Just curious, did you use 5w20 or 10w30 and regular or synthetic oil on the dowels?? LOL Cut 1/4" rebar for my Masterbilt XL. These will outlast my smoker and me. Insulated wit some foil insulation from Ace, 3/4" spaced out from sides (3/4x1 1/2" ) , run only one burner for low heat, found a roasting pan for water which forces heat to go around pan for better distribution. Hang 3# summer sausages (6 per rod) with no problems. Recently did 200#.

If you are running a Masterbilt XL with two burners, you can just use one burner or instead of turning dial counterclockwise, you can turn it slowly clockwise for a lower flame than the “LOW” setting.