Smokers, Grills, Pitts & More > Pro Q's

My new Pro Q

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joe2chillo:
I recently purchased a Pro Q Excel 20 with an extra stacker. I got a good price on it on craigslist only used twice and the stacker was brand new. It was an excellent shape, no regrets. I have really enjoyed using it so far but I have run into a few things that I wanted to see if other ProQ users have seen. First I noticed it leaking smoke, which means heat is getting out and air is getting in. This is happening at the doors and in some parts around the where the stacks meet. Some aluminum foil tape solves this issue. I have thought about getting that stuff you use to seal head gaskets on a car engine to create a better seal around these parts. Next is the latches sometimes seem like they are not tightly pulling the unit together. Some adjusting and moving the stacks can solve this issue also. Aside from that I love this thing. Compared to my friends WSM I have found some big advantages such as being able to make it as big or small as I want. I also love the size, 22 seems a bit big and 18 too small. This is a nice sweet spot. Also I love the larger water pan and the coal basket. If anyone is considering the ProQ (aka Apollo) it is well worth it.

AzJohnnyC:
Looks like you answered the questions all on your own. They leak some, but not terribly.  I have ribs on mine right now. Love my Pro Q for the small jobs!

Quiggs:
Use ours as a small round cooker with the top and bottom pieces only now (very handy for camping!)...leaks and door issues were to much trouble... so use our WSM exclusivly now for long cooks...

Crash:
We swear by our Pro Q's.  They cook really well one you learn how to dial them in.  All of the above things you have mentioned are true, we have just learned to adapt to the very few flaws that they have.

Our doors still leak minimally, but the stackers have tightened up the longer we have cooked on them.  No issues there any longer.

We havent cooked on our squeaky clean WSM in over a year, there's really no need.

Mike P in Tucson:
I really like my Excel 20, too.  The leakage is really minimal, and will decrease as your unit gets more seasoned.  And, to be honest, all smokers will leak smoke to some extent, including WSMs.

To make sure air leakage isn't a problem just shut down all of the vents after a cook.  If the coals go out (to use again) that is a sign that air leakage is a non-issue.

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