Hi Everyone,
I need some help with my Stoker. I got my WSM 18.5" last November for a B-day present. In Febrary of this year, I purchased a Stoker but I am having temp spikes. I looked at the temp posts (based on title) on all 55 pages of this sub board and tried various things.
My Setup:
WSM 18.5"
Stoker
Bottom 2 vents closed
Top vent 1/4 - 1/8 open
Given my pit was leaking 'smoke' from where the middle section and lid meet, I also put self-stick nomex gasket around that area along with around the door. Those two areas don't leak anymore.
I normally use a full ring of charcoal and lit 15 briquettes and dump them on top of the unlit ring. Still get temp spikes. Have tried letting the pit come up to temp (225) before using the Stoker. This only worked once for 3.5 hours before temp spikes would start. Each spike/drop was larger than the previous one. Yesterday, I tried another test run, full ring, this time, I only used 12 briquettes and placed them at the edge of the pit ring where the Stoker blower is. Put pit together and turned on Stoker right away. Set Stoker to 225 but the first temp spiked up to 239.7. After it cooled down, it spiked again. Figure it would even out and hold steady after about 1/2 hr - hour (per Rock's BBQ) but it didn't. Kept spiking for the entire 3 hour test. Another suggestion, from Rock's BBQ was after the pit comes down from the spike, to power cycly the Stoker to 'clear' the spike from the cook history but when I tried this, it seems like it still remembered it and keep doing it (spike high, drop low, repeat).
Looking for suggests to try. Seems like I paid for a very expensive thermometer instead of an ATC.
Stoker log after 2 hours:
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a543/drusscol2001/Test1-2hrs_zps8ef57107.png
Stoker log after 3 hours:
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a543/drusscol2001/Test1-3hrs_zps9e23ac79.png
Below are the time and temps (Started Stoker log at 6:07 PM and stopped at 9:09 PM).
6:07 PM 145.8
6:27 PM 239.7
6:37 PM 202
6:50 PM 245
7:07 PM 193.5
7:20 PM 237.2
7:34 PM 209.8
7:44 PM 239.7
7:59 PM 210.4
8:10 PM 237.5
8:28 PM 211.4
8:40 PM 236.4
8:57 PM 213.5
9:09 PM 239.7
After I packed my Stoker up, I closed all vents on the WSM. After 30 minutes, the pit temp dropped 50 degrees so I know it is sealed pretty good, given it was about 80 degrees outside at 9:00 PM. The WSM is on my patio under my awning and out of sunlight.
Tonight I will be trying another 3 hour test, this time, setting pit temp to 200, after overshoot (if I get it), set Stoker to 225. This was recommeded by another post for someone else. The only other option would be to tinker with the top vent. I have the vent the Stoker is attached to set to full open, should I close this some?
Dave
I need some help with my Stoker. I got my WSM 18.5" last November for a B-day present. In Febrary of this year, I purchased a Stoker but I am having temp spikes. I looked at the temp posts (based on title) on all 55 pages of this sub board and tried various things.
My Setup:
WSM 18.5"
Stoker
Bottom 2 vents closed
Top vent 1/4 - 1/8 open
Given my pit was leaking 'smoke' from where the middle section and lid meet, I also put self-stick nomex gasket around that area along with around the door. Those two areas don't leak anymore.
I normally use a full ring of charcoal and lit 15 briquettes and dump them on top of the unlit ring. Still get temp spikes. Have tried letting the pit come up to temp (225) before using the Stoker. This only worked once for 3.5 hours before temp spikes would start. Each spike/drop was larger than the previous one. Yesterday, I tried another test run, full ring, this time, I only used 12 briquettes and placed them at the edge of the pit ring where the Stoker blower is. Put pit together and turned on Stoker right away. Set Stoker to 225 but the first temp spiked up to 239.7. After it cooled down, it spiked again. Figure it would even out and hold steady after about 1/2 hr - hour (per Rock's BBQ) but it didn't. Kept spiking for the entire 3 hour test. Another suggestion, from Rock's BBQ was after the pit comes down from the spike, to power cycly the Stoker to 'clear' the spike from the cook history but when I tried this, it seems like it still remembered it and keep doing it (spike high, drop low, repeat).
Looking for suggests to try. Seems like I paid for a very expensive thermometer instead of an ATC.
Stoker log after 2 hours:
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a543/drusscol2001/Test1-2hrs_zps8ef57107.png
Stoker log after 3 hours:
http://i1283.photobucket.com/albums/a543/drusscol2001/Test1-3hrs_zps9e23ac79.png
Below are the time and temps (Started Stoker log at 6:07 PM and stopped at 9:09 PM).
6:07 PM 145.8
6:27 PM 239.7
6:37 PM 202
6:50 PM 245
7:07 PM 193.5
7:20 PM 237.2
7:34 PM 209.8
7:44 PM 239.7
7:59 PM 210.4
8:10 PM 237.5
8:28 PM 211.4
8:40 PM 236.4
8:57 PM 213.5
9:09 PM 239.7
After I packed my Stoker up, I closed all vents on the WSM. After 30 minutes, the pit temp dropped 50 degrees so I know it is sealed pretty good, given it was about 80 degrees outside at 9:00 PM. The WSM is on my patio under my awning and out of sunlight.
Tonight I will be trying another 3 hour test, this time, setting pit temp to 200, after overshoot (if I get it), set Stoker to 225. This was recommeded by another post for someone else. The only other option would be to tinker with the top vent. I have the vent the Stoker is attached to set to full open, should I close this some?
Dave