New Braunfels Offset - Saved by the Brethren

About 18 months ago I found a New Braunfels Black Diamond offset on CL. I had a UDS that I built and used with great results, but wanted to try an offset. So I bought the NBBD for $40.00 and brought it home.

I refurbished it and put it to use, but was failing miserably. Temps swings, temps that I thought were too high, etc... I tried doing mods to make it work like a UDS including using charcoal and a pit controller, but to me that was defeating the purpose of the offset and fuel consumption was a lot higher than with my UDS. So I put the offset aside.

Then I found this site and started reading. I was doing several things wrong that contributed to my frustration. I don't claim to now be an expert, but I have learned much about the need for dry wood, pre-heating splits, fire management, and letting the cooker run at higher temps if that is where the sweet spot is. In fact, I am now a fan of hot and fast.

I almost gave the NBBD away at one point, but thanks to the Brethren and all the valuable information here, it is now an active cooker.

There is a time and place for all my cookers depending on what I am cooking and how much time I can put into tending a cook, but I do love the old school aspect and the results of cooking with wood on an offset.

So thanks to all that contributed to saving my NBBD!

Before and after pics of the refurb job.

Thanks all! That after pic is from right after the refurb. It doesn't look like that after having been used, but that's what not a bad thing...