Viking F20556 - Manual (Page 5)

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Features Firing & Feeding
1. Remove the rain cap from the smoke stack of the smoker.
Never operate your smoker with the rain cap on.
2. Make sure the main/front door of the smoker is closed and
latched. At this time, the chute door on top of the unit and
the firebox door on the bottom right hand side of the unit
should remain open.
3. Start your initial fire by igniting an accessory chimney
starter full of charcoal. These can be purchased locally
where grilling supplies are sold. After the coals are burning
and begin to ash over, open the charcoal chute door on
top of your cooker and pour the lit charcoal down. Fill the
chute with the remainder of the bag of unlit charcoal, then
close and latch the chute door. The smoker burns at
approximately one hour per pound of charcoal.
4. Close and latch the firebox door making sure that the
damper (ball valve) is fully open. Be patient as it will take
approximately one hour to reach 225 degrees (unless using
an accessory fan). As heat builds to within 50 degrees of
the desired temperature, close the damper half way. You
will need to watch the thermometer and as the
temperature continues to build you will need to keep
closing the damper until the desired temperature is
achieved and holding steady. Remember, the more oxygen
you allow, the hotter the smoker cooks and vice versa.
Please Note: If you purchased an accessory fan (available
through your local dealer), or other fan accessory product,
follow the instructions provided with that product on
setting it up. A fan assisted product will aid in getting the
smoker up to temperature faster and also provides faster
recovery times to temperature drop caused by the door
having to be opened.
5. When loading your food, make sure there is space between
pieces to allow for air flow. With the door open, the temp-
erature will drop. The longer the main door stays open, the
more heat is lost. After closing and latching the door, be
patient and allow the smoker some time to climb back to
your desired cooking temperature. You may need to fully
open the valve again and repeat the process described
above.
1. Adjustable Leveling Legs
2. Removable grease drip pan
3. Damper/Air Flow Regulator
4. Ash Pan/Fire Box Door
5. Charcoal Chute