Cook times and running a 500 gallon Moberg

[Cook]

I would worry less about the temps going up with the door closed, and pay attention on proper airflow through the pit. MANY quality pits are made with the door being the only air intake...so no worries there. Crack the door & learn the pit.

Yes, you need to be buying wood by the cord. Talk to several 'wood guys' in your area and let them know you'll be using wood throughout the year...use that to get a better deal. Find a good wood supplier who will work with you on price & try to stick with him.

I would absolutely start that pit with a good bed of charcoal...but I don't think I would use much, if any, throughout the cook. The only time I find it handy is "if" you somehow lose your coal bed...a lit chimney can be of help. Once you find a wood supplier, your costs will decrease greatly.

 

[DECENT BBQ]

Thanks for the replies ya'll! I'll answer some questions:

I tried to buy a pallet of hickory from the local importer, but he is having problems getting them in quantity enough and are reserving the pallets for actual restaurants. A pallet is 64cu/ft at $485, so thats still too expensive for me to be profitable. My plan now is to burn a hickory and local wood to help offset the cost. I'm not budging on the hickory, that flavor is what sets me apart from everyone else in this area. Like I said before, I think running hickory and a fruit wood (which is plentiful here) will work just fine.

I was burning a clean fire the entire time, so no problems there. I was keeping the firebox door about a pencil width open most of the time, and would close it when I had to leave it unattended so no embers popped out and caught my shop on fire. Thats when I realized it would run just fine with the door all the way closed and still burn a clean fire while holding temps.

To start the coal bed I used a whole bag of kingsford lit with a weed torch and placed 4 splits on top like a log cabin. This got the rig up to temp in about 45 min. I then only used splits with the log cabin method for the entire cook.

I agree that the humidity is probably high enough here that I dont need a water pan or to spritz. Thats just what I have always done with my little offset.

I've watched all of Jeremy Yoder (mad scientist) videos multiple times. I think the fact that my firebox is fully insulated plays a critical role in operating differently than his, which is not insulated at all. I've also seen all of Texicana's videos about this, which is where I learned how to manipulate the fire/coals to fine tune the temperature.

Agreed I'll get a few more cooks in with this thing to dial it in. This first run was a success nonetheless, it didn't help that it is still pretty chilly here in the PNW, and I was running through the night. I was also stupid excited the whole time and most likely over-thinking the entire process.

Thanks again for all the input, I sincerely appreciate it! Also, if there is anyone in the greater Seattle area who wants to come check it out, fell free to give me a shout! Just shoot me an email dmaxie at gmail dot com :grin:

 

[Bacchus2b]

I've had a chance to play with both a Moberg 500 and an Austin Smoke Works 500 and it sounds like your wood is too dry and you're running too slow. They like to run between 275 and 300 degrees, and my experience is that the draw is so strong you have to wrap at some point. A lot of pitmasters in my part of Texas also put a wood split lengthwise in front of the first row of briskets to protect them from excess air flow because the draw is so strong. (Should be so strong!)

Try some less-seasoned wood and you might also try lighting with a weed burner for 10 to 15 minutes to get the air flowing in the right direction. Also a half pan with water is plenty. A full hotel pan may be blocking some of your air flow. Point your firebox into the wind if there is any.

Good luck!!!

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

After reviewing the pictures I am going to guess that the firebox is simply too small

 

[DECENT BBQ]

After reviewing the pictures I am going to guess that the firebox is simply too small

https://giphy.com/gifs/giphyqa-sDOhzJBsFvjMY

 

[El Ropo]

After reviewing the pictures I am going to guess that the firebox is simply too small

I detect a wee bit of foolishness in these words lol. Well played.


I have zero experience with a huge offset like that one, but would tend to agree with the folks who say it has a strong draw, is best run with seasoned (not over-seasoned and dry) hardwood, and I can't for the life of me understand why you had to dump so much charcoal in it to get things going. Split up some of your well seasoned hardwood, and drop it on top of one chimney full of fully lit briqs or lump to get your fire going. After that, there should be no reason to waste charcoal on this beast, just keep feeding it sticks, and let it do its thing. If it likes to run at 300F with the firebox door cracked and chimney wide open with a small clean fire, then let it do just that. You are going to lose the battle trying to bend that huge monster to your desires. Figure out how it likes to run, and just go with it.

 

[Mattb82]

Anyone commenting about using the damper and good pits have them, not using water pans just aren’t well informed. Texas style cookers including my Austin smoke works, Lewis bbq, the style pits Franklin uses, and basically every texas other joint use pits that draw really hard via big stacks and they are all designed to be cooked with the door cracked open. Temp is controlled with how far the door is cracked, your exhaust, and fire size. They also all spritz and all that I have seen use a small water pan and I’m talking first hand experience. A lot of misinformation/bad information in the thread. I’m sure it’s not intentional but still. Some offsets like my outlaw which is a Jambo style design use a damper but also have a smaller exhaust and is a smaller pit. I’ve cooked on a jambo, outlaw, Shirley, ASW, moberg, and millscale. The absolute cleanest fire in my opinion are the Texas style pits designed to crack open the door

 

[-Chris-]

But on that smoker, there is no damper in the FB door. Moberg builds them to use the door. They build them for optimum air flow.

I have had 5 cooks on my Shirley so now I am an expert in stick burners...

It really seems that the airflow and temp are determined by the collector and back pressure that the stack creates if designed properlyly. I notice if the firebox damper is too open smoke will come out of that damper.

Temperatures are controlled by the amount of fuel I add, but it will hold 275 for 30 minutes or more before it starts to drop. I never get a temp spike. I used to have a Mixon H2O with massive, short exhaust stacks and that was a bear to maintain a temp consistency since the temp would spike every time you added a split.

I would run that smoker with the exhaust wide open and try to manage your temps with fire management.

Beautiful pit BTW. Find a firewood supplier before you go broke! Don't be afraid to try local hardwoods, I have a ton of maple on my property and am experimenting with it as a replacement for oak/hickory.