Temperature Control-- HELP please

[kevanjc]

I am having a hard time controling the temperature on my Bandera. I can't seem to get it to stabilize.

Outside temp is 42 at 9:00 am, High is supposed to be 58, and there is no wind.

All suggestions welcome.

Kevan

[Saiko]

Temp too high? Too Low? Wood fire? Charcoal Fire?

[Solidkick]

What mods have you done? You got your smoke chamber vent wide open? If you don't then you should, and control the heat with the fire box damper. You gotta get the heat up off the floor of the fire box or you'll burn tons of fuel (learned that and fixed that here with the help of the Brethren).

Answer Saiko's and my questions and we got a good starting point of getting you to a better cooking experience.

If you go back to one of my earlier posts, you'll see I was there too!

http://www.bandera-brethren.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=780

[BBQchef33]

are you using the door thermometer?? it can be way off +-50 degrees. . drop oven thermos or probes into the chamber by the food to get a more accurate temp reading. Leave both dampers wide open and DONT open that cook Chamber door!!!! Then if temps climb, cut the firebox damper to 1/2-3/4. If its still to high after 15 minutes, you have to much fuel burning. Give us more detail on what you got. Temps and fuel.




I'm moving this thread into Qtalk.. You'll get more responses.

[willkat98]

Read some of the mods in the file section. I use the heat shield to control temps in the box. I wrap an extra grate 3/4 in foil, use it to bring the size of the chamber down to a more manageble dimension when not packing it with meat.

[tommykendall]

Depending on how you bring up your fire, it can take as short as 30 minues to bring the chamber up to temp, but expect 45-60 minuts on average. Now then - you asked about control. Yoou do not need a large fire to maintain temp. Remember - it's easier to add to a weak fire than it is to reduce temp in a hot fire. If you keep your fire size consistent. you'll generally experiance consistent pit temps. We can keep Phil's piece of crap (needing to be given away) BYC going a stready 225 on a fire so small you wouldn't believe for the size cooker it is.

[willkat98]

Oh yeah

And Welcome Kevan!!

[kevanjc]

Hi all and thanks for the tips. I ended up with some really good food yesterday but really had to watch the Bandera.
In response to some of the questions that were asked about my origional question:

I am cooking with Kingsford briquettes which I light in a chimney.

The temp is running low. When I open the cook chamber damper it climbs rapidly and then as soon as I partially close it, the temp starts dropping just as rapidly.

I am using a door thermoter I bought seperately.

I Finally got the temp to stabilize at 230 but it required constant attention.

I got a better fire by raising the fire grate about 4 inches and I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom center of the cook chamber to add a grease cup. No other modifications have been done.

I have gotten very good with my Hondo and I had both of them going yesterday. The Hondo was dead on 235 degrees and only used about 2 chimneys of charcoal for the whole 12 hours. I fed about a bag into the Bandera but I realize that it is because I don't know the smoker yet. The food turned out great but it required alot of attention.

Thanks for all of the help.

Kevan

[chad]

I may be jumping in where wise men fear to tread but:

I NEVER (almost!) adjust the chimney (chamber damper?) and use the firebox damper to control the fire. Now - I'm using a horizontal smoker but it seems we went through a lot of discussion last year about fire control and the general concensus was to leave the chimney damper alone because it will tend to smother the fire and result in nasty smoke.

Anyway, that's my $.02 worth. :D

[willkat98]

The temp is running low. When I open the cook chamber damper it climbs rapidly and then as soon as I partially close it, the temp starts dropping just as rapidly.

I got a better fire by raising the fire grate about 4 inches and I drilled a 3/8 inch hole in the bottom center of the cook chamber to add a grease cup. No other modifications have been done.

I fed about a bag into the Bandera but I realize that it is because I don't know the smoker yet.



Smoke chamber damper, leave it wide open all the time. Its the fire grate that is your problem.

#1 modification is to buy/cut a piece of expanded steel and raise the fire grate up into the chamber. Cut the piece to fit the entire box, increasing your fire/coal bed size dramatically (20"and16")

#2 modification is to fashion a baffle to more evenly distribute the heat into the cook chamber.

Another mod, though not high on the list, is the use of the heat shield I mentioned earlier. Condense the chamber, to get more efficient.

Download the Bandera 101 file from the file section and look ad the mod pictures and files in the files and photo section too.

After these, and just a tiny bit of practice, you end up using half the amount of fuel and really increase your enjoyment.

I'm no expert, but the above helped me from the get go.

Good to have you aboard brother.

[willkat98]

Oh yeah,

Get a couple oven thermometers and place in different locations inside the beast. It will let you know where the hotspots are and temps at different levels.

Pyrex probe thermometer down the chimney to the meat level. They're about $13 or so. Door thermometers are not always accurate, and only measure the one level.

[BigAl]

Also, take a look at the For Sale Forum on our site, my baskets are there for the purpose of fire control.

[Solidkick]

Just about the same info Chi Bill gave me back in Nov.

Stay focused! It WILL come together!

[jsn1511]

#1 modification is to buy/cut a piece of expanded steel and raise the fire grate up into the chamber. Cut the piece to fit the entire box, increasing your fire/coal bed size dramatically (20"and16")

I tried to do this about 2 weeks ago, i went to Home Depot and Low's niether of them had expanded steel. They told me i might have to go to some metal shop which they could not tell me where one was.

[chad]

Oh bull crap. Look for the small display area that has threaded rods, slotted angle (like used for the sides of metal shelves), etc. The expanded metal is right there along with thin gauge sheet metal and aluminum -- usually the aluminum and steel displays are side-by-side.

[jsn1511]

I think i looked in that area at Low's but not at Home Depot il'll have to have a look and get back to you.

[chad]

When I got my new smoker (a couple days before Christmas) I went to Lowe's that night and bought the sheet metal and expanded steel for baffle and charcoal basket. It's there!

[racer_81]

Oh bull crap. Look for the small display area that has threaded rods, slotted angle (like used for the sides of metal shelves), etc. The expanded metal is right there along with thin gauge sheet metal and aluminum -- usually the aluminum and steel displays are side-by-side.

Found some about a year ago at a Home Depot in that very section of the store. It's thin and usually contained by a cardboard "outer ring".

[chad]

It'll usually be in an "upright" bin with cardboard covering it (like a sleeve). They've got several gauges of sheet metal, flat stock (aluminum and steel), sheet aluminum (these are usually not over 12x24 or so -- bigger pieces you'd need to go to a fabricator.

I've bought from both Lowe's and HD so I know it's there. Like I said look around the area where the angle iron/steel/aluminum is and maybe the threaded rods.

[BigAl]

I have to buy it in a 4x8 ft sheet for the baskets that I sell. I get it a steel warehouse. I use 9 gauge "standard" it is 1/4 inch thick at the joints(9 gauge flattened is 1/8 inch at the joints). All expandad metal is made in two styles, standard and flattened. Regardless of the gauge, the flattened will burn out of the bottom much quicker. That is why I use 1/2 rebar rods in my basket bottoms. :D Did not want fark with rebuilding the basket after a few uses.

[Hankster]

I have the Silver Smoker (I think--it's the smallest of the offset barrell smokers from New braunfels). I'm having the same temperature control issues that others have mentioned. It seems that the mods for the Hondo are for the larger model. Anyone know what the dimensions/amounts/adjustments should be for the smaller model???

[willkat98]

I have the Silver Smoker (I think--it's the smallest of the offset barrell smokers from New braunfels). I'm having the same temperature control issues that others have mentioned. It seems that the mods for the Hondo are for the larger model. Anyone know what the dimensions/amounts/adjustments should be for the smaller model???

Hey Chad, what's your horizontal? I recall you making some mods to yours that might help out the Hankster

[smokeypig]

hankster - is that silver smoker comparable to the black diamond? i did a couple of things to my bd that seem to have evened out the heat issues with the horizontals.

extend the smokestack down farther into the smoke chamberraise the grate on the firebox (if you haven't mod'ed (is that correct brethrenese?) it yet. i'm trying to figure out how. if i do, i'll let you know.finally, i moved the thermometer down from the top. false readings always way too high. moved it down to about 1.5 inches above the edge of the door. gives me a better reading at the level of the cooking food!

i haven't done the baffle mod yet. can't seem to find the time or someone to work the metal for me. when I do, i'll let you know the results...


Stu

[kcquer]

raise the grate on the firebox (if you haven't mod'ed (is that correct brethrenese?) it yet. i'm trying to figure out how. if i do, i'll let you know.


I just picked up a cimmaron a couple weeks ago. I raised my fire box grate with 3 pcs of rebar cut a couple inches longer than the width of the supplied grate. I just set them in there, one each fore, aft and center. Better air to the fire, a bit studier and more ash room. Cheap and simple.

Welcome Brother Hank, hope this helps. Hop on over to Cattle Call and introduce yourself so you can get a proper welcome.

[brdbbq]

So Hank what do you Yank ? Someone had to ask and it's usually left to me.

[tommykendall]

OMFG - nice welcome gift BRD. LMFAO.

[Hankster]

Actually Mine is the Gourmet American Deluxe Smoker from NB--got the name wrong.

The mods I'm going to do include moving the Thermometer to about grate level (bought a plug and a 3/4" drill bit), bought some aluminum flashing to move the smokestack exit down to grate level, and I've bought some 22 gauge steel in order to make a heat-shield which would go down at about a 45 degree angle and extend a little under the grates in the cooking chamber.

The firebox comes with grates that, depending upon how they're turned, can be higher or lower. I usually use them at their highest orientation which gives about 3 or 4 inches of clearance above the lowest point in the firebox barrell.

Very funny, admin. Very funny...

[smokeypig]

ya, know. it never ocurred to me to turn the grate 90 degrees. dohhh!!!!! :shock: