Yoder Smoker Troubleshooting [Detailed Explanation]

Winter is here, and so is the time for BBQ. Having a bbq installation in your household makes you a popular person in your neighborhood. Yoder smokers are one of the popular smokers to buy. But while buying a smoker, you should also remember about the problems you might face.

So, what you may know in terms of Yoder smoker troubleshooting?

There are a lot of problems you may face with a smoker. It’s the natural process of BBQ art. But to know the causes and solutions of the problems you may find can be crucial for your pilgrimage to BBQ nirvana. We’ve discussed the prominent problems and solutions a smoker has in detail.

Love the review? Then let’s jump right ahead into the details.

Problems Faced with Yoder Smoker

Even though the Yoder smoker is one of the best smokers/grillers to have in your backyard, there are problems you may face with using. As the saying goes, nothing’s totally perfect. In the case of the Yoder smoker, you will have some issues from time to time. 

It’s just like the variation of cook you’ll experience in all your BBQ feasts. It’s a thing that brings attitude to your smoker as well as to your beautiful smoked BBQs. 

Let’s go through the issues you might face with this smoker.

Rusting Issue

This is a common issue in terms of a smoker build. Built with high carbon steel to attain and control the perfect temperature, they are also prone to rust. If not treated well and painted with high-temperature yielding rust-resistant paint, your smoker might get rust.

Rust develops due to the bare metal getting exposed to the elements. This scenario can happen for certain reasons

• Smoker placed uncovered outside
• Protective paint scraped off
• Water damage
• Grease, gunk buildup
• Acidic corrosion

These main reasons can affect your smoker’s metal structure. It can build rust within time. Rust can damage the sturdiness of your smoker. It can affect the quality of your cook. As well, it will affect your temperature control.

Solution

The best solution would be to keep your smoker covered and in a dry, arid place. This will prevent any moisture buildup on the metal body of your smoker. Usually, the joints and hinges of your smoker doors start to rust first. They aren’t treated properly to be protected from the elements.

Investing in a good, waterproof cover is very effective in the long run. You can make it yourself or buy one according to your smoker’s size from any canvas shop or online retail store.

You should also repaint your smoker with high temp anti-corrosive paint. This will protect your smoker and prolong its service life longer than ever. Here are some of our recommendations.

Paint Issue

Painting issues are something that certain models and units of Yoder smokers have faced from time to time. This happens when the painting process of the manufacturing isn’t done properly. Normally this happens with older models because the hand paint procedure was done. This makes the coatings uneven, and not as effective. 

An uneven paint can damage the bare metal body as it cannot insulate or protect the metallic body from heat and fire exposure. This leads to the smoker’s body getting bent and damaged.

Solution

If you have an uneven paint job done to your smoker, the best option would be to redo the paint job entirely. Doing a paint job on a smoker is really easy. You’ll just need to follow some instructions.

So, how to do a paint job on smoker?

Firstly, start by cleaning your grill well as any grease on your grill will repel paint. You can use oven cleaner to degrease the grill. Then, using a wire brush or steel wool, scrub down the surface. 

Once you have it cleaned you will want to go over it with sandpaper to get after any rusted areas. Now you are ready to paint. 

Plan on several thin coats. It will be more even, look better, and last longer. Let the paint dry completely between coats.

You should emphasize what kind of primer you’ll use for your paint job. The primer itself is the last barrier to rust. It’s the final protective layer that shields the bare metal from it. So it’s best if you use good quality anti-rust primer. Here are some of our recommended rust prevention primers you can use-

Grease Leakage

This problem isn’t uncommon. The grease from food will accumulate under the hood, on the bottom of the barrel, grease trap, and the galvanized steel bucket. Over time the grease buildup can lead to airflow problems and grease problems and grease fires. It can happen for various reasons. But the most common causes are,

• Improper maintenance and cleaning
• Using heavy-duty foil in the grill
• Grilling on an uneven driveway or surface
• The flame broiler is not attached properly
• Forgetting to use the drip bucket
• The steel bucket is too full

These common issues are faced by almost everyone at some point in their BBQ experience. No need to be concerned about it. Practice and well care will solve this issue in no time

Solution

To prevent grease leakage, the grill should be thoroughly cleaned every 5-6 cooking sessions. If you do wrap the flame broiler with foil, ensure you’re wrapping it properly and not leaving any air holes or bulges that can prevent it from working properly. 

You can also use a degreaser from time to time to clean the grease from your smoker. It makes your cleanup job far easier and takes less time. We’d like to recommend some of the best on the market right now.

Inspect the surface of the patio, driveway, or slab to ensure it’s flat and even. So that you don’t work on uneven grounds

Also, make sure the shield deflector slots are lined up perfectly with the holders located at the hopper end of the grill. The bucket should be attached properly, otherwise, it won’t catch the grease the way it is intended to. 

Moreover, scrape the grease from the grease bucket. Then use a paper towel to remove any residual grease after every 2-5 cook sessions or when the grease starts building up.

Temperature Fluctuation

Rain, wind, hot weather, sunlight, cold weather, humidity are the weather conditions that lead to dramatic temperature fluctuation. 

The temperature of the pellet may swing due to a lot of other reasons such as, 

• Heavy food load 
• The opening of the smoker door frequently 
• Stacking food too close at the sides of the grill grates

Also, cooking on a large pan can affect the airflow of the smoker or totally block the airflow.

Solution

When cooking, avoid using large pans that can block the airflow of the smoker. If a pan needs to be used, ensure there is at least an inch of clearance between the smoker and the edge of the pan. 

Try also to maintain an inch clearance from the edge of the grill when placing food on your grill

Repeated opening and closing of the lid too often can cause temperature issues. Remember, “If you’re looking, you ain’t cookin’!”

Pellet Wastage

BBQ wood pellets can go bad. Due to wood pellets readily absorbing moisture. Which is not an ideal quality. In a humid environment it will eventually break the pellets apart.

Also, bad quality wood pellets increase cost and decrease the quality of the cook. Bad pellet quality makes for less and dirty smoke. As well as, it needs more pellets to burn. Making it more expensive to use.

Solution

To prevent pellet wastage, you should procure the best wood pellets for your smoker. Pellets have various types of quality. The way to know pellets are of good quality is to smell them. If they have the fragrance and smokes clean, then those are good for BBQ.

We’d like to recommend some good quality pellets. These brands make the best BBQ specialty.

These wood pellets will give you the desired smokiness and the best flavor to your BBQ. You won’t regret buying these products.

Pro Tip: You can adjust and control the burning level of your wood pellets through controlled fire. This you can achieve if you light a small amount of wood pellets. Using a kitchen torch is the best way to light a controlled fire. 

As it creates a smaller fire than a regular blow torch, it helps you to get the optimum burning time and creates less ash while having more smoke in your smoker. For this, you should invest in a good quality kitchen torch. It’s worth the money.

Silicone Sealer Melting off

The joints and welds of the smoker are usually sealed with a silicone sealant. It’s made to be fireproof and water-resistant. But in the case of a manufacturer using bad quality sealant, or has missed parts of the smoker where there isn’t any seal, it’s a danger. 

It can weaken the structure and leak smoke from the chambers. That leads to many cooking disadvantages.

Solution

You should invest in good-quality silicone sealant for your smoker. Regardless of it being pre-applied. It’s better to redo it so that you can enjoy your weekend BBQ feasts for years to come. 

The best silicone sealant for smoker machines is the one that has a very high-temperature sealing. As well as having great waterproof capabilities. That’ll ensure you have the best experience possible.

You can use a silicone sealant like LavaLock® RTV 650. This product has better quality than the market competition. You can check amazon for the price.

Power Doesn’t Come on

This problem occurs with the latest models. Such as Yoder YS640 smoker is a digital smoker. Power might not come due to wiring issues or the wires might get burnt if an uncontrolled smoke starts.

Moreover, if the digital sensor systems malfunction, the power won’t turn on either.

Solution

To fix this issue, you’ll simply need to re-solder the wires that got burnt. Also, it’d be a better option if you change the wiring system with good quality insulated wires.

If the problem is with the sensors, then reprogram the sensors via factory reset. If they are out of action, replace the damaged sensors. 

Fan Doesn’t Turn on

This is one of those problems that occur after quite a bit of use, possibly even quite a few years of use. But it does start occurring due to skipping certain maintenance.

When grease builds upon a fan sometimes this restricts the movement so quite simply just a clean is needed.

Solution

In the case of this problem, the solution would be to clear off the grease buildup that clogs the fan motors. It’s the most basic and simple one. But sometimes even the basic work is the hardest.

If the gunk buildup is too much to clean, you’ll need to use a degreaser to clear out all the grease. That will make it work just as new.

But if the fan motor gets burnt out, or the blades shatter, then you’ll need to replace the motor and blade. Check your smoker’s manual to know which type of motor and fan you’ll need. 

Blank Display

The display sometimes gets blank on the latest models of smokers like the YS1500S, YS480S, and CIMARRON. This can happen due to the GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) or circuit breaker getting short. It hampers the electricity flowing to the pellet grill for starters.

If your smoker produces uncontrollable fire, which sometimes can happen due to various reasons, That can damage your display circuitry. 

Solution

You’ll need to replace the damaged circuit breakers and if needed, the GFCI as well. That will increase the lifespan of your display.

But if your display is in a condition beyond repair, then better to replace the display. You can order a replacement via Yoder’s official website.

Ash Buildup

This one can firstly be just a basic maintenance issue, even though the pellet grill doesn’t produce much ash. If not cleaned properly, you can choke the fire and it just won’t start.

Solution

Preventing ash buildup is simple, you’ll need to keep your smoker spot clean after every cooking session. Just like we’ve mentioned beforehand. That’s how you can prevent ash buildup.

Also, using a better quality woodchip makes a lot of difference in ash buildup. Investing in good wood pellets will decrease the need for your elbow grease to maintain your smoker.

You can also substitute your smoker for a while by building a wood-burning grill. This will be a great backup option when your smoker is going through these issues on the grill day. 

That’s all we’ve got to say about these issues.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you run a pellet smoker without pellets?

You cannot use a pellet smoker without pellets as the technology of the smoker requires the use of pellets as the fuel source for the fire. Without pellets, your smoker will not produce heat or smoke for cooking your food. While the risk of an electrical fire is possible, it is relatively low.

Which pellets produce the most smoke?

The best pellets for smoking are hardwood pellets which provide a much longer overall burn time than the more common fruit wood pellets. Hickory wood pellets are most widely used to bbq because of their smoke production amount and longer burning time.

Which is healthier grilling or smoking?

Grilling meats is an American tradition, but it’s not the healthiest thing to do. A growing body of research suggests that cooking meats over a flame are linked to cancer.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve explained all about Yoder smoker troubleshooting. If you face these kinds of problems, then it’s better to resolve them immediately before your smoker becomes inoperable.

A pro tip would be to consult with your BBQ freak friends to know about the best track to follow.

Let us know in the comments how it went.

Keep on smoking!

Kristy Warren

Hello, I’m Kristy and the person behind KitchenPicker.com. I regularly post daily life kitchen-oriented things like kitchen hacks, kitchen tools, utensils, and related articles. The purpose of this blog is to make an archive and share my ideas and knowledge with my followers.