off set trailer smoker need help.

[Fatmike]

I have a smoker about the same size as a Lang 60. I am having problems with keeping the temp up with longer cooks like 5 hour ribs and cant imagine if i would do a butt. Any input would be appreciated.
I am a novice offset smoker and my previous smoker is a BGE.
Here is what i have been doing: I load up the firebox in a cross stacked manner to the top. Using a weed burner I get it going well with all the doors open. In about 45 mins I'm cruising at 275 or so with a nice bed of coals. I will throw on a piece of wood about 12 inches long and diameter of a coke can about every half hour or as i see the other one burning down. The problem is that I lose my nice coal bed and now left with logs burning that i have to keep the firebox open to get enough air flow to keep a clean fire without the nasty smoke.
I tried searching the threads for fire building and maintaining 101 but keep getting threads for the brinkman smokers.
I have smoked up some nasty meat trying to maintain temp.
Again, I apologize for the elementary question but I am stumped.
Thank You all

[columbia1]

Can you post a picture of your pit, the first thing that comes to mind is that your intakes might be too small? I say that because you mentioned you need to keep your firebox door open.

[The Pig's Blanket]

Splits burn better than unsplit wood.... start splitting and make sure your air intake is allowing the fire to burn fast enough to keep up your temp. Also make sure your stack is allowing that smoke to exit.. Just my opinion Im no expert though

[The Smoking Pig]

What kinda grate do you have, by losing the bed of coals, is it extinguishing itself or is it falling through the grate to the bottom of the fire box. Also split the wood and make sure you put inside of the split( the non bark side) if you keep the bark on toward the fire and keep the door open until it lights. Also maybe you have too much ash and the ash is suffocating the fire and that's why you have to keep the door open. A picture would really help showing the problem. It really could be a million different things.

[krek]

On my old stickburner I would preheat the splits on top of the firebox so they ignited immediately when I threw them in... otherwise I had to keep the door open and the coals burned down to ash.

[Smoke Dawg]

Columbia 1 has good advice

[Fatmike]

These are my only 2 intakes on this smoker...The firebox grate inside is the same standard x grate that is seen on the smoking racks
Thank you all for the help

[Fatmike]

Inside the firebox.....it may be my fire management that is causing this however I cant find a good instructional site to maintain a good fire with out the white smoke.

[T-doh]

Originally Posted by Fatmike

Inside the firebox.....it may be my fire management that is causing this however I cant find a good instructional site to maintain a good fire with out the white smoke.

I'm not a stick burner yet but I think if you preheat your splits it helps them catch fire sooner, and fire burns cleaner than smoldering wood? Which causes the white smoke. But I could be wrong... I'm still smoking on a kettle!

[Diesel Dave]

Instead of waiting for the wood to burn totally down, when it is about 1/2 way burnt and totally charred, add your next preheated split.
It sounds like you're letting your fire go too far down before adding a split.

Pics of the rig would really help alot though.

[ButtBurner]

good advice so far

for more reading, this thread covers it all

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7112

for more info, see the Roadmap

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7818

[T&S BBQ]

I have a brinkman offset, my first time was great burning with wood, but the second time bad. Asked brethren for advice and figured out that the first time I had a bigger bed of coals to start with then added my wood. Now I start with 1 full chimney of lump and add 1 full chimney lit to it, let it come up to temp and add split. Dont get in a hurry, let temp settle down, then add split every 1/2 to 3/4 hour. Dont let it burn down to much before next split. I use small splits because I have a small unit. Remember, small fire, but hot, and good air flow. Also keep exhaust open, dont choke fire, and look to see if grate is high enough to let ash drop down and not smother fire. Preheat splits before adding. Good luck

[Bludawg]

First ting that comes to mind is you intake air is lacking or your stack is to skinny. Offsets are all about the flow of air the faster the air moves through the pit the better( more efficient) they run. If the intake is too small you will have a hard time regulating temp or achieving a higher temp. If your Stack is undersized to skinny you will have a hard time getting a clean fire because the smoke backs up into the fire box and displaces the clean air the fire dies, to short and it wont draft ( pull fresh air to the fire).