Troubleshooting Common Pellet Smoker Issues

A pellet smoker can bring you a lot of convenience and joy. When you have the right one, it's easy to create restaurant-quality smoked meat in your own back yard.

But it's a piece of equipment like any other, which means that sometimes, things go wrong. Here are four common issues people see with their smokers, and how to solve those problems so you can get back to enjoying your delicious smoked meat.

Struggling to Reach the Set Point

Consistent temperatures and reaching the desired heat set point are the keys to achieving the perfect cook. So what can go wrong?

Sometimes heat problems are the result of:

• Low quality pellets
• Damp pellets
• Dirty RTD probes
• Airflow obstructions
• Loose connections
• Draft issues

You can troubleshoot your heat problems as follows:

1. Get high-quality, fresh, dry pellets. We sell them at Lone Star Grillz!
2. Gently clean the RTD sensor to remove build-up.
3. Clean the burn pot to ensure proper airflow.
4. Check all electrical connections.
5. Adjust your vents.

Thin Blue Smoke

If you're seeing thin blue smoke instead of thick, white smoke, then you're not going to get that lovely smokey taste you're after.

Common problems for thin blue smoke include:

• Low-quality pellets.
• The smoker has not been properly ignited.
• Temperatures are too low.
• Dampness.

You can troubleshoot these problems as follows:

1. Again, high-quality, dry pellets are key if you want a perfect cook.
2. Ensure you're letting the smoker get all the way through its initial start-up cycle.
3. Experiment with slightly higher smoking temperatures.
4. Increase airflow so that excess moisture gets carried away, then restrict the flow a little bit.

See also: Understanding Airflow in Offset Smokers: A Guide to Perfect Smoke Control

Hopper Problems

When pellets don't move from the hopper to the burn pot the whole smoker shuts down! There's a few things that could be going wrong here.

• Foreign objects may be in the hopper, including wood chunks, debris, or oversized pellets.
• Moist or swollen pellets.
• Pellets have gotten stuck in the hopper.
• There's a potential mechanical problem.

Troubleshoot hopper problems this way:

• Turn off the hopper. Empty the hopper, look for foreign objects, and remove them. Check the hopper tube as well.
• Use dry pellets and store them properly! There's just no way you win with wet or moist pellets.
• Turn off the smoker. Then, gently poke or agitate the pellets in the hopper to break up bridging.
• If you think you might have a faulty motor, contact us for support!

Uneven Cooking or Hot Spots

Uneven cooking is a common problem that keeps you from getting the results you want. While some of our smokers let you control warmer and cooler spots within your smoker on an intentional basis, uneven cooking sometimes happens when you don't mean it to.

Reasons include an overcrowded grill that restricts airflow, or grease build-up that affects heat circulation.

Troubleshoot uneven cooking this way:

1. Rotate the food periodically.
2. Avoid overcrowding the cooking grates.
3. Clean the inside of the smoker regularly to prevent grease buildup.

Start Smoking Today

Don't have your Lone Star Grillz smoker yet? Head to our shop to find the smoker that's right for you!

Remember, our team is always ready to answer questions about your new smoker, and can help you make the most of it.