Electric Smoker Not Getting Hot Enough [ Solution + Tips ]
If your electric smoker is not providing a consistent temperature to your food, you need to look carefully and observe where the problem is. It may be due to an electric smoker or it may be due to your own wrong way of handling a smoker. Like opening the smoker’s lid again and again to check the doneness of meat, not using probes to know the exact temperature and using vents in the wrong way.
If you’re a beginner, you may get panic about why your electric smoker not getting hot enough. Don’t worry, it’s not only you facing the issue, many people have this problem and there are a few easy things you can do to fix it.
Electric Smoker Not Getting Hot Enough
There can be two reasons behind electric smoker not getting hot enough or not providing consistent required heat to your food.
- Smoker creating problem
- Maybe Mishandling of Smoker at your end
Check If The Electric Smoker Is Properly Plugged In:
Before using your electric smoker, check that it is properly plugged in. While most smokers come with a cord that can be plugged into a standard outlet, some models may require a special adapter.
If you’re not sure whether or not your smoker is properly plugged in, consult the manual or contact the manufacturer.
Temperature And Timer Seem To Be Working:
After checking the plug, still, if you find the temperature and timer working properly but your electric grill is not getting hot, it seems there is a problem with the heating element and it needs to be replaced.
Allow Time For The Smoker To Heat Up To The Correct Temperature:
Any experienced smoker will tell you before starting to smoke meat, allow the smoker to heat up to the correct temperature. Depending on the size and type of smoker, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to reach the ideal smoking temperature.
So, in order to avoid any disappointment, work with a little patience, and you’ll be rewarded with perfectly smoked meat that will be the envy of all your friends.
Check Thermostat is Working Properly Or Not:
Using any grill, electric or charcoal, the temperature required to smoke meat perfectly is nearly around 200 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The electric smokers of all well-known brands come with a built-in thermostat, which is for the safety of smoker parts. In case of electric failure, You might need to replace the thermostat if it sustains damage.
This thermostatically-controlled element provides heat in the required range, but if the thermostat is not working properly, you can check this temperature with the help of a smoker thermometer, by holding the probe loosely through the top vent. You can also fix the alarm to know if the temperature drops within the required range of it.
In this way, you will know whether the thermostat working properly or not.
Not Using Meat Thermometer:
Assume you are smoking a large piece of meat like brisket, and you are supposed to smoke it for 5 hours. How will you know that smoker is providing consistent heat to it without a meat thermometer? As you are just opening your smoker to flip it after every hour, maybe your smoker had stopped providing heat long before you checked it. Having a high-quality smoker thermometer is something I always advise to have to prevent such scenarios. It is no doubt a useful investment, you will never regret.
I have reviewed the best quality meat thermometers that may help you to get one.
Let’s say, you have observed your smoker is not getting hot enough. Now let’s discuss what can be the possible reasons behind it;
Putting Too Much Meat At A Time:
There are many possible reasons why your electric smoker is not getting hot enough, but one of the most common ones is putting too much meat at once in the smoker. This can affect the efficiency of your electric smoker in several ways:
- It reduces the airflow inside the smoker. Airflow is essential for creating smoke and maintaining a consistent temperature. When you put too much meat in the smoker, you block the vents and prevent the hot air and smoke from circulating evenly. This can create cold and hot spots in your smoker and uneven cooking of your food.
- It increases the cooking time and consumes a lot of energy. When you put too much meat in the smoker, you increase the mass and volume of food that needs to be heated up. This means that your electric smoker need to work harder to maintain the required temperature.
- It affects the flavor and quality of your food. When you put too much meat in the smoker, you prevent the smoke from penetrating the meat evenly. This can result in less smoky flavor and aroma, as well as dry or tough meat.
Vents Setting Is Not Correct:
Vents in any smoker are used to regulate the temperature inside the smoker and to keep smoke from building up too much. If you don’t have the knowledge, of how to correctly set the vents of smokers. You will lose all heat, so make sure you did it right.
Check For Fuel Source:
Do check the number of wooden chips in your electric smoker, as there is only a limited area for wooden chips. Sometimes you get out of it and that is why you face the issue of low heat. Always follow the manufactures instructions mentioned in the Manual. It comes with all the details like how to fill the wood chip box and which chips are best for long smoking.
Using Electric Smoker In Cold Weather:
Using an electric smoker in winter especially if you are smoking outside is not a good idea. You may face a very low heat and you may think why electric smoker not getting hot enough. It is all because you have selected the wrong time and wrong place to smoke your meat. You may read my detailed post “Will an Electric Smoker Work in Cold Weather” here.
Well, if you have no way other than this, then at least search for a space where you find some shelter and near any wall so that your smoker doesn’t face a lot of wind directly.
How To Increase Heat In Smoker?
One of the key components to keeping a smoker hot is ensuring that fuel is being properly managed. You should always make sure your firebox has plenty of logs or charcoal and that you are tending the fire regularly in order to keep it burning at optimal temperatures.
Additionally, you can use a temperature management device such as an oven thermometer or meat thermometer to help you regulate the temperature of your smoker.
Last but not the least, make sure your lid is on tight and that you have adequate airflow throughout the cooking chamber so that heat can escape and be replaced by fresh oxygen for a stronger flame.
With these tips in mind, you should have no trouble keeping your smoker hot. There can be other reasons as well for an electric smoker not getting hot. But these are the main ones I myself experienced.
Conclusion:
Electric Smoker Not Getting Hot Enough? Worried? But don’t blame your smoker for everything. First make sure the problem doesn’t exist at your end, by checking all issues mentioned above.
Still, If you don’t find any clue then check for your smoker, because it may create problems. Do check the Manual or contact the brand through their website. You may also call an expert to have a look at it.
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