SmokePro STX, struggling temperatures

[markh024]

So the past couple smokes ive done I have noticed my STX struggling to get up to temp. Yesterday i did a pork shoulder and pretty much confirmed i had an issue. My grill has a really hard time climbing over 300 now. Actually yesterday i couldnt get it above 275. My swings on the lower end 220-250* smoking temps, are becoming bigger and bigger as well. I've emailed CC and they are sending me a new therm and controller. Great customer service fyi. I've done enough cooks to know things just arent right no.

I am hesitant on the thermometer because my therm and my smoking therm are within 10* so i know its reading fairly accurate . Thats taking temp at grill grate fyi.

I'm thinking the controller is going bad so i plan on replacing it with the new one i get but wanted some insight from long term pellet users. Is there a chance the hot rod is going bad too or us that a part that either is alive or its dead?

 

[markh024]

I think i may have found my culprit. I was smoking a round of jerky yesterday, watching the temps and scratching my head as to what could possibly be going on. Then in a daze, I'm looking a my chimney cap and I realized a few weeks back as the weather started to warm up, I opened it up some. So after my jerky was done, which was a roller coaster because of the temp swings and inconsistencies, I cranked the STX up to 325 and put the chimney cap back down to where I had it all winter. Sure enough, it climbs to over 300. So I crank it to high and I end up getting a reading of 430, which is around the highest i've seen out of this grill. I think in summer temps, I can probably get it up higher than that as well.

Any way, I put the setting back down to 225 and of course it takes some time to go back down with the aid of me opening the lid. But once I get there it's holding pretty good +/- 15* of 225. So I'll be doing a beef tenderloin smoked at 225 and finished on the gas grill later. I'll see if the temps hold today and that should confirm if I'm on the right track.

Pretty crazy that the adjustment on the chimney can impact that much on the temperature control, if this is the case.