Comp pit got flagged at Austin event, check your firebox seal

I was at a comp in Austin last Saturday and got dinged on a loose firebox hinge. One judge noted uneven color on half the brisket, likely from a draft. The seal had looked fine to me, but after 3 cooks it had worn thin near the latch. Now I check it with a dollar bill before every cook, takes two minutes. Anyone else had a pit fail you at an event and only caught it after the fact?

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ivan1601d ago

Remember reading a thread on one of the smoking forums where a guy swore by using a piece of paper to test his seal before every comp, said it saved him more than once. Your dollar bill trick sounds about right, takes no time and gives you peace of mind. I've also seen people talk about shooting a little smoke inside the pit with the vents closed and watching where it escapes, that'll show you draft spots you'd never notice otherwise. Good on you for catching it though, most folks don't find out until they see the judge's scorecard, which is a rough way to learn. I'm definitely gonna start doing the dollar bill check on mine before the next event, cheap insurance if you ask me.