Old Smokey electric smoker produces little or no smoke even though the chamber is hot.

Safety first: Use heat-resistant gloves when adjusting the chip pan during operation. Keep the smoker unplugged when making structural adjustments.

Steps to improve smoke production:

• 1. Check chip pan placement: Ensure the Old Smokey chip pan is seated directly above the heating element as designed. If it is bent or warped, reshape or replace it so it sits flat and close to the element.
• 2. Use appropriate wood: Use dry wood chips or small chunks recommended by Old Smokey. Avoid soaking chips excessively; damp wood can steam instead of smoke.
• 3. Preheat the smoker: Allow the smoker to preheat with the chip pan in place for 15–20 minutes before adding food. This ensures the pan is hot enough to ignite chips.
• 4. Avoid overfilling the pan: Fill the chip pan no more than about half full. Overpacked chips restrict airflow and can smolder weakly.
• 5. Check for excessive venting: If you have modified the smoker with extra vents, partially close them to retain heat around the chip pan.

Note: Old Smokey smokers are designed to use relatively small amounts of wood. Continuous heavy smoke is not necessary for good flavor.