smoker sucks ***.  i got a Maverick E721, i think it was, at Mills and it is AWESOME.  there is another one you can get as well that but twice as much.  its got 2 probes on it.  1 for the meat, one for the inside of the smoker.  i didn't get that one.  i just got the one for inside the smoker.

2nd, i do use the the smoke box included.  but, i also use the water pan for smoke chips.  i don't put water in it.  I throw aluminum pan in there each time and thats my drip pan.  but, i add a little water to that so the drippings and the water will still keep the meat moist.

when i use the water pan as the chip box, it gets hotter, faster.  ALSO, i throw a few chunks of charcoal in there too.  that helps.

1 think i found out last time i smoked. I was also grilling.  and i don't do gas grilling, i do charcoal grilling.  I took one of the hot coals, and just set it on top of the wood box inside the smoker.  And it got the smoke going really fast.!!


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## white cloud (Apr 13, 2008)

Like I said the door therm isn't accurate. With the digi probe inside for example will read 230* but on the door reads 180* I used to cook a couple turkeys in it before I got the digi and they where done in 4 hrs. Now it take longer and tastes better.


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## tbone2k (Apr 13, 2008)

yeah, when i got my digital one.  i can surely see how that is happening..  my temp gauge on my smoker is 50 degrees less than what the digi is telling me.  thats a WHOLE lotta difference.!


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## pinkyring (Jun 11, 2013)

Just got mine and have in rigged with my cold smoke generator from http://smokedaddyinc.com.  I drilled a hole in the side for my temp probe and there is a big difference between the door reading and my digital thermometer.  Currently the door is showing 180 and the digital thermometer is at 216.


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## marshman71 (Jun 16, 2013)

I have this same smoker and I love it ... but first thing I found was the guage is about 30 degrees off ... I drilled a small hole in the side middle 

of the cabinet right next the the handle and picked up a little plastic bushing with a flange on it at True Value and slid it in the hole I drilled then

I use that access point for a Digital Thermometer  Works awesome.,  I have to get a photo of this mod up for you. 

When I do my whole Pork Loins they only take about 2 hours  their are no bones so they will cook faster and no real fat to break down. 

Sounds like the same with the Boneless Ribs you did ... Boneless will cook much faster.


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