Fire Management Stick Burner

Yuccaneers

Yuccaneers

Knows what a fatty is.
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What are your techniques for a cleaner more efficient burn?

I currently use lump charcoal to start – cut splits down to between 6-8 inches in length, depending on if the size of the original split was between 12-16 inches…run damper wide open and use air in-take to control temp.

Looking for alternatives or other suggestions.
 
Sounds like you have it down. I don't cut mine any shorter. I split them thinner instead. Are you having issues like a dirty fire?

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No issues! Thankfully. Just wanting to learn more and see if anyone is doing anything differently, that might be helpful. Like you splitting your wood thinner… Like anything more than one way to skin a cat.
 
Use less wood to make a smaller fire, not intake if you can help it.

Also, pre warm splits by putting them on/near the firebox or if the firebox is big enough you may be able to prewarm right in the firebox. The new splits you add will catch fire more quickly, thus a cleaner smoke.
 
I run all dampers wide open and keep the temps in check with how much wood I have in the firebox. After a few cooks with my 24x60 I got the technique down pretty well and know pretty much the size of wood I need to add to move the temps where I want them.

I get my wood splits in 18-24" sections, and I'll cut them in half, and then split them quite a few times until I get quite thin splits. This way I can make small, but quick changes to the temperatures if needed. It's a bit more involved, but it also helps to keep a solid bed of coals at all times.
 
Stlsportster - Thanks! While a novel concept not something I've considered. Appreciate the tip. Controlling the size of fire to control the temps rather than using dampers to control temp.
 
SmoothBoarBBQ - Thanks...like the idea of small adjustments. I have come to realize have to trust the actual process or you'll be battling yourself more than actually managing the fire.
 
Yuccaneers said:
SmoothBoarBBQ - Thanks...like the idea of small adjustments. I have come to realize have to trust the actual process or you'll be battling yourself more than actually managing the fire.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I'm comfortable with a reasonable swing on my offset, but if I really want to I can easily keep it at +/- 5° indefinitely by using small and thin splits. I cook almost every single day so I'm pretty satisfied with a +/-25° as I don't feel like it has any impact on the final product, and it requires me only checking on it about every 30 minutes.
 
I use a small fan pointed to the intake of my el cheapo offset. Really helps keep a smaller fire burning.
 
One of the hardest things for me to wrap my head around on a stick burner is that you don't need a roaring fire like a fireplace or a campfire. You are heating the pit more with the coal bed than the flame. You are putting on more sticks to feed the coal bed to replace the coals that have burned out or in the case that you want to raise the temp.
 
What smoker are you using you shouldn’t need to split split‘s or cut them down unless you were on a small offset
 
THoey1963 said:
One of the hardest things for me to wrap my head around on a stick burner is that you don't need a roaring fire like a fireplace or a campfire. You are heating the pit more with the coal bed than the flame. You are putting on more sticks to feed the coal bed to replace the coals that have burned out or in the case that you want to raise the temp.
Click to expand...




Problem with that is with smaller/cheap offsets even a decent coal bed needed to maintain enough heat to light a new log is far too hot.

I tend to keep a smaller split burning rather than maintain a coal bed because it always gets to hot with a good bed. But thats what works on my cheapo char-griller.
 
BigThicket said:
Agree wholeheartedly with SmoothBoarBBQ. Use the fire to control temp as much as possible and only use the dampers as a last resort.
Click to expand...

And you don't even need the dampers then...a shovel will reduce heat faster than anything.
 
SmokyDick said:
Problem with that is with smaller/cheap offsets even a decent coal bed needed to maintain enough heat to light a new log is far too hot.

I tend to keep a smaller split burning rather than maintain a coal bed because it always gets to hot with a good bed. But thats what works on my cheapo char-griller.
Click to expand...

Yeah, mine was neither a smaller, nor a cheaper pit. But, that's an old story... <sigh>
 
I have to make sure I have a good airflow under the wood, meaning it's not directly on the coal bed. I'm using an offset that doesn't have a grate or anything to rest wood on, just the bottom. Also, thinner splits have helped.
 
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