New to stick burning

[Happy Hapgood]

Let me ask a ( maybe ) dumb question...
we heated with wood when I was a kid, Me and my older brothers job was
take the cut up rounds and split them into 1/4's or 1/8's.

so for smoking do you actually add small pieces split from bigger pieces
or is split a generic term for the wood used?

enquiring minds want to know

Not a dumb question at all. You can control more accurate than 50*F with the thickness of the spits. Just remember everytime you add one you are introducing more oxygen to the fire. You can compensate knowing that. I do temps for a living and you are on the right track. :thumb:

 

[DBBQ]

I would have to either let the fire die out, or add a bunch of unneeded wood on purpose for the lang to have a 100* swing.

Same here. I have very little swing on my Shirley. perhaps 25 deg.

 

[el luchador]

I would have to either let the fire die out, or add a bunch of unneeded wood on purpose for the lang to have a 100* swing.

have you datalogged this?

I compared the analog gauge vs a good digital one and the analog was showing 25 degrees range where the grate level digital one was showing 125 degrees.

 

[SmittyJonz]

have you datalogged this?

I compared the analog gauge vs a good digital one and the analog was showing 25 degrees range where the grate level digital one was showing 125 degrees.

:roll: Even on an Oklahoma Joe Longhorn or an Old Country Pecos it’s easy to to get 50* temp range - temp +/- 25* and end to to end grate temp difference within 25-40*......... :twitch:
Takes a lil practice/experience to figure what size fire/splits/amount of charcoal to run but not hard for someone who has run a stickburner a bit.

Even with the bottom of the firebox falling off.......

 

[el luchador]

my pecos after it was warmed up was within 20 degrees end to end.

the temperature range was 150°

I have the data.

I also have the pics showing that the analog gauge on these machines is nowhere near accurate.

these pics were taken on a pecos. 275 would be 275, or it could be 325, or sometimes even cooler than 275.

 

[SmittyJonz]

3 things - 1st those Guages Suck. Never right nor consistently wrong ( one time they are off 25* at a certain temp, next time 40-50 off). River Country Adjustables are usually close (but I’ve had a few way off) and can be adjusted/corrected and then stay pretty close.
TelTrus are the Good Ones and seldom off by much.
2nd those guages and your digital probes arent in the same spot. And how can you be sure your digital is accurate.? It’s been calibrated recently.?
3rd just cuz you can’t do something don’t mean the Rest of Us can’t. :wink:

I’ve ran analogs in the cook door plus a Maverick plus oven thermos in same pit during a cook while I was testing/learning a pit (Pecos and Longhorn that friends had) and although all 3 were reading slightly different temps the temp climb when adding a split and the temp fall As it burned down were pretty close on them All. Maverick reacted a lil faster. If someone is getting more than 50-60* swings/range they are adding wood too soon, or adding too late or adding too big of wood or not maintaining a Good Coal Base ( too Dry or too Green of wood can makes this Hard - I’ll add a chimney of lit charcoal mid cook if needed) or too much or too little a Coal Base. Takes some time n practice. And it will be different from one pit to another( of different size or model). Cooking on/getting time/experience on multiple different styles, types or sizes of Pits will Help build skills/knowledge that makes the next new pit easier to learn/conquer.

 

[el luchador]

It's easy to say it can be done (50 degree range) but for some reason hard to prove.

Im not saying you are telling lies all I'm saying is my experience doesn't support a 50 degree range AND the data I've seen off a very expensive stick burner doesn't support your claim either.

 

[ironmanerik]

blackdogbbq21 just because el luchador can't do it doesn't mean you can't. My advice is to get a 12 pack, light a fire, keep it going for a few hours, don't cook anything so your not worried about messing it up, it won't take long to figure out. Good luck!

 

[el luchador]

blackdogbbq21 just because el luchador can't do it doesn't mean you can't. My advice is to get a 12 pack, light a fire, keep it going for a few hours, don't cook anything so your not worried about messing it up, it won't take long to figure out. Good luck!

Lololol. I forgot - it's on the internets so it must be true

Sorry I upset you by asking for data

 

[bam]

Use the charcoal ring from wsm like charcoal basket. Pre heat your splits for a cleaner burn. I would go with a full chimney to get it started and everything heated up. You have to calm yourself about the temp.

 

[CptKaos]

Cooking will become fun once you get rid of all the thermometers and quit trying to get your stick burner to operate like an oven

Larry

 

[bam]

Cooking will become fun once you get rid of all the thermometers and quit trying to get your stick burner to operate like an oven

Larry

Set oven 350 reach temp oven turns off. Open oven temp drops ovens turns on trying to get back to 350. Put food in close door temp 425.

 

[ironmanerik]

Lololol. I forgot - it's on the internets so it must be true

Sorry I upset you by asking for data

Not upset at all. If you lived closer I would invite you over to watch the process. Would love to see the temp curve on a cook from start to finish, just don't have the equipment to do it.

 

[OklaDustDevil]

Blackdog, IMHO techniques from the huge pits of an Aaron Franklin don't always translate directly to backyard offsets. Given the size of his fire and the volume/speed of his airflow/smoke flow thru the smoker, for example, I can understand how and why he keeps his door wide open for air input, but that approach might not work so well on smaller thinner smokers.

So on your next cook, for example, you might try closing the door and using the air intake controls instead. Make sure the exhaust is wide open at all times. Use smaller splits more frequently. Many folks lay down an initial coal bed from lump, but I actually prefer briquettes because I find the coals will last longer until more coals develop from the wood, giving more consistency to the coal bed. As Smitty says, play with it and you'll soon get it how you want. It's not rocket science.

Although I totally understand wanting to play with a cheaper offset before making a bigger investment, I will say I really do believe an offset smoker is one device where it can be much trickier and more difficult to control a cheap version made with thin, light metal and a worse design. Whereas it can be much easier and less time/effort dependent to control a quality, well-designed, 3/16ths or thicker version. I predict your enjoyment and relaxation will improve significantly if you make the move sooner rather than later.

Otherwise, I echo the others who suggest not getting too tied up about the temp's. Those like me who were smokin with offsets 30 years ago didn't have anything other than one cheap bimetal thermometer installed in the cook chamber. We didn't know about any end-to-end or top-to-bottom temp variations in the cook chamber; I never had tuning plates; we monitored the pit by lookin at the round dial every half hour for 12+ hours and went for an average temp of 225. And the briskets came out SPECTACULARLY. So use the technology to make things easier, more convenient, and maybe a bit better, but don't let the technology control you.

 

[LordRiffenstein]

I was in a similar position, wanted a stick burner and looked at cheaper or 2nd hand models not to spend to much money. After a lot of research and the lack of availability on good 2nd hand models over here, I decided that if I was going to do this, I was going to do this well and bought the smoker that I had wanted all the time. 6mm steel, 20" diameter and 1 meter long cooking chamber.

I got it at the end of January and I know I made the right decision, it runs smoothly, I have been having a heck of a great time with it and the food that I have cooked on it has been excellent.