Lighting a fire in Medium Sized Stickburner with Pics!

[letdasmokeroll]

Originally Posted by DownHomeQue

Charcoal in my case is just a means to get the wood burning.. I use a lot less propane by lighting the charcoals.. then placing the wood on top of them.. than i would if i were just trying to get the wood going... Charcoal takes about a minute of Weedburning to get lit.. straight logs the size i use would take almost 3 or 4 to get burning good..

and if i might add it gives you a great bed of coals to keep heat and light the next split....when stick burning i have found this is important lol if you dont have it you struggle all day to keep a good fire

[dwfisk]

DHQ's tips are right on.
I'll offer another observation, for what it is worth. We all know every pit is different and part of my learning curve was finally understanding where my pit WANTS to run. When I run a fire with 2 splits, the exhaust wide open and intakes open enough to get clear blue smoke, my pit WANTS to run at 275*. I can adjust it to 250* or 300* by closing or opening the air intakes. If I want to cook hotter, I just move to a 3 split fire and give it more intake air; I can easily move the pit temps to 325* or 350*.
And a final observation: +/- 25* is not going to end the world. When, for example I want a target temp of 325*, I've finally gotten comfortable with anything in a 300*-350* zone and really don't mess with the pit as long as I'm in the zone. When I get to the lower end I just know its time to add a split or two.
Just my $0.02.

Originally Posted by Smokinwright

My biggest problems with my stick burners are, once I get them to temp, is to get them to stabilize. I've owned 3 different type of stick burners, and all do the same, either a little too warm, or a little too cool.

Originally Posted by DownHomeQue

Are you using the same size splits? Exhaust wide open? intakes open the whole time? keep in mind that with stickburners changes tend to take more time to see the full effect. Key is using similiar sized splits.. maybe adding a handful of charcoal with those splits.. to help stabilize the pit.. another trick to keep handy is to try and keep really thin splits for when your temp drops.. throw these on the fire and the help bring it back up in no time! Hope this helps!

[ironmanerik]

I take one split and chop it into a few pencil thick pieces, pull off a handful of matchstick size pieces, and whatever else I end up with. A piece of newspaper about the size of sheet of notebook paper and a match no charcoal or weed burner, in about ten minutes its ready for 1/2 sized splits, an hour or less and the meat is on.

[DownHomeQue]

More than one way of achieving this Small hot fire.. i have done that way also.. I have used just kindling and a regular lighter... built my fire from there also... Key is getting to a small hot fire..

[NorthernMN]

What size expanded metal are you guys using. One of the problems I have had is having too large of holes in the expanded metal and the coals fall through before I get the next split on.

[ironmanerik]

Originally Posted by NorthernMN

What size expanded metal are you guys using. One of the problems I have had is having too large of holes in the expanded metal and the coals fall through before I get the next split on.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/at...4&d=1371496671


stock Lang grate

[DownHomeQue]

Originally Posted by NorthernMN

What size expanded metal are you guys using. One of the problems I have had is having too large of holes in the expanded metal and the coals fall through before I get the next split on.

I don't know the exact size.. i just got the smallest available for the top of the firebasket.. i was having the same problem as you are now.. threw that up there been good to go every since..

[MJ_Tenn]

Very informative post DownHomeQue! You've given me the idea of using a grate with smaller openings to lay on top of the existing fire grate...thanks a bunch

[markrvp]

Remember too that you can put a second piece of expanded metal on top of the first, but turn it 90 degrees. Makes for smaller holes for the burnt embers to fall through.

[ChuckD]

Brethren-newbie here; been lurking for a little while but figured this post was addressed to my kind...

Very informative post. I'm still trying to perfect the cheap little offset we use and I threw together a makeshift box with the expanded for our last competition, but it looks like we have been using way too much charcoal to keep our fire going. Curious... for a just a KCBS cook on an average weekend, how much wood are you bringing for that pit alone, and what are you running at?

[mikeleonard81]

Thanks downhome! It took me a while to figure out that the fire box dosen't need to be crammed full. I hope you save some people from filling there cooking chambers with whit smoke! (BTW. I just picked up a weed burner from harbor freight. It's my new favorite toy Scares the dogs to death though)

[DownHomeQue]

Originally Posted by ChuckD

Brethren-newbie here; been lurking for a little while but figured this post was addressed to my kind...

Very informative post. I'm still trying to perfect the cheap little offset we use and I threw together a makeshift box with the expanded for our last competition, but it looks like we have been using way too much charcoal to keep our fire going. Curious... for a just a KCBS cook on an average weekend, how much wood are you bringing for that pit alone, and what are you running at?

I use about a split or 2 an hour... Have cooked for little over 16 hours with about 20-24 splits.. Doesn't use as much fuel as u might think.. Temps are 275-325 for my cooking temps.. In my main chamber... Keep in mind my vertical runs about 75 degrees less than the main cooking chamber...

[Packmanjim]

I love cooking on a stick burner and yes it's true a small hot fire is much easier to manage. I start my fires with a weed burner too because it's a fun! Guess I'm a pyro.

[Packmanjim]

oops