Fire Bricks/COS

D

DanB

is One Chatty Farker
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
2,136
Reaction score
571
Points
0
Location
Paramus...
Hi All I picked up 6 fire bricks for my COS, now where is the best place to put them. I'm just trying to even out the temps side to side and hold some heat in.
1.In the firebox?
2.In the cooking pit?

Thanks Dan
 
Plates

Hi Do have 3 tuning plates, but there are very thin metal. The 1st plate is also the baffle.
I did ask around about getting 1/4" plates cut to size, but the cost was way too high.
I think $50.00 was the cheapest I got.
Thanks Dan
 
Last edited:
Lay them in the bottom under the plates to increase the thermal mass.
 
As far as your question goes, like Blu said, put them under the plates. Have you tried pulling one of those tuning plates out and actually "tuning" them to see what happens? The air gaps between the plates needs to get wider the farther you get from the firebox. You have them evenly spaced across there.
 
plates

I've moved around the plates some, with little change, in temps getting evener
From the end of pit/right side there is about a 12" opening, but the temps there are low.
Would heavier plates solve the temp problem?
Thanks Dan
 
Bludawg said:
Lay them in the bottom under the plates to increase the thermal mass.
Click to expand...

Thermal mass won't help if the temps are uneven. The brick closest to the firebox will get hotter than the brick furthest from it. Uneven temps is an airflow problem, not a thermal mass problem. Thicker plates won't matter either.

Tuning the tuning plates is the way to go. You need to get more of the hot air to make it to the far side before rising up to go out the chimney.

It might also help to drop the chimney intake to the cooking grate if possible. Depending on how tall the chimney is, you might need a taller chimney too to promote better draft.
 
plates

Hi My smoke stack does come down to grate level.
I have tried to close the gaps with the plates and left the side away form firebox open, still got way too much different temps.
Next time I'm going to wrapped the charcoal grate that I don't use, with foil and put some smaller holes next to firebox side and bigger holes as I get away from the firebox.
Thanks Dan
 
You're thinking about things all wrong. You're running tuning plates: get rid of the exhaust extension and your tuning plates will work! You're keeping the all the heat backed up so no matter how far you move them apart. So it renders the plate useless HEAT RISES you need it to vent out the top the plates are keeping it low in the pit so all the heat just builds up.
Check out these mods I believe it will help you greatly. If you notice the stack was lowered a little but not all the way IMO not enough to change the balance.
http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1943
 
Blu is pretty good at these COS cookers, I would try his way. It seems easy enough to accomplish, and free.
 
Fire Bricks

Hi All Here is how I placed the fire bricks in my COS..Didn't help much to even out the temps.
Next time going to plan "B", cover the charcoal grate with aluminum foil and put some small holes close to fire box and bigger ones, away from the firebox.
Thanks Dan
 
Last edited:
Hi All Here is plan "B". What do you think?
Should I leave the tuning plates in or take them out. I'm leaning towards taking them out.
Hope the holes are big enough?
Will post back with the results after the hoilday smoke.
Thanks Dan
 
Last edited:
What in the Sam Rayburn does "COS" stand for? Something off-set?
 
HI All Plan "B" worked out pretty good, temps even out to only 10-15 degress, from side to side.Next time bigger holes away from the firebox, should even out the temps more.
Did manage to cook some nice ribs. One rack was cooked UNfoiled the other foiled, using 3-2-1 method. Really couldn't taste the difference between the two.
DanB
PS took out the tuning plates.
 
Last edited:
So what did you learn>>> tuning plates work if properly adjusted????
 
Bludawg said:
So what did you learn>>> tuning plates work if properly adjusted????
Click to expand...

Hi I took out the tuning plates, maybe next time I'll try with the plates in, and see what the outcome is.
DanB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TheHojo
Offset Fire Management
2
Replies
33
Views
2K
Connor_Macleod
C
S
K.I.S.S Brisket
Replies
5
Views
514
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
Smoking Piney
Big Green Egg Refurb
Replies
12
Views
666
Big George's BBQ
Big George's BBQ
T
My Workhorse Pits 1969
3 4 5
Replies
82
Views
6K
bonz50
bonz50
T
New Backwoods Cabinet - How do I get more smoke flavor?
Replies
13
Views
790
snadamo
snadamo
Back
Top