chemical smell from smoker - Page 2

dano · 04-07-2013, 02:05 PM

Well now I am stumped...closed the door and burned clean for over an hr. Added more charcoal and it started to do it again....also noticed some white smoke coming from the back of the cooking chamber just above the firebox hole....

dano · 04-08-2013, 01:47 PM

I just spoke to Jeff over at Assassin Smokers (great guy). I just sent him over some pics of the firebox so I guess we will see what he says. More or less just posting to praise them for their customer service. Best I have come across hands down.

BeaglesBBQ · 04-08-2013, 03:22 PM

I have had the same problem in the past, kinda smells like burning plastic/chemicals. Happens on my cooker when I run hot. I have cleaned, inspected welds, tried different wood etc... still no solution. I now just leave my firebox door open when cooking hot and that seems to put a band-aid on it. However i would like a real solution as well.

dano · 04-08-2013, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeaglesBBQ

I have had the same problem in the past, kinda smells like burning plastic/chemicals. Happens on my cooker when I run hot. I have cleaned, inspected welds, tried different wood etc... still no solution. I now just leave my firebox door open when cooking hot and that seems to put a band-aid on it. However i would like a real solution as well.

Exactly. I noticed that if I don't fill the charcoal very high in the chute it burns okay. Once I add a couple more lbs it's started back up. I am burning ozark oak too which is burns clean with zero smoker at all.

mbshop · 04-08-2013, 04:03 PM

i had that happen once in my wsm. couldn't understand it. so i killed the fire and started over again. did you change bags and it still did that ?
if lump you cannot just pour in a bag. you got to go through it as lump can and will have pieces of junk/plastic/insulation in it.

Wyley · 04-08-2013, 05:42 PM

I wonder if in one of the bags that you may have just dumped in there was some plastic or insulation that has melted in your chute that you just can't see. Might be worth trying some kind of chimney cleaning device while it's hot to see if that helps or a wire brush rigged up on a long shaft of some kind that you can use with a drill.

dano · 04-08-2013, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyley

I wonder if in one of the bags that you may have just dumped in there was some plastic or insulation that has melted in your chute that you just can't see. Might be worth trying some kind of chimney cleaning device while it's hot to see if that helps or a wire brush rigged up on a long shaft of some kind that you can use with a drill.

I took pics up and down the chute and it looks pretty clean....also tried 3 different kinds of charcoal...same results.

padge31 · 04-09-2013, 10:50 AM

Have you heard anything back from assassin smokers?

dano · 04-09-2013, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by padge31

Have you heard anything back from assassin smokers?

Yup, talked to Jeff yesterday (good guy). He's not sure what could be producing the bad smoke/smell but I am going to burn on it this weekend and take pics if it happens again. He is sending me shims for the firebox door to help with the seal. I got one of the first ones at it looks like after a while the back of the chute warps just a bit on the outside...Not a big deal at all but the shims will help to seal it a bit more.

padge31 · 04-13-2013, 01:33 PM

Hey Dano have you figured anything out about the chemical smell?

04-08-2013, 03:22 PM	#18
BeaglesBBQ On the road to being a farker Join Date: 10-24-11 Location: Richmond Virginia	I have had the same problem in the past, kinda smells like burning plastic/chemicals. Happens on my cooker when I run hot. I have cleaned, inspected welds, tried different wood etc... still no solution. I now just leave my firebox door open when cooking hot and that seems to put a band-aid on it. However i would like a real solution as well. __________________ Meadow Creek TS250, Horizon 20" Classic Backyard Smoker, old style weber performer

04-08-2013, 04:03 PM	#20
mbshop Babbling Farker Join Date: 06-24-07 Location: visalia, ca	i had that happen once in my wsm. couldn't understand it. so i killed the fire and started over again. did you change bags and it still did that ? if lump you cannot just pour in a bag. you got to go through it as lump can and will have pieces of junk/plastic/insulation in it. __________________ george spam, can't live without it

04-07-2013, 02:05 PM	#16
dano is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-09-11 Location: Audubon, PA	Well now I am stumped...closed the door and burned clean for over an hr. Added more charcoal and it started to do it again....also noticed some white smoke coming from the back of the cooking chamber just above the firebox hole....

04-08-2013, 01:47 PM	#17
dano is one Smokin' Farker Join Date: 02-09-11 Location: Audubon, PA	I just spoke to Jeff over at Assassin Smokers (great guy). I just sent him over some pics of the firebox so I guess we will see what he says. More or less just posting to praise them for their customer service. Best I have come across hands down.

04-08-2013, 05:42 PM	#21
Wyley On the road to being a farker Join Date: 04-04-09 Location: Murfreesboro, TN	I wonder if in one of the bags that you may have just dumped in there was some plastic or insulation that has melted in your chute that you just can't see. Might be worth trying some kind of chimney cleaning device while it's hot to see if that helps or a wire brush rigged up on a long shaft of some kind that you can use with a drill.

04-09-2013, 10:50 AM	#23
padge31 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-20-13 Location: colfax ia	Have you heard anything back from assassin smokers?

04-13-2013, 01:33 PM	#25
padge31 Full Fledged Farker Join Date: 01-20-13 Location: colfax ia	Hey Dano have you figured anything out about the chemical smell?