# Smokin-It Smoker Temperature



## suya (Mar 24, 2013)

I still consider myself a novice so please be gentle.

I have used my Model#3 twice for cooking without the benefit of an external thermometer so now that I have one, I thought I would calibrate my smoker just to know what actual measured temperatures are vs. set temps. I was a bit shocked at first as to the results. Initially I just set up the smoker probe on the Maverick ET73 and set the temperature on the smoker to 200. It was 33 degrees outside. Initially I just wanted to see how long it would take the smoker to get to 200 so I set a stop watch. Imagine my surprise when the temperature shot past 200 to 270!













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At this point, I thought something was wrong with my probe so I attached the food probe and dropped it into the smoker and just let it dangle.













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As the food probe was catching up, the smoker probe hit 296!













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At this point, out of curiosity, I opened the smoker to let it cool down, then set the temp to 225 (which is where I made my last ribs) and tried again. Again, 296!













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This time I let things stand just to see what the cycle would be. 13 minutes after this high, temps got down to 250 before heading up again to the 290s.













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At this point I was wondering if something was wrong with my smoker, or what I was missing then I remembered the discussion about water pans and heat sinks. I ran out to the grocery store and bought 2 11 3/4 X 9 1/4 foil pans. Filled both with hot water and tried again.













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This time, I think I over insulated the chamber from the heat, and might have been interfering with the thermometer on the back wall of the unit because half an hour into it, with the thermostat set at 225, I was stalled at 155 in the chamber. 













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I then took one pan out, reoriented the remaining pan and tried again.













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With the temp set to 225, the chamber temp. hovered between 254,













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and 224 13 minutes later (and stayed in about that range)













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So, what have I learned? I understand that having food in the smoker will have an effect on the chamber temperatures and might affect the wild swings in temp, and I didn't have any in for this experiment, but if you have a Model #3 like me, and you are only smoking 2 or 3 racks of ribs, the food may not be enough to act as a proper heat sink. In my little uncontrolled experiment, I am more comfortable with the swings with the water present vs. absent so going forward, I will be using a water pan. I also don't think I will ever smoke anything again without the use of an external thermometer. I know this should be standard operating procedure, but I've been trusting thermostats and that is probably not a good idea. I may reach out to the SI folks and see if what I am experiencing is normal or I might have a faulty internal thermometer. I am honestly not too worried about it because even if my thermometer is faulty, it looks easy to replace which is one of the reasons I bought this unit. 

Sorry for all the pictures, but photography is another hobby of mine so I tend to over photograph :-)


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## chef willie (Mar 24, 2013)

Interesting....I have followed your posts on the other thread. Initially I recorded everything...swings, time to recover, time to reach temp, time b4 it kicked in again. Then just started loading food in and setting it and checking back in a few hours to see how the meat temp was doing with the probe. Basically, letting the swings fend out for themselves. I've come to understand this is normal for an analog electric unit..much like home ovens. I have not burned anything and feel comfy as long as I see the unit cycling off & on and not just sticking ON outta control. I've seen other posts with owners having contacted Smokin Tex customer service regarding such happenings and ST replied that after about 90 minutes the unit is warmed up and temps should 'settle in' and not swing as much. Makes sense but I never bothered to actually track it as food seemed to be coming out fine and that was my concern.  I would say start running food through and get it thoroughly broken in and see if it all works out...monitoring the meat probe for IT of course. Many feel the moisture put out by large muscle cuts is enough that a water pan is not needed. many use a pan for flavoring liquids.....try it and see your opinion. Keep us posted....enjoy


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## old sarge (Mar 24, 2013)

Great report.


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## smoke happens (Mar 25, 2013)

Nice job, I too had similar swings unloaded. This is why I am seriously considering a PID for this smoker, those swings are fine with PP but when you're trying to do a step up on sausage it is nerve racking to watch the ET-732. I mostly do ribs, chicken, PP, etc. so not a real big deal, but when you need the more controlled and exact temps it just is not working well.

Like Willie and Sarge said, no biggie over a long smoke loaded with a whole muscle. Ironhorse is trying to sort this out with Steve from SI now and not having a lot of luck, sounds like he just wants to refund his money and be done with it - which is $hitty customer service in my book.


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## chef willie (Mar 25, 2013)

I wonder if the swings will be as pronounced at lower temps for doing sausage? I also went to electric for better control of temps for doing sausage. I now see many of the sausage masters on here cold smoke or smoke with very little heat for a few hours then poach to finish. I do want to experience a full smoke of sausage to completion though. Thinking maybe a smaller test batch, say 2.5 pounds, to see how it flies. I'm not adverse to a PID but would want one that's a no-brainer to install and hopefully not 250 bucks....lol.


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## old sarge (Mar 25, 2013)

I would think a refund would be appropriate for good customer service if other options under warranty are unacceptable.  Am I missing something?


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## smoke happens (Mar 25, 2013)

This is the thread I was referring to: http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/138078/temp-problem#post_957410

Ironhorse was having some coms issues with Steve (which I have had so I believe), and when they finally did talk he made it sound like Steve basically told Ironhorse he did not know how to take a temp. From what Ironhorse posted Steve's solution was to just refund the unit, but it sounded like Ironhorse was on the hook to send it back (which is understandable of course, but expen$ive).

The reason I don't think that's good CS is that it sounded like the other options had not been vetted or entertained and it escalated straight to refund. Ironhorse is waiting for a reply on an alternative, so we'll see how that turns out. Again none of us except Ironhorse and Steve have the full story, we know there is often more to these cases then meets the thread, but from what I have seen so far it seems like poor CS. It appears there may be a problem with the part, and according to the warranty should be covered for 3 years.

http://www.smokin-it.com/returns.asp

_"Parts Only: This product is warranted against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship for three years (effective 9-15-2012) from the date of delivery. Within this period Smokin-It LLC will send replacement parts for your product without charge. Simply contact us at [email protected], or the phone number listed below.  _

_Contact Us: 2711 West Market Street, P.O. Box 13423 Fairlawn, OH 44333 - Voice or text at: 260-417-9951"_

I'll admit my expectations for CS are a bit high, so I could be way off base here. In that case, I'll be expecting that axe and knife to be hurled my way any minute


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## old sarge (Mar 25, 2013)

CS is what is fully expected.  Each customer has their own expectations.  The axe and knife are sheathed.

I missed this entire thread. Not sure what Ironhorse said or did not say in his communications with SI beyond the temperature issue. If it were me, and I was offered parts, I would take them.  And I would hope that SI would take the customer at his word to send back that which was not needed.  But it is not my company.

  In the meantime, since there is some disassembly required in order to swap them out, I would pull the old controller and see if it has an adjustment that can be made, or maybe some sort of left over manufacturing gunk somewhere along the contact interfering with the voltage. Could be a loose connection at the element (expansion/contraction issue) or the probe is bad. Personally, I don't think the element is bad. Procedures for testing the element and the controller are explained on the SI and the ST site and are nearly identical. Popping the top and back may be a tad time consuming but possibly worthwhile. 

On the subject of the PID, digital is always going to be more accurate, and more expensive.  And the Auber unit is supposed to be reliable. Put the two together and you have a digital unit at far less cost than Cookshack. A couple of years back, CS got a bad batch of boards for their controller. And from what I was told, the defect played out for some time till all was fixes. Supplier problem.  But it did get fixed and those with bad boards had to send them in for a replacement (or maybe it was the other way around).  In any event, it all worked out ok.

Well, I will be interested as well to see how this turns out.

.


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## suya (Mar 25, 2013)

BTW Smoke, what is a PID? And is PP Pulled Pork?


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## smoke happens (Mar 25, 2013)

Proportional Integral Derivative = PID. Basically, it regulates the temp inside the smoker to within a degree or two depending on how much you want to spend on a unit. Think of it as a hypersensitive thermostat. DIY kits run around $100, for someone who is not electrically inclined (such as myself with that detail of wiring) they have "plug-and-play" models for around $200 - $300. A lot of them are programmable, so you can have it start at 100* for 2 hours, then bump to 150* for 2 hours, then go to 225* until the internal temp of your meat reaches 205*. Program it, turn it on, come back when it's done.

PP = Pulled Pork. Correct!


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## suya (Mar 26, 2013)

So, quick follow up. I sent the folks at SI a note sharing my findings and inquired as to if this was normal or not. I did get a response in less than 24 hours saying that while swings were normal, mine might be swinging too far. In less than 24hours, a replacement part has been shipped (I have the fedex tracking number). I am traveling this week but if the part shows up, and I have time, I might put it in this weekend. 

Am I still happy with my purchase? Yes, very much!  I'll let you all know how the part replacement process goes but I am happy with the customer service I'm getting. S happens to everyone, it is the response to S that matters :-)


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## smoke happens (Mar 26, 2013)

Thanks for the update, a very different result than Ironhorse for sure. Please keep us posted is the new parts fix the swing.


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## old sarge (Mar 26, 2013)

Seems like a quick response.

Helpful is as helpful does!


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## suya (Mar 31, 2013)

Got the replacement part and installed it yesterday. It takes about 30min if you have silicone sealer at home and don't have to run out to buy some :-) The instructions were easy to follow but of course, I feel they would be even easier if they included pictures so without further adue, here are the instructions with my pictures and comments.

This is what the part looks like.













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1) Prior to changing out your new heat control unit, please make sure your smoker is NOT plugged in!!

2) Remove all grilling racks from inside the smoker including the rack holders on the side.

3) Remove the plastic control knob on the top of the smoker by pulling straight up













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4) Remove vent hole fitting by holding it from both the outside and inside of smoker and unscrewing the fitting. _I was able to do this with my fingers with out any tools._













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5) Remove top panel of smoker by removing the screws and safely placing them in a pile to reinstall and just move the panel slightly to the side.













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_I had no idea what slightly to the side meant at the time, so I just left the top panel on, and moved it slightly forward. You really can't move it "slightly to the side" until after step 7 as you will see._













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6) Remove back panel of smoker by removing the screws and safely placing them in a pile to reinstall. _Notice my top panel is still kind of on but pushed forward out of the way._













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7) Remove the three fiberglass panels from the back of smoker and place to the side of your work area. After _I removed 1, the wires attached to the control unit were revealed. Remove the rest of the panels to also expose the wire going to the temperature probe. At this point, you can now "move the top panel slightly to the side" Which means, it is still attached to the smoker by all the wires so set it to the side of the smoker._













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8) Remove guard from inside smoker that covers the heat sensor. _While the screws are on the inside of the smoker, the back end is a nut. You might need someone to hold the nut on the other side for you. _













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9) Remove silicone sealer from location where the heat sensor passes thru to the back of the smoker and then pass sensor thru smoker wall to remove. _I just picked it out with my fingers._













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10 Turn the top panel of the smoker over and remove the two nuts and then remove the screws to release control assembly from the smoker panel.













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11) install the new heat control, remove electrical connections from old controller and attach to the new controller using the same connection positions

12) Pass the new heat control sensor thru the smoker wall and attach sensor bracket

13 Use silicone caulking to seal the area around where the sensor passes thru the smoker wall. _Wasn't sure what type of silicone to use here. I assumed it would need to be something heat resistant so I used this. Hope its ok!_













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14) Reverse the process to reassemble smoker and you are ready to be smokin' again!!

It then gives an email address to contact with questions.

So, did this fix my problem? I don't know yet. I plugged it back in and it works however, the silicone takes 24 hours to cure and I didn't want to start heating up the chamber before it was cured, AND I returned the Maverick et 73 in anticipation of getting the et 732. I probably won't be able to take the smoker on a proper test drive till sometime next week. Stay tuned. 

And yes, if I had it to do over, I would still buy this smoker. Maybe not the cord hanger which I took the opportunity to remove, but the smoker, YES.


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## seenred (Mar 31, 2013)

Interesting.  Its good to see that SI is attempting to make your issues right.  I hope the new part fixes your temp problems...thanks for the very detailed post on the part replacement.  Good Luck!


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## smoke happens (Mar 31, 2013)

Nice post Suya. Thanks for the tutorial, be interesting to see if it fixes your problems.


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## old sarge (Mar 31, 2013)

Nicely detailed.  I hope it corrects the issue.

Did you look at the two controls and see if there was any difference in detents or stops?  Probably not but I thought I would ask.  There sure is a lot of insulation in that rascal!


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## suya (Apr 1, 2013)

old sarge said:


> Nicely detailed.  I hope it corrects the issue.
> 
> Did you look at the two controls and see if there was any difference in detents or stops?  Probably not but I thought I would ask.  There sure is a lot of insulation in that rascal!


Sarge,

They seemed identical. I didn't get down to comparing numbers but I might be able to based on the pictures I took. I am confident, all is well. I might actually be able to do some testing next weekend.


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## scubadoo97 (Apr 1, 2013)

This thread is making me look closer at the Cookshack. Memories of all the mods needed on the MES to correct all the issues to make it an excellent smoker. Well let's buy a smoker, take it apart and rewire it and modify it and now it's a good smoker.  Are there products out there that are designed well from the get go?  Or are we a bunch of tinkerers that just need to make it a little better ;)


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## rajones19 (Apr 1, 2013)

scubadoo97 said:


> This thread is making me look closer at the Cookshack. Memories of all the mods needed on the MES to correct all the issues to make it an excellent smoker. Well let's buy a smoker, take it apart and rewire it and modify it and now it's a good smoker. Are there products out there that are designed well from the get go? Or are we a bunch of tinkerers that just need to make it a little better ;)


I'm not sure this a completely fair assessment. There seem to be legions of very happy Smokin-It owners, and one or two individuals who have had concerns about temperature swings. In this case, it seems to have been a faulty part, and the company sent the necessary parts right away to (presumably) make it right. Quite different from the numerous threads full of frustrated MES owners complaining about a raft of varying issues, and getting absolutely no support from the manufacturer. I came here a couple weeks ago to research the MES, fully expecting to purchase one - but after a couple evenings combing through the threads, I changed my mind completely and ordered the Smokin-It. I don't have it yet - it is due to arrive tomorrow - so I don't know yet for sure. Possibly I'll be back here early next week screaming and hollering, but based on everything I've found so far, I'm not thinking it very likely.


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## scubadoo97 (Apr 1, 2013)

True. My post was really just poking fun at what we do to reach smoker nirvana 

I am thinking about replacing my MES 30 and have been looking closely at the SI 2 or 3


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## suya (Apr 2, 2013)

Scubadoo, I think you might have missed the purpose of my post. One of the main reasons I bought the SI smoker was its simplicity and few parts to break. I had a MES before, I know about complicated. On the SI, I had a probe that was out of range, called the company and they sent me a replacement in less than 24 hours. I guess I don't consider what I did a mod or tinkering. I simply replaced a part on mine that was defective. I posted the replacement procedure just in case in the future someone else needed to replace there temp. control unit.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 2, 2013)

Suya said:


> Scubadoo, I think you might have missed the purpose of my post. One of the main reasons I bought the SI smoker was its simplicity and few parts to break. I had a MES before, I know about complicated. On the SI, I had a probe that was out of range, called the company and they sent me a replacement in less than 24 hours. I guess I don't consider what I did a mod or tinkering. I simply replaced a part on mine that was defective. I posted the replacement procedure just in case in the future someone else needed to replace there temp. control unit.


You made a very good post on this.

If my MES ever went bad, I would consider an "SI".

Do they have any glass doors---I like to keep an eye on things inside.

Thanks for a well written, interesting post,

Bear


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## smoke happens (Apr 2, 2013)

No glass Bear, double wall stainless steel.


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## jaybone (Apr 5, 2013)

Scubadoo I'm with you on this one.  I would not be happy with a product that has to be torn down and repaired by myself due a defect in material or craftmanship.  When I make a purchase I have an expectation that the product will work as advertised.  If this means the manufacturer has to test each unit before delivery so be it.  Think I'll be looking more into the Cookshack products as well.


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## smoke happens (Apr 6, 2013)

JayBone said:


> Scubadoo I'm with you on this one.  I would not be happy with a product that has to be torn down and repaired by myself due a defect in material or craftmanship.  When I make a purchase I have an expectation that the product will work as advertised.  If this means the manufacturer has to test each unit before delivery so be it.  Think I'll be looking more into the Cookshack products as well.



I don't get paid by SI or get anything from them, so don't think I'm saying anything based on anything other then my own experience or experience of others on this and other forums. That said, if you are discouraged by one or two people out of many on SMF potentially having an issue with a smoker that so many others have had no issues with, your expectations may be unrealistic. If you were to look into cookshack problems you would most likely find similar issues at a similar rate of occurrence.


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## suya (Apr 7, 2013)

Everyone has to come to their own decision as to what smoker to  get based on the best information available. As one of the two people who have had a problem, I am entirely satisfied with the service I got from SI regarding my smoker and I am still happy with my purchase. I don't think I could have asked for better service. I really would have been upset if the solution to my problem was boxing the smoker up and exchanging it. I would buy from SI again, and I have in fact recommended them to at least one neighbor who is in the market.

JayBone, I honestly can't speak on the Cookshack, I know nothing about it but the SI, I still recommend.


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## old sarge (Apr 7, 2013)

For the last few days, I have been prowling the internet looking for info on household voltage.  What I have gleaned is that it fluctuates for a variety of reasons but generally does no damage to the item plugged in. I suppose when you see a plate that states 110 vac, or 115 vac or 120 vac, the manufacturer is rating either the lowest, the average or the highest voltage that the appliance will require for reliable operation. I have also learned that delivered voltage to a home can vary as well depending upon load.

 I suspect, from what I have read, that this variance can impact the desired set temperature.  In dealing with a heating appliance with a simple mechanical rheostat (thermostat?) that regulates the voltage through increasing or decreasing resistance, one cannot or should not expect rock solid stability. Consequently, the temperature will fluctuate as the element heats up and cools down to maintain a desired temperature within a certain tolerance and based upon the voltage reaching the unit. 

Can a mechanical (or even a digital) thermostat or rheostat be defective or out of spec?  Sure it can. Is the defect done deliberately?  No, it is not. Sometimes stuff just happens.  Maybe just a bad component, not evident until it is put into use. Frustrating yes, but correctable.

On the issue of looking at the Cookshack:  Before I purchased the 066, I did read about problems with the temperature, even though it was digital and supposed to be dead on accurate. It had affected a few of the smokers, and was traced to defective boards. Not all the boards, just a few. It was corrected. And I was able to get one of the used units that had been repaired at a nice discount. Does the temperature fluctuate?  Yes it does. A couple of degrees up and down. So it is not perfect, even considering the premium price. And I would NOT do it again. The food that I get from my smoker is not superior to that from the model 3 I gave as a gift. I wish it was but it is not. I cannot even fool myself into believing that it does a better job.

I bought a model 3 to give as a gift after much research.  There were, at the time, only a couple of complaints regarding the units, same with the SmokinTex units. In the end, the SI unit won out. It is working very well, and the results are "good eats", to borrow from a TV show. Had the the SI units been as problematic as the MES units, there would have been no gift of a smoker. 

The absolute bottom line is to do research, to buy what one wants, with the features one wants, and to know that being made by the hand of man, it may not be perfect. 

I am not an electrical engineer. I do know on/off.

Well, being Sunday, that wraps up my sermon.


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## dert (Apr 8, 2013)

Here's a temp curve from my SI #3:



Set to 225, ribs taken out and foiled, unfoiled and finally cranked up to 250.


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## smoke happens (Apr 11, 2013)

That's cool Dert, thanks.


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## jaybone (Apr 14, 2013)

Smoke Happens said:


> I don't get paid by SI or get anything from them, so don't think I'm saying anything based on anything other then my own experience or experience of others on this and other forums. That said, if you are discouraged by one or two people out of many on SMF potentially having an issue with a smoker that so many others have had no issues with, your expectations may be unrealistic. If you were to look into cookshack problems you would most likely find similar issues at a similar rate of occurrence.





Suya said:


> Everyone has to come to their own decision as to what smoker to  get based on the best information available. As one of the two people who have had a problem, I am entirely satisfied with the service I got from SI regarding my smoker and I am still happy with my purchase. I don't think I could have asked for better service. I really would have been upset if the solution to my problem was boxing the smoker up and exchanging it. I would buy from SI again, and I have in fact recommended them to at least one neighbor who is in the market.
> 
> JayBone, I honestly can't speak on the Cookshack, I know nothing about it but the SI, I still recommend.


You both make very good points.  Perhaps I was a bit hasty in drawing my conclusion.  Thanks for sharing!


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## ironhorse07 (Apr 16, 2013)

I have been keeping quiet on this thread but... I am glad that SI has stepped up the customer service, that was my issue, took three weeks to resolve my problem. In the end Steve sent me a new temp controller. I was ready to buy one just to fix it, 25 bucks and some change plus shipping from SI. That being said, the first time I laid eyes on the controller was when I opened the new one. What came to mind was another "cord hanger ".  Not an impressive sight on a 500 dollar smoker. Simple though, sometimes a good thing, however, maybe too simple like someone mentioned, voltage varies and could very well be the problem. On mine I have stuck with the PID because I really use the cook/hold function. One of these days I might make it switchable between the PID and onboard controller. Simplicity in a smoker is a good thing but in my opinion SI should take a good look at how they control temp. But overall I really like the smoker.

Doug


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## old sarge (Apr 16, 2013)

Doug,

Sounds like everything worked out in the end. Yes, the analog controller is simply; even archaic.  But they do work with a certain amount of reliability and they are inexpensive. Digital on the other hand is very precise.  Done well, it can be a joy to use.  Done poorly, and it is not only useless, but expensive to repair (check out the replacement cost over at Cookshack.com). As you say, simplicity in a smoker is a good thing. Hope you have smooth smoking from here on out.

Dave


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## smoke happens (Apr 16, 2013)

Thanks Doug.

- Andy


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## jimmybh (Apr 17, 2013)

The first 10 lb pork butt I did in my smokin-3 took me 20 hours. I did not have a meat probe and was opening the smoker to monitor the butt.I recieved my wireless maverick probes and that made all the difference for me. My second try I did 17 lbs of butt in 12 hours to 196*. I found I had to turn my smoke temp control to 245* and my oven temp would rise to 232* and swing down to about 215* and then swing back up. It pretty much kept that range. This is my first smoker and am really enjoying it.


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## old sarge (Apr 18, 2013)

Glad to hear. Temperature swings are normal  for an analog controller. If they're reasonable and the end product is good, all is well.

 Smokin-it is introducing a wood fired pizza oven now (no price yet).  Looks nice and matches the smokers.


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## spresso (Apr 18, 2013)

this is the only thing that concerns me with this smoker. 

I will be getting in in the near future (#3) and hope, HOPE that the temp range is not lower than what it should be.  I can handle higher temps but not lower. I will be using a Maverick to monitor the    temps anyways. 

It would be nice if they had a test run before they packed each smoker up prior to shipment as part of QC.

Zed


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## njfoses (Apr 20, 2013)

SPresso said:


> this is the only thing that concerns me with this smoker.
> 
> I will be getting in in the near future (#3) and hope, HOPE that the temp range is not lower than what it should be.  I can handle higher temps but not lower. I will be using a Maverick to monitor the    temps anyways.
> 
> ...


You can always get a pid.  This will keep the temp swing to 5 deg, possibly less.  Best investment besides the amnps i have made for my mes electric.


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## smoke happens (Apr 22, 2013)

SPresso said:


> this is the only thing that concerns me with this smoker.
> 
> I will be getting in in the near future (#3) and hope, HOPE that the temp range is not lower than what it should be.  I can handle higher temps but not lower. I will be using a Maverick to monitor the    temps anyways.
> 
> ...


Analog electric smokers will have a swing, just part of the deal with them. The SI has them, but controls a bit better than others due to be very well insulated. On the plus side, they are essentially bulletproof because there is really not much that can go wrong with them with so few parts.


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## spresso (Apr 22, 2013)

I am not faulting the unit for the temp swings.  It is part of the electric experience for better or worse.  My worry about it is specific to lower than expected temp swings.   That is if the unit can't reach the maximum temp of 250 as average.  IE if you set it to 250 and it swings between 220 and 250 as some have reported. 

I can deal with higher than set temp swings (the 30-35* swing is expected without a PID), but there I snot much you can do if the smoker can't reach the set temperature(due to thermostat problems). 

I know most people's unit has no problems but a few people reported the lower  range of temp swings.   I probably shouldn't worry about it as most have no issues , but being in Canada I worry about extra shipping costs if there are problems (and dealing with customs and the carriers....)

I am happy most of you guys are having no problems and in fact have excellent experiences with this smoker.   That's why I am getting it.....

Sorry for worrying out loud  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Zed


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## smoke happens (Apr 23, 2013)

Don't be sorry, it's a rather large investment (at least for my budget it was) and I would take every opportunity to worry out loud! You're doing your homework, getting feedback, asking questions - that's a good thing.


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## thesneakyzebra (Feb 7, 2014)

so I just made the purchase last night and I am just now seeing people have multiple temp issues. I know there are swings and I can handle some variation but it looks like people are having  a hard time even getting the smoker part the low 200's. I'm kinda freaking out now. Can someone give me some honest I or on what I can expect for temp control or temp issues? Thanks.


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## dert (Feb 12, 2014)

I've read that too, I haven't had an issue getting up to temp, even in sub zero conditions in mn.  I do see temp swings of 25-30 degrees fo the set point- but I think you'd see that with any analog control (including your home oven).

Good luck!


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## old sarge (Feb 12, 2014)

_Regarding the temperature swings, this is from the FAQ on the Smokin-it site.  _

_  _

_  __Q: __How much variation does the thermostat have?_

_A: _The temperature can sway 30-40 degrees either way from the set point. This is caused by heat still being produced by the wood box after the thermostat has been turned off. This is normal in any electric smoker.

_You will find something similar on the SmokinTex site._


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## id2nv2nj2ca (May 21, 2016)

@Suya  Unless I missed it, I didn't read a post from you on how your unit performed after your part switch.


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