# Problems with my trash can smoker.



## fairygirl69 (May 6, 2013)

I made my own trash can electric smoker.  It works but the only problem is I've never been able to get it up to proper smoking heat.  The only thing I can think of is that we drilled quite a few holes in the lid.  Could this be my problem or could it be the electric hot plate I'm powering it with?


----------



## pacanis (May 6, 2013)

fairygirl69 said:


> I made my own trash can electric smoker. *It works but the only problem is I've never been able to get it up to proper smoking heat.* The only thing I can think of is that we drilled quite a few holes in the lid. Could this be my problem or could it be the electric hot plate I'm powering it with?


 
If it's not getting up to proper smoking temp (assuming you mean 225F-250 for most meats) how exactly is it working?
Is it cooking, but not smoking? Smoking but not cooking? If it's actually working maybe your thermometer is off.

I made one a few years ago and mine didn't "work" at all. In the hot summer with the largest BTU hot plate I could find I could not get a whisper of smoke from the chips no matter how I put them in there.


----------



## fairygirl69 (May 6, 2013)

It's smoking and cooking the heat just stalls around 160


----------



## pacanis (May 6, 2013)

If it's smoking and cooking I'd say your thermometer is off then. 
Smoking and cooking, what more could you want? Good job. If the holes in the lid bother you plug them up. Maybe the temps will go up, but I'd check the temp with another thermometer just to make sure.


----------

