Smoking Rim, Contact and Surface Defects

Smoking rims are peripheral colour or texture zones, while contact defects follow racks, hooks, neighbouring products or hot surfaces. Spotting and streaks can follow condensate or airflow.

Direct metal contact, flame, radiant heat and overloaded racks create sharply bounded marks unlike uniform smoke colour.

Wet surfaces collect smoke differently from dry surfaces. Strong local airflow, early drying and condensation can produce dark edges, pale patches or drip marks.

Product spacing, diameter, orientation and blocked returns affect smoke and heat exposure. Repeatable rack-position patterns point toward chamber distribution.

Map the defect to contact points and chamber location, review photographs, loading diagrams, humidity and product-temperature records, and compare internal cross-sections.

Improve spacing, contact surfaces, drainage, airflow and process sequencing. Darkening the whole batch or extending smoking should not be used to hide a local process defect.