That expensive smoker gasket I installed failed mid-brisket last weekend

I spent $35 on that fancy nomex gasket for my offset smoker about 6 months ago, and I figured it would be a permanent fix for the door seal. Well, I loaded up a 15 pound brisket last Saturday morning, got the fire dialed in at 250, and then around hour 3 I noticed smoke pouring out of spots where the gasket had peeled off in chunks. Turns out the adhesive they use just can't handle the heat near the firebox for that long. I ended up having to wrap the whole door opening with wet towels just to keep the temp steady, which worked okay but not great. The brisket came out edible but the bark was way softer than I wanted, probably from all that steam. Has anyone else had nomex gaskets fail on them, or am I just buying the wrong type?

3 comments

3 Comments

allen.kai9h ago

Man, nomex gaskets are like expensive tattoos, they look great until they peel right off.

sage3089h ago

Hate when that happens, you spend good money on them and they just let you down at the worst time. Always a bummer to tear something back open just to fix a gasket that should have held up. You finding a better alternative now?

davis.noah8h ago

Jumping off what sage308 said about alternatives... I switched to the black Permatex Ultra Copper gasket maker after my nomex failed the same way, just smeared a thick bead around the door lip and let it cure for 24 hours. It's held up through two whole seasons now and only costs like 8 bucks a tube. Took some trial and error to get the door closing just right without it sticking too much, but once it sets, that stuff doesn't budge even with direct firebox heat. Way less fuss than cutting and gluing those nomex strips, and you don't get that weird tear off where half the gasket is stuck and half is flapping loose.