Food cooks unevenly; top racks are much hotter or cooler than bottom racks.

Safety: Use gloves when rearranging racks during a cook.

Steps:

• Verify the heat diffuser or baffle (if equipped) is installed in the correct position above the element.
• Avoid overloading racks; leave space between items for air and smoke circulation.
• Rotate racks halfway through long cooks to even out temperature differences.
• Level the smoker so heat and smoke rise evenly.

Note: Some temperature variation between racks is normal; adjust cooking technique accordingly.