Question 1

Has anyone else had to replace the heating element? After five years, the unit began tripping breakers when I plugged it in.

Accepted Answer

I have a Reddy Smoker which is the Old version of Old Smokey and it is 25 yrs plus and element is still going.  Only the bottom rusted out of the barrel.  I would check first to see if it is plugged in to a Ground Fault Breaker (GFI).  They are very common for outdoor use.. and do cause problems when there is moisture near the plug or the units electrical parts. I recommend trying another plug somewhere in the garage or safe place.  Also, GFI's are known to get old and worn when used (tripped) often.  I also would check to make sure it is a 20 amp breaker not a 15 amp.  The 1500 watt element will be too close a load for a 15 amp breaker.  Do not use an extension cord (long one) it will reduce the heat output of the element and also can cause breaker to trip.  If you use an extension cord make it Heavy Duty and no more than 6 ft.  I hope this helps. I purchased an Old Smokey this yr and am looking forward to another 20 plus yrs of service.  Take care of it and it will last.  I keep mine indoors after using and drying in the sun.

Question 2

How do I smoke a steak without injecting it with fluid?  Do I put wood chips on top of sand? Do I wet chips?

Accepted Answer

Use a good meat thermometer that allows you to keep track of the steaks without continually opening the smoker. Don’t wet the chips. I just add water to the drip pan. However, Imhave never done steaks in the smoker.

Question 3

How hot does the outside of the smoker get? Worried about little children. Also how do you lift the racks out of the unit? Thanks

Accepted Answer

The smoker cooks at close to 300 degrees so the metal surface gets very hot. Children should be closely supervised when it is in use. The two racks have handles which can be used to lift them out of the smoker. BryanOld Smokey Products Co.

Question 4

what about smoking trout or salmon fast?

Accepted Answer

This smoker is capable of smoking salmon and trout in less than 30 minutes. Depending on how many filets and the total weight of the filets, external temperature ect. I have smoked multiple decent sized salmon filets in less than 40 minutes. There is a list of recipes on the old smokey website that gives very concise cooking times and temperature settings. Most of the time I just season the fish however I want and use the recipes on their website to reference cooking time.

Item Dimensions D x W x H	15.5"D x 15.5"W x 29"H
Item Weight	24 Pounds
Inner Material	stainless_steel
Fuel Type	Electric
Power Source	electric
Color	Grey

Old Smokey Electric Smoker

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