2 Problems for new Yoder Wichita owner

[Bludawg]

Originally Posted by Roguejim

So Blu, you keep the firebox door closed, except to add splits?

Open only to add wood.

[Roguejim]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

Open only to add wood.

Thanks. Looks like you had your dampers wide open for that 300F fire.

[Free Mr. Tony]

I think the fire starving comments seem to be the ticket. Two full chimneys seems like a lot. On my Lang, I use a handful of lump. Probably 2 or 3 cups worth. Light that with a torch in one spot. Top that with one piece of kindling cut in half. Then the normal splits.

If I'm not careful, I'm way up over 300 before you know it.

[Bludawg]

Originally Posted by Roguejim

Thanks. Looks like you had your dampers wide open for that 300F fire.

Sometimes they are and some times two are 1/2 open depending on the weather. Either way it's a split about every 40-50 min. to maintain the coal bed.

[slamkeys]

I ran across this thread a few months ago when I got my Loaded Wichita, and now I am familiar with its shortcomings. Check out this discussion which highlights the design flaws that prevent the Yoder Wichita from being a great smoker: http://community.yodersmokers.com/vi...07074be371fb8d

The major issue I found was that the upper vent is too high on the firebox to prevent the heated air from flowing outward, which reduces the intake area enough to starve the fire of oxygen. I have been cooking with a makeshift door cover with a larger vent at the bottom of it, and I never have issues any more - I just throw a log on the fire and walk away until it's ready for another log.

If you notice here, my makeshift cover is screwed on, which means I have to cook "with the door closed" all the time - proof that Yoder has a design issue here.

[gtsum]

Seems like the firebox door could use some re designing. Doesn't make sense To not have more of an opening under the fire grate


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[bbqpitsmoker]

With coal only you can run with the door closed, but with splits you need door open without modifying the smoker. Definitely needs a redesign for better drafting. With a couple of splits my standard setting is door vents open 100% with the door itself open 2 inches.

[dwfisk]

Originally Posted by slamkeys

I ran across this thread a few months ago when I got my Loaded Wichita, and now I am familiar with its shortcomings. Check out this discussion which highlights the design flaws that prevent the Yoder Wichita from being a great smoker: http://community.yodersmokers.com/vi...07074be371fb8d

The major issue I found was that the upper vent is too high on the firebox to prevent the heated air from flowing outward, which reduces the intake area enough to starve the fire of oxygen. I have been cooking with a makeshift door cover with a larger vent at the bottom of it, and I never have issues any more - I just throw a log on the fire and walk away until it's ready for another log.

If you notice here, my makeshift cover is screwed on, which means I have to cook "with the door closed" all the time - proof that Yoder has a design issue here.

Thank you for a well reasoned fix. I build a similar RF smoker/firebox and while I have not had this issue with mine, your vent location lower on the firebox door makes all the sense in the world. Might try it on my next build(s)

[SmittyJonz]

I prefer air intakes below fire grate. Slide intakes are great for this if door is wide enough......

[Big Swole]

Interesting post about vent in door location. Hmmm

[pjtexas1]

My shirley intakes are above the grate level. Maybe the oversized intakes help.

20170101_140047.jpg

[SmittyJonz]

Apparently the Yoders don't draft as well with the heat management Plate
the Shirley's draft very well

[slamkeys]

My contention is that horizontal smokers are the most difficult to get flowing because you're trying to move air mostly sideways. A vertical smoker is simple because the heated air moves straight up and out the top.

When building a horizontal smoker, you still have to consider that flow is generated by rising heated air, which will flow up and towards the path of least resistance. With that in mind, it's easy to see how the Yoder's factory design seems to ignore the need for an upward path of the heated air.

Joe Phillips at Yoder told me his firebox is mounted 1" above the center line of the cooker body. I commented that I thought they had done this as a trade-off to offer a more comfortable height for cooking directly over the fire using the included cooking grid, but someone over there should have known better because the top of the firebox is now far above the low point of the cooking chamber. The heated air has to move downward in order to get past the heat management plate, and the upper vent is also higher than the low point of the heat management plate, which makes the vent the path of least resistance. This is not rocket science.

I've been doing the best I can to overcome the design flaws on the current Wichita with vent mods, but the only good fix would be moving the firebox down where it should be. I'm expecting to see Yoder make some changes based on the negative feedback they've been getting, but we'll see.

flow-fix-proposal.jpg


Looking into the cooker from here it's painfully obvious why it has flow issues: the heated air literally has to fight past a wall of steel blocking it from going into the cooker, whereas the upper vent hole offers an easy path out of the firebox, which is not good.
P1110776.jpg

[slamkeys]

Originally Posted by bbqpitsmoker

With coal only you can run with the door closed, but with splits you need door open without modifying the smoker. Definitely needs a redesign for better drafting. With a couple of splits my standard setting is door vents open 100% with the door itself open 2 inches.

I agree with this. I've used the charcoal basket when I need to leave the cooker for a while, and it will burn with the factory vent closed half way for a solid 5 hours until all the coals are exhausted. Apparently coals need less oxygen to burn well. However, I like cooking with oak! That's why I bought a "stick burner"!

[SmittyJonz]

The firebox sits too high.