Old Country Brazos - Heat Issues!

[1MoreFord]

During a quick search for the Old County Brazos this came up in the results.

No knowledge of the vendor or anything else but it may be what you want.

https://bbqsmokermods.com/oem-smoke...tuning-system.html#product_tabs_review_tabbed

 

[Jlems]

During a quick search for the Old County Brazos this came up in the results.

No knowledge of the vendor or anything else but it may be what you want.

https://bbqsmokermods.com/oem-smoke...tuning-system.html#product_tabs_review_tabbed

Very cool. Thank you!

 

[a7las]

I would not recommend the convection plate. I tried it and it was almost impossible to get the grate temp above about 215, even with a gigantic fire. Also, it ruins the airflow so the convection is terrible and the bark formation was almost nonexistent.

I run door closed and with the intake about 33-50% open and will get about a 10-20 degree variance with meat in. This smoker likes the smaller splits as mentioned above keep a good coal bed and it will settle in nicely.

 

[Jlems]

I would not recommend the convection plate. I tried it and it was almost impossible to get the grate temp above about 215, even with a gigantic fire. Also, it ruins the airflow so the convection is terrible and the bark formation was almost nonexistent.

I run door closed and with the intake about 33-50% open and will get about a 10-20 degree variance with meat in. This smoker likes the smaller splits as mentioned above keep a good coal bed and it will settle in nicely.

I’m having some success without it so for now, I’ll save the money. I’m going to have to reduce the size of my splits though. They’re around 15”, some 18” :/ can’t wait to do a brisket soon but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the prices lately!

 

[a7las]

I’m having some success without it so for now, I’ll save the money. I’m going to have to reduce the size of my splits though. They’re around 15”, some 18” :/ can’t wait to do a brisket soon but I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the prices lately!

I made a small basket with expanded metal. Works just fine. Haven't used the LSG one but with my DIY one don't think I would buy one.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

 

[Lynn Dollar]

I tried the Old Country tuning plates in my Brazos. Those lasted about three cooks and I took them out. It turned the smoker into something of a reverse flow. If you like the flavor added by juices dripping on hot metal, they may work for you. But I thought whatever I gained in even temps end-to-end, was not worth the reduced air flow.


And they were somewhat of PITA to clean and reset every time.


For a water pan, I use a 16" X 4" loaf pan. It fits perfectly under the cooking grate on top of the baffle and it does act as at least one tuning plate, sort've .


I might put the tuning plates back in at some time, just to play around with them some more. But I don't think they're necessary.


If ya familiar with YouTuber Trendkiller, Old Country gave him a Brazos and put up a fire management vid yesterday. Its long, but there's some good stuff in it. He uses much larger splits than I do and I burn a lot cleaner than he does. At times, I get clear smoke.



I can't recall my Brazos ever purring right along at 275* for very long, not as long his does here.



Also , the door on his cook chamber leaks worse than mine, even though he put Oklahoma Joe's gaskets on. Course its new, and it will close up some with use.


https://youtu.be/y66AITkKFF4

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Trendkiller brought up something else in his vid that I have concluded about cooking on the Brazos. Don't use a digital thermo. A digital will react too fast to subtle changes in temp and will keep you busy chasing temps. Use an analog gauge.

He's the first person I've seen or read thats spoke to this.

 

[a7las]

I agree with your past 2 posts. His splits were far too big for the Brazos. Splits that long will smolder on the ends and produce bad smoke.

I will admit I use digital so I can monitor the temps indoor or across the street drinking with the neighbors. I will usually come to add a split when the digital is showing 15-20 degrees lower than my target and the analog will usually be still close to the target. Chasing a digital # is impossible.

 

[Jlems]

I've watched some of Trendkiller's videos. Thank you for linking to this latest one. I'm definitely going to try shortening my splits because I always end up with smoldering ends just laying there. And excellent point on the digital chasing. It will drive one insane, and perhaps I'm doing too much of that!! I use one to allow myself to walk away for a bit.
On the topic of temps with the digital vs analog, do you find that the two show approximately the same temps? I ask because I installed a Tel Tru 2.5" stem and it is always 25-50 degrees lower than my digital, and lower than an oven thermo I placed on the grate as well (all place essentially in the same place on the grate). I checked the digital w/ boiling water which checked out perfectly. I'm thinking I have a bad TelTru... OR this is typical of door-mounted therms?

 

[Lynn Dollar]

More often than not, my digital therms will read 20 to 40 * hotter than my analogs. They do that on my WSM and on my Kettle. I think its entirely location.

I smoked a brisket on my Brazos last Saturday. I had a digital probe located 2 to 4" from my Tel Tru. The digital was 40* higher. I moved the digital probe about an inch or two, and they then agreed.

Go figure .

I would've gotten worried about which temp I was actually cooking at, but I have two other analog gauges and they pretty much agreed with the other analog.

But I've had this happen several times. I do think its cooler on the outside edges of the cook chamber, which is why a 4" stem analog is preferable over the 2.5" .

 

[1MoreFord]

That's not a good how to video to choose from.

His first split is ROTTEN and dry. That's why it's light. He buries it in his coals. NEVER bury sticks in the coals. It smothers them And the coals. He buries the next stick in the coals bark side down. NEVER try to light a big stick from the outside of bark. That's a tree's protection from burning by fire. I gave up watching shortly after that.

Rotten wood burns up quickly and makes poor coals.

He is right about one thing. You want air to flow around your splits, but he doesn't follow his own advice as far as I could stand to watch.

You want to criss cross your sticks so they get air all around them.

He needs to add sealing straps to the sides and top of his end firebox door. He's got leaks there and won't be able to control his fire well once it's going.

He needs some smaller splits to get things started, and recover if he waits too long to re-fuel.

His splits are nicely sized for normal circumstances IF he would seal the firebox door and stay on top of his fire management.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

That's not a good how to video to choose from.

His first split is ROTTEN and dry. That's why it's light. He buries it in his coals. NEVER bury sticks in the coals. It smothers them And the coals. He buries the next stick in the coals bark side down. NEVER try to light a big stick from the outside of bark. That's a tree's protection from burning by fire. I gave up watching shortly after that.

Rotten wood burns up quickly and makes poor coals.

He is right about one thing. You want air to flow around your splits, but he doesn't follow his own advice as far as I could stand to watch.

You want to criss cross your sticks so they get air all around them.

He needs to add sealing straps to the sides and top of his end firebox door. He's got leaks there and won't be able to control his fire well once it's going.

He needs some smaller splits to get things started, and recover if he waits too long to re-fuel.

His splits are nicely sized for normal circumstances IF he would seal the firebox door and stay on top of his fire management.

Well, you should really have watched the entire vid , fast forwarding through the GF part.

I use well seasoned , very dry, you could call it rotten , wood to build my coal bed. I call that wood , " starter wood " . I get a big fire going with that really dry wood, then I put on big gnarly , heavy piece of wood that I don't want to cook with.

His method of bringing the smoker up to temp, is not a lot diff than what I do .

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Of course I raced home today to fire it up and try your suggestions. I will say this. You were SPOT ON. I was going all Aaron Franklin with the door wide open and sure I got good smoke, but the fire box isn’t big enough to back the fire up away from the cooker. Now, exhaust wide open, cherry and oak, 2-2.5” open at the firebox baffle with the door CLOSED, and this thing is running within 5-10 degrees side to side. Most of the time within 1-2 degrees actually. Didn’t do anything else but those changes. Thank you!!!!

Speaking of going all Aaron Franklin, he was on Greg Renke's BBQ Central show and talked about the backyard smokers he's building. He says they're built to cook with the door closed and he's put in the right size holes in the door to get the perfect fire ...... Vid should start where AF begins talking about his smoker , around 32 minute mark

https://youtu.be/Rt_8m52JNL4?t=1947

 

[Jlems]

Lynn, have you installed a ball valve on yours? I’m curious if this being left stock/ open affects the draw, the heat and/or airflow at all?

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Yes, I've put a 1 1/4" really cheap ball valve on the grease drain. Then I put a coupling on the ball valve and used my Dremel to cut slots so it would hold my grease bucket . I need to redo the coupling, but haven't got a round to it.



but I don't think it has any impact on air flow

 

[Lynn Dollar]

I have done one thing that I THINK improves air flow, but I can't document it. I extended the stack with this ...........


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-6-in-x-2-ft-Round-Metal-Duct-Pipe-BCP6X24/100172086

 

[Jlems]

Interesting. Thanks for the insight and pics! I’ll probably add a valve soon.

 

[Elsos]

I have done one thing that I THINK improves air flow, but I can't document it. I extended the stack with this ...........


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-6-in-x-2-ft-Round-Metal-Duct-Pipe-BCP6X24/100172086

So, it's been a while since this post, but I'm curious if you can offer additional information after extending the stack?
Looking at getting a stick burner, never had one before so I'm trying to glean as much info as I can. And so far I think I'm aiming at a Brazos, but the trigger will be pulled in a few weeks still.

 

[sandro]

So, it's been a while since this post, but I'm curious if you can offer additional information after extending the stack?
Looking at getting a stick burner, never had one before so I'm trying to glean as much info as I can. And so far I think I'm aiming at a Brazos, but the trigger will be pulled in a few weeks still.

Not the gentleman you're quoting, but I recently stumbled upon a video of someone doing exactly that and providing ample test results. Long story short: yes, DO extend your smoke stack by 18" and make the Brazos rock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM6HPIWpH6c

 

[BBQ Freak]

get some tuning plates cut from a metal shop and it will even out with the right spacing and got my old smoker within 3 degrees from side to side .