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March 8th, 2015, 12:16 pm
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: March 7th, 2015, 8:48 pm
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Yacolt, WA

I purchased a new YS640 grill yesterday, and upon using it for the first time, I am getting dramatic temperature swings. I left the preset temp at 350 deg, and the temperature was up near 500degs at times?? It reached 'maintenance' mode, and wouldn't reach 'cool down' mode until it was well above the set temp?? possibilities???

March 8th, 2015, 4:01 pm
#2
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: March 7th, 2015, 8:48 pm
  • Posts: 2
  • Location: Yacolt, WA

Nevermind, slow cooking a picnic roast, and it is working like a charm. 5deg temp swings at the most.

March 11th, 2015, 11:44 pm
#3
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: March 5th, 2015, 1:09 pm
  • Posts: 2

I bought mine within days of you. I had the same problem during the burn in. I also had better results during my second time running the unit. But I noticed my food was taking a lot longer to cook then on other cookers. I added three probes to the unit in different area of the grill. Not sure if you have run your own probes or just going off what the grill is reading. But in three cooks my 3 different probes have run 20-60 degrees lower then what the unit was reading. So I'm wondering if you have had that issue if you have added your own probes

March 23rd, 2015, 6:01 pm
#4
nrn
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: March 23rd, 2015, 1:42 pm
  • Posts: 1

I bought my Yoder in January, and after break-in have smoked 5 or 6 times. Yesterday I smoked some stuffed onions & peppers @ 285 degrees. I always start with a clean burn pot and chamber. So far, every time I use this grill I get big temp swings. Maybe if I just didn't watch it'd be ok, but I can see the temp gauge from my recliner, while i'm watching the game. The highest I saw was 354 degrees and the low was 253. It did not go up and down to those extremes consistently, but several times it did, it was all over the place ! Is it too much to ask for consistency ? I know some of these grills will hold a tolerance of +- 5 degrees...why wont mine ??

March 23rd, 2015, 7:41 pm
#5
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nrn wrote:I bought my Yoder in January, and after break-in have smoked 5 or 6 times. Yesterday I smoked some stuffed onions & peppers @ 285 degrees. I always start with a clean burn pot and chamber. So far, every time I use this grill I get big temp swings. Maybe if I just didn't watch it'd be ok, but I can see the temp gauge from my recliner, while i'm watching the game. The highest I saw was 354 degrees and the low was 253. It did not go up and down to those extremes consistently, but several times it did, it was all over the place ! Is it too much to ask for consistency ? I know some of these grills will hold a tolerance of +- 5 degrees...why wont mine ??


What is the serial number and build date from the door plate on your cooker?

What brand and flavor of pellets are you using?

Do you leave your cooker plugged in when not in use?

Is your heat diffuser warped on the pellet hopper end, i.e., are the corners warping up?

Have you done the temperature test: download/Best%20Practice%20and%20how%20to/Yoder%20Pellet%20Temperature%20Test.pdf

Yoder_Herb
April 21st, 2016, 10:39 pm
#6
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
  • Posts: 10

I have huge changes in my temperature also. Today I cleaned it out as always, and hit the ole start button. I set the temp to 235. The temp during start up went to 284 and then backed down, and down, and down, and down to 182. Then the temp came back up and settled around 209 +/- and few degrees. By the way, its been over 45 mins at this point. Not too sure what to do. I use 100% Pecan BBQers Delight. I have read all about leaving the smoker plugged in when not in use, so I'm religious about unplugging it after the fan stops. Its a new YS-640 and its only the third time I've used the smoker so I'm sure that the diffuser isn't warped at all. Any suggestions for me? I have a moose shoulder that I want to smoke tomorrow.

April 21st, 2016, 11:33 pm
#7
April 22nd, 2016, 3:18 pm
#8
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
  • Posts: 10

So, I did that. Still some pretty wild fires in the box. I'll post some pics.

October 8th, 2016, 1:44 pm
#9
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 4th, 2015, 9:08 am
  • Posts: 3

HERB,
I have had my yoder for about a year and a half now. have experienced a few temp swings but have worked through them. I had a dramatic swing yesterday and cant understand why. I put a couple of briskets in at about 6:30 am. Got the temp where I needed (about 220) and seemed to hold there most the morning. I went out about 5 hours later and seen that the temp on the digital readout was 285 and climbing. I immediately kept decreasing below the set temp to get it regulated. not sure if I have a bad circuit or board but cannot figure out the cause. My serial number is 18229 with a date stamp of 01/15/15. The pellets I use are "Gourmet BBQ" and "Green Moutain" both sold where I bought the Yoder at Sams NW Barbeque in Tualatin Oregon. Hope you can give me some insight

thanks
Michael

October 8th, 2016, 3:14 pm
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First thing, never change the temperature to get the cooker to do what you think it should do. The controller must reset each time you change the temperature. If you have the temperature set, let the controller manage the cooker. It will manage the temperature much better than you or I can.

If the controller was changing from maintenance to cool down or to heat up, then everything is fine. If it isn't managing the modes as it should, then we can to the temperature test to determine what the issue might be.

Yoder_Herb
October 8th, 2016, 4:48 pm
* Kingman ** Kingman *
  • Joined: September 3rd, 2014, 11:04 pm
  • Posts: 422

Don't worry what the gauge says. You have to monitor the pit temps to know if the temps are swinging. And a 50f swing is just fine..

October 10th, 2016, 5:01 pm
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 4th, 2015, 9:08 am
  • Posts: 3

my yoder is in a completely enclosed 10 x 14 shed and I had not opened the lid at all. I don't think a 65 degree swing should be normal in controlled conditions. any other ideas?

October 10th, 2016, 10:08 pm
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Please do the temperature test above, exactly as the instructions state, and forward the results, along with the serial number and build date to customerservice@yodersmokers.com.

Also, please provide the following pictures, before and after the test:

-Inside the cooker with the grates removed and heat diffuser plate in place
-Inside the cooker with the grates and heat diffuser plate removed
-The firebox with the burn grate in place
-The firebox with the burn grate removed.

Yoder_Herb
October 11th, 2016, 8:25 pm
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: September 4th, 2015, 9:08 am
  • Posts: 3

I will do that and email the pictures and results.

thanks herb

May 21st, 2017, 10:36 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
  • Posts: 10

Herb,

I've had my Modern 640 for a while now and have managed to get some really great results. After a good cleaning and set up for some steaks (grills grates), i started the smoker. With the temp set to 350, the smoker went all the way to 500 degrees and there was essentially a stack fire. I unplugged the grill and let the fire go out. I cleaned it out again and same thing happened. The control panel is U29, serial number 23342, date 03-10-16. What do you think is the issue?

May 21st, 2017, 10:48 am
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Explain "stack fire", as I am not sure what you mean.

Have you verified that the silicone seals around the top of the firebox are not compromised as the manual outlines?

Have you reformed the burn grate so it fits properly and tightly in the firebox as the manual states?

Yoder_Herb
May 21st, 2017, 10:59 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
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May 21st, 2017, 11:01 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
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I have the re-inforced grate. I checked the measurement and all is good. The seals are good, and everything seems to be in good working order. Just can't figure out why it would do this.

"stack fire" = fire that comes straight up in a stack form.

May 21st, 2017, 11:02 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
  • Posts: 10

Thank you for your quick reply on Sunday.

May 21st, 2017, 11:05 am
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The fire looks normal.

You need either the diffuser or the optional grill grates in place for proper fire and temperature management. If you did not have them in, this would explain the high reading, since the fire is not confined.

Yoder_Herb
May 21st, 2017, 11:08 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: April 19th, 2016, 7:52 pm
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Gotcha. Thank you.

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