splbound

Used the felt seal not the rope. The felt seal has a bit more give to it. Can't find where I got it from again but its like this stuff https://www.amazon.co.uk/TIANTIAN-2Rolls-Smoker-Gasket-Grill/dp/B089GRFST9 Pretty tight fit when I originally clamped the stackers down. The thing should self seal itself after more use so the sealing tape probably only helps in the first few smokes.

😀 Yes was bbq blind thinking 2 6kg briskets loaded up in it when buying. I needed an upgrade to my little weber grill as well so two birds with one stone. The rotisserie add on also interests me. Am already eyeing up a small to medium kamado/egg for next year or even a masterbuilt 560? Thinking kamado/egg as it has less moving parts to go wrong and will work with the smartfire. Masterbuilt 560? maybe should wait for it's next iteration for any existing issues to be designed out. Or even some diy thing so I can cook over wood... well if the wife lets me.

Thanks Sotv. With your advice I think I will finish sealing around the doors and leave it at that. I did read through your informative post of your experience with the proq and sealing it. This promted me to seal mine. On the other hand maybe I should have gone with the Frontier if I wanted it to be more efficient. Am now thinking of an egg for the smaller cooks.

Sealing tape arrived and finally got around to sealing up the stackers. Put the tape on the flat part underside the lid and stackers. Also did the smartfire cake tin adapter. Ran out before I could do the doors. Went though two rolls, and ordered a third one to finish off the doors (ProQ Excel 20 v4) Feels very sealed now when all clamped together. Only the next cook will tell its effectiveness.

This is what meant by leaks at the hinges. (Image attached). How would you go about sealing them up?

Morning and thanks for the reply Icefever. I have some of that tape on order already. Planning to do the edges of the stackers, lid and door edges. My stackers and lid are pretty tight at the moment and get very minimal leakage there. Its really the doors that are coniderably more leaky. Not sure how this can be applied to the door hinges? Did you just tape over that space between hinge and door panel? Got through the cook yesterday ok. Definitely had to use more fuel to keep it at 275f in that setup. Thinking of going empty water pan next, maybe the sand is affecting it. I just want to make the setup more briquette efficient with longer cooks at 275f and up.

Sorted out an issue with my grill probe placement which got the smoker up to mid 280's all vents open. I'm guessing I just need to use more lit charcoal to get it higher if I wanted to go to 300f in two stack, or just drop it down to one stack.

Hello fellow ProQ smokers! Looking for some knowledge regarding these ProQ's Been through two cooks so far and now onto my third with the ProQ Excel 20 V4 Noticed that there are quite large gaps in the door hinges of the smoker. When the smoke id on there is definitely leakage coming through them. You can see the black marks where the leaks are coming through on the hinges. Very tiny leaks between stacks, small enough not to worry about. Definitely more leakage at the doors. Is this normal due to the design of the hinges? Is it worth trying to seal it with Aluminium tape? Having trouble reaching 260f+ temperatures in two stack mode. All my vents are open using a Smartfire. Water pan filled with sand 1/3. Started with 1/2 chimney lit into a full basket of coal. Minion method. Had no issue keeping it stable and getting to temperature low and slow @ 225f. Is this just too much for the ProQ in two stack mode? Start with a full chinmey of lit? Run an empty water pan? Drop it to one stack? Cheers!