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Maintaining temp!!

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So the first time I was playing around with temps on the new to me Lang 48 didn’t go well. Temps were all over the place and she was billowing white smoke the whole time. It was suggested that I was using too large of sticks. Today I come home and split some hickory sticks I bought from Walmart this morning to give it a go again. I started a small chimney of kingsford and put in three sticks about coke can diameter and 12” long. After 45 minutes to an hour the temp was at about 285. It started dropping to about 270 and I added another split. It stayed there for about 15 minutes and started dropping again to about 250. I added another stick and it was just maintaining 250. Shortly after I added another stick trying to get the temp up to 275. It started blowing white smoke again and the temp came up a little. I finally just shut her down and come in for the night. What am I doing wrong? Did I not have a large enough coal bed? If you get below the temp you are shooting for, how do you get the temp back up without making it blow white smoke for a while? Each time I add a split I would leave the door open for about 3-5 minutes depending on split size. Any input on what I am doing wrong is appreciated. This is my first stick burner so I know there will be a learning curve.


Excuse the sideways pic!! I am not sure why mine are doing that nor do I know how to fix it. :(
 
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Hard to say. I have a Meadow Creek TS250 so similar in design. It sounds like an airflow issue. On my stick burner it took me several times to learn how she liked to run. I now run her with the firebox door open a bit instead of using the damper vents. I put a log on about every 45 minutes to an hour. She runs like a dream that way. I cooked on a Land once and had a hard time getting things to temp after a long cook. It turned out to be ash build up preventing air flow. Any time you have have heavy smoke issues look at air flow.
 
Make sure you have good airflow coming into the firebox. Also, looking at the grate, you may want to add some expanded metal to keep more of the coals from falling through and help maintain a good coal bed.
 
Jousting Pigs said:
Make sure you have good airflow coming into the firebox. Also, looking at the grate, you may want to add some expanded metal to keep more of the coals from falling through and help maintain a good coal bed.
Click to expand...

The smoke looked good until the end. Especially if I left the door open for a few minutes after adding a stick. You are suggesting to add a second piece of expanded metal? It has one already.
 
I don't see a deep enough coal bed. Buy a piece of expanded metal from Home Depot and cut it to fit the fire grate. Set it in with the patterns in the EM opposing each other. It'll hold a coal bed longer.

How long are you letting it warm up before recording temps? I've got a Lang 36 stretch and it takes an hour or more to get all that steel hot. I might read 300 at the factory thermometer but the far end is still only warm to the touch.

To me it looks like you are measuring temps too soon and without a decent coal bed. Your temp swings may be following your pattern of a burning fire and not a truly hot cooker.
 
I started my Lang with about six cris crossed sticks, and the cook chamber door open. Let those sticks burn down most of the way with everything open. Once they burn down a bit, smack them with a poker to start your coal bed. Close everything up, and set your dampers about half to 3/4 open. It will come up to temp fairly fast. Should have to add a split or two every 35 to 45 minutes.

Short answer is I don't think you started with enough coals, so you were chasing the whole time.
 
Av8er said:
The smoke looked good until the end. Especially if I left the door open for a few minutes after adding a stick. You are suggesting to add a second piece of expanded metal? It has one already.
Click to expand...

I think you just sort of answered your own question. I have an offset smoker and I typically have to keep the door cracked open a bit and damper wide open. I only see smoke on ignition. Otherwise, it's clear w/ an occasional thin blue while I add more wood.

All that I can say is, don't get frustrated. It took me a couple of summers to figure things out where I felt the product was presentable!
 
Get a bbq guru and set and forget it.

Cracks me up ppl will spend over a grand or 5 on a smoker, and not want to spend a few hunnit on a guru.
 
For a lang 48 I would use about 2 full chimneys to start and maybe 1 to 2 sticks to preheat. It may overshoot at first but should have a good coal bed. You started with 1 small chimney.
 
WareZdaBeef said:
Get a bbq guru and set and forget it.

Cracks me up ppl will spend over a grand or 5 on a smoker, and not want to spend a few hunnit on a guru.
Click to expand...

There’s no reason to just go out and buy a guru. I have had one on an egg and yes it was nice but I would rather learn to use the stick burner as it was meant to be used. It’s just a learning curve that I am asking for assistance on understanding.
 
BKING! said:
For a lang 48 I would use about 2 full chimneys to start and maybe 1 to 2 sticks to preheat. It may overshoot at first but should have a good coal bed. You started with 1 small chimney.
Click to expand...


Yep!!! One small chimney. I will up it the next go around to see if that helps.
 
Av8er said:
There’s no reason to just go out and buy a guru. I have had one on an egg and yes it was nice but I would rather learn to use the stick burner as it was meant to be used. It’s just a learning curve that I am asking for assistance on understanding.
Click to expand...

I agree on no guru. You will be adding wood every 45 minutes to an hour allowing frequent adjustments to airflow if need be.
 
Your loosing a lot of coals through that grate. Like others suggested a piece of expanded metal on top 9f your existing grate will help. On my Shirley I start with a buck of small chunks of wood and 3 to 4 splits and let that get the cooker hot and build my coal bed. Normally that gets my initial temps to around 350 then it will drop into my cooking temp. Then I only need to add a split ever 40 minutes to an hour to stay in my temp zone.
 
Av8er said:
There’s no reason to just go out and buy a guru. I have had one on an egg and yes it was nice but I would rather learn to use the stick burner as it was meant to be used. It’s just a learning curve that I am asking for assistance on understanding.
Click to expand...

No offense, but you are the one posting you can't control temps. I mentioned a sure fire way to solve your problem. I will continue to enjoy my sleep and perfectly cooked briskets.
 
WareZdaBeef said:
No offense, but you are the one posting you can't control temps. I mentioned a sure fire way to solve your problem. I will continue to enjoy my sleep and perfectly cooked briskets.
Click to expand...

You’re sleeping through the night with the guru on stick burner and logs or are you talking about something with charcoal?
 
I'm with the extra expanded metal to keep coals from falling thru. Another thing... Are those kiln dried splits? Sometimes those don't keep a good coal bed as they burn too quickly. If so, throw a hand full of lump in every now and then to keep the coal bed going. I'm guessing you started getting white smoke when you started losing the coal bed.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
^^^^^

What he said.

You cant keep a coal bed because it's falling through the holes. Put down some expanded metal as mentioned and it will solve 90% of your problem. You are also using kiln dried wood. Double whammy.



BBQ Guru on an offset? Uhhhhh....NO.
 
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