# Smokintex temperature fluctuation



## poacherjoe (Dec 22, 2019)

I have been having a problem when making bologna and summer sausage.  I set a probe at or near the thermostat and I hang one in the middle of the smoker to keep an eye on the smokers temp. They both read close to the same. The dial temp should read close also! I start out setting the dial at 130 and dry the sausage out for the first hour or so. Then I place the wood in the tray and turn it up to 140 and increase the temp 10 degrees every hour until I reach 170 on the" dial" Then I let it cook till the IT gets were I want it. The problem is that the temperature goes much higher and lower like 35 degree swings. I hear the thermostat click when I turn the dial when I am attempting to fine tune the temperature vs what the dial reads. The dial vs the actual  temperature are way off.  I would think that the dial would read close to the actual temperature and when it got say 5 degrees cooler it would kick on until the temp got back to 170 and not 200. Does anyone else have this problem?


----------



## S-met (Dec 22, 2019)

I have a cookshack and am still learning how to use it (my 1st electric smoker). I've only done a couple of runs and am still learning its quirks. I imagine the performance should be similar between our smokers.

I'm wondering two things:
Do you have this issue at higher temps? I hear these smokers rarely need any mods, but wondering if such low temps leads to more fluctuations than at higher temps? Especially early in the smoke since the thermal mass of the meat is cool contributing to the temperature variance. 

How full is your smoker? 
Like the second half of my 1st "wonder" thermal mass of the meat. Empty will have wide swings due to lack of thermal mass from meat.
Full, the cool meat will combat the warmth causing temperature swings until an equilibrium is met, then it will stay more stable. But will take longer at lower temps.

Wondering about low temps possibly benefiting from a small recirculating fan. Not sure on location.


----------



## Norwester55 (Dec 22, 2019)

The SmokinTex and Smokin-It smokers do have temp swings. My Smokin-It swings almost exactly 25* which doesn't effect most things like ribs, shoulders etc but would be a problem for sausage.  As far as I know the only way to avoid it is to install/use a PID that'll hold temp within a couple degrees. I'm getting the odds and ends together this week to install a dual probe Auber PID (WSD-1200GPH ). I'm adding an "on-off-on" switch so I can use the analog cotroller in case the PID has problems or for short smokes. Its fairly easy to do, the only part I'm not looking forward to is drilling the SS panels.  
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14_28


----------



## poacherjoe (Dec 22, 2019)

This smoker is great for most items but I don't think they want to come out and tell you point blank that it wasn't designed for Summer sausage etc. It should be just like my oven in the kitchen. You set the dial and it stay's close to that temperature! I hate to have to add aftermarket adjustments to an already pricey smoker. My bologna and summer sausage have turned out okay so far but having to run to the smoker and open the door to bring the heat down sucks. And trying to get it to stay close to 170 is a challenge. I have been making small batches of 15 lbs of sausage. The reps  told me not to fully load it.


----------



## poacherjoe (Dec 22, 2019)

S-met said:


> I have a cookshack and am still learning how to use it (my 1st electric smoker). I've only done a couple of runs and am still learning its quirks. I imagine the performance should be similar between our smokers.
> 
> I'm wondering two things:
> Do you have this issue at higher temps? I hear these smokers rarely need any mods, but wondering if such low temps leads to more fluctuations than at higher temps? Especially early in the smoke since the thermal mass of the meat is cool contributing to the temperature variance.
> ...


I have the problem when I want 170 degrees it goes over 200 or stays around 150.  Can't get it to stabilize at 170 ish. This is what you want to be at for bologna and Summer sausage or the casing might explode.  I have cooked a 12 lb  turkey at 225  and it was zero problem.   I guess this is what you get for Made in China. The smokintex is a clone of the Cookshack at a reduced price. So you have had the same problem with the cookshack ?


----------



## Norwester55 (Dec 22, 2019)

Theres a guy at the SmokinTex forum that had swings of 85* before he installed a PID! I think I would have returned the smoker or at least had the thermo replaced. I knew about the temp swings before I bought my SI but hadn't really given a thought to making sausage. Smokin-It has a line of digital smokers with PID already installed but for the price I'd rather do it myself.


----------



## poacherjoe (Dec 22, 2019)

They aren't to talkative on that forum!  I posted the same question there with zero reply's.  Well please keep me up to date on your modification. I have the 1460 model.  I would like to be able to set the temp and not worry about my alarm going off on my phone. Not very comforting... Thanks for your input.


----------



## S-met (Dec 22, 2019)

poacherjoe said:


> It should be just like my oven in the kitchen.


Just curious, have you checked your oven with an external probe? I've wondered what the swing is in my oven though have never measured. I have a gas oven, though I imagine there is a swing in gas or electric. Maybe less in a convection? 



poacherjoe said:


> I have the problem when I want 170 degrees it goes over 200 or stays around 150.  Can't get it to stabilize at 170 ish...
> The smokintex is a clone of the Cookshack at a reduced price. So you have had the same problem with the cookshack ?


I haven't tried it that low yet. Higher temp 225 swings about 20.


----------



## poacherjoe (Dec 22, 2019)

No I have not ever checked the oven like that. I don't cook that low in the oven. When I did my research  I noticed no pictures of sausage in the ST .  I asked about it but got no response. The PID sounds like the only option if I want it to stabilize


----------



## S-met (Dec 22, 2019)

poacherjoe said:


> No I have not ever checked the oven like that. I don't cook that low in the oven. When I did my research  I noticed no pictures of sausage in the ST .  I asked about it but got no response. The PID sounds like the only option if I want it to stabilize


Not temps that low, just temp in general in the oven. Not really relevant, but wondering about general oven temp swings. I assume 350 when I turn on the oven, but I have no clue how temp stable it is. Maybe next time I bake something, I'll check.

Back to your concerns, short of a pid, I might consider under-shooting the temp by 15 degrees, that way with the swing you will only be a little over and not for too long.


----------



## Lonzinomaker (Dec 22, 2019)

Setting temperature with an analog thermostat is kind of like a broken clock.  The clock will be right twice a day, the temps will be right twice every time the thermostat cycles.
As others have said, the only solution to tighter temperature control is a PID controller.


----------



## noboundaries (Dec 22, 2019)

I have tested my natural gas, non-convective oven. I tested several temps, but found a consistent difference between the shelf positions. Let's say 350F for simplicity.
1. Bottom shelf 330F. Middle shelf 340F. Top shelf 345F.  
2. When I use the oven to make jerky, there is a 15F swing in temps. If I set 185F, the oven will cycle between 165F and 180F on the top shelf, but the door is cracked open with a probe. 
3. I use my oven constantly and always adjust the setting upward to compensate for the difference in setting, shelf used, and performance.


----------



## poacherjoe (Dec 23, 2019)

Well here it is straight from the horses mouth . The factory rep told me how to smoke sausage in the 1460. I was using the step method and drying the sausage in the smoker for the first hour, He said to pull the wood pan and pre heat the smoker to 130  while I let the sausage air dry outside the smoker. After 1 1/2 hours open the door and slide everything in, wood box with chunk of wood and the sausage and go from there. He said don't pay to much  attention to the  temp swings , Just watch the IT of the sausage and forget about buying an aftermarket PID controller. He said the sausage would turn out fine.I noted that when you go to the recipe section at their website there is no mention of sausage. He noted that If he wrote this up on the website he would be arguing with every sausage maker all day long. The unit is designed to have the temperature swings. So long story short I will continue to make my SS and Bologna and see how it works. I just wont be jumping up to attempt to lower the temp like I have been doing.


----------

