Firebox door gap help!

[Kcmoribguy]

I just bought a used horizon 20x44, havent fired it up but noticed a pretty good gap around the firebox door what should I do to fix it?

[Mo-Dave]

If I am looking at it right, took me awhile to figure out what I was looking at, I would light it up and see how it operates. I think all you really will need do is adjust your intake to compensated for the gap. A bead of high heat silicone on the door itself may help if it can not be controlled with the intake.
Dave

[Shagdog]

Nothin. Fire that sucker up! I don't think that will affect you much. You'll probably be running that thing wide open anyway

[Kcmoribguy]

Cool!! Should I do a gasket kit and a tuning plate?
Here is a pic after sanded a d painted with high heat light gloss

[smoke ninja]

Do nothing with the door, you want airflow anyway. If that lid was leaky i may do something but not the intake door.

[Mo-Dave]

I would not bother with a gasket kit, I personally have never been able to make any work for any length of time before they fall off. Never dealt with tuning plates, just learn to utilize all the different heat zones. The best advice I can give you, is making sure you have plenty of gap in your firebox from the floor to the bottom of your fuel grate for good air flow, that may mean raising the fire grate a bit, you may even need to scoop out some ash during long cooks, or move it to the sides as I do, so better air can flow under the coals. Start with small fire and add according with more small quantities exauste wide open work your intake for fire control in small increments and give it time to adjust itself.

Remember this is not a set it and forget it cooker your attention will be in demand at all times, so for Goodness sake don't make a beer run while it is running, and please calibrate your gauge before your first cook. It is normal to have some air leak around both doors on this kind of cooker, don't sweat it, unless it is a huge gap.
Dave

[ButtBurner]

if the gap really bothers you, take some foil and fold it over and put it in the door and close it on the foil. that will seal it up

but I would not worry about it either

[Kcmoribguy]

I just put a brand new tel-tru 4inch stem thermometer in does it still need Calibrated? What should I use to season vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil?

[Mo-Dave]

I just put a brand new tel-tru 4inch stem thermometer in does it still need Calibrated? What should I use to season vegetable oil, peanut oil, or canola oil?


It could not hurt to calibrate it now, even new ones can be out of speck. As for the oils use the cheapest one, that would not include peanut oil. If you have any used cooking oil that would work.
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

How exactly do you Calibrate it

[SYBQ]

Do nothing with the door, you want airflow anyway. If that lid was leaky i may do something but not the intake door.

I agree, air intake flow is good, creates a clean smoke.

[Mo-Dave]

How exactly do you Calibrate it

I like to do it in boiling water, you need the gauge to be at 210 or 212 depending on your altitude, but it can be done in ice water. I would not sweat a couple degrees one way or the other just be aware of it. Also you may want to relocate your gauge down lower to about grate level or just buy another one and install it lower, about mid section of cook chamber to just above grate level, be sure it is one that can be adjusted, most will have a set screw on the back. Keep in mind the location of the gauge in your cooker can be as high as 50 to 60 degrees hotter than at grate level, I never understood why manufactures put them in like that.

A good thing to do is buy some cheap biscuits, or sliced bread place them all over your cook grates and take note of the of browning in different areas, more brown are the hot spots.

Google how to calibrate, there are many blogs on it. ThermoWorks.com has a good one.
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

Run a water pan closest to the fire box also?

[Mo-Dave]

Run a water pan closest to the fire box also?

Not something I would be inclined to do, not fond of water in my cooker, personal preference, but heck give it a try and see what you think. The one thing water will do is create a lot of crud which could be a good thing to help close up some air leaks in the cook chamber, so two or three cooks using water may be a good way to go for now, but that will happen anyway over time.
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

If you don't mind me asking, why do you not prefer a water pan?

[Kcmoribguy]

Can I just use regular oil on door hinges ?

[Bludawg]

I just bought a used horizon 20x44, havent fired it up but noticed a pretty good gap around the firebox door what should I do to fix it?
1" steel strapping welded to the outside edge of the door: top & both sides, bend 3/8 round rod to match the contour of the bottom and tack it to the inside of the door.
I don't run water in mine and with tuning plates it's like shooting your self in the foot because your nose is ichy. Get a few cans of whomp biscuits and find your hot spots and either use them to your advantage or even thing out with tuning plates

[Mo-Dave]

If you don't mind me asking, why do you not prefer a water pan?

First, in my opinion it can give gauges false reading, also may not let you know when your fire is getting low, before it is to late because of the heat it holds.

Secondly, it is just so dang messy when it comes to clean up, hard as heck to get it of your skin, which you will, and will never come out of clothes.

Third it will become a sticky gooey mess, and if not kept under control can, and will drip on your food yuk. As said, some swear by it, myself I swear at it.

You just need to jump in and light it up, try different things and go with what makes your life the most enjoyable without over thinking. Perfection is hard to achieve with bbq, there are all kinds of variables that have a way of changing from cook to cook. With some cooking and fire control experience you should be able to make the best of anything that happens
Dave

[Bludawg]

Another thing that MO-Dave forgot to mention is fuel consumption. You are hour heating water not the pit. Water boils at 212 it don't get any hotter, and say you want to cook at 275 to keep all that steel hot you will need a bigger fire that will need to be fed almost constantly because the watter is robbing your BTU' so you need a bigger fire to keep your temps low and the pit hot like I said shooting your self in the foot because your nose is itchy. Keep a small hot fire in the middle of the box and roll with it.

[Kcmoribguy]

Mo-Dave are you in Missouri if so where

[Mo-Dave]

And yes there is that what bludawg said,^^^^^^ being The fourth reason. #5, on a pit of that size you will need to refill two or three times depending on length of cook, each time, unless you are adding boiling water to the pan, it will take even more time, and fuel to get it back up to temp.
Dave

[Mo-Dave]

Mo-Dave are you in Missouri if so where

Down south of you about 150 miles, at the Lake of the Ozarks, between Greenview, and Sunrise Beach, at the north end of Hurricane Deck bridge.
Dave

[Mo-Dave]

Can I just use regular oil on door hinges ?

Unless the hinges are froze up, putting oil on them will only be a very temporary thing, and will burn of in one or two cooks, but it wont hurt, in fact to make your paint last longer many put a light coat of cooking oil, or grease on the whole cooker after each cook. Myself being the lazy sort I am, I'd rather paint it every 2 or 3 years as needed. Your fire box will be the first to loose the paint. When you do paint it I suggest getting the high heat bbq paint in a can, and apply with a paint brush, or spray paint gun, it will last a lot longer than a rattle can. While I am here I also suggest using only wood in this offset.
Dave

[Faston]

Like others have said I wouldn't do anything with the firebox gap. When the fire is burning there will be a draw and you'll be letting air in anyway. I like to run a water pan but you'll get a lot of opinions here. I wouldn't start with plates you might not need them when you get your air flow right. To coat the smoker take your pick of any oil fit for human consumption.

Good Luck and Have Fun!

[Kcmoribguy]

Mo-Dave I grew up down at the lake every weekend! Should I get a coal basket? I'm seasoning now and the smoker box door is pretty leaky! Here is a video it's so damn windy

[Kcmoribguy]

Or maybe not a video na

[Mo-Dave]

Mo-Dave I grew up down at the lake every weekend! Should I get a coal basket? I'm seasoning now and the smoker box door is pretty leaky! Here is a video it's so damn windy

A basket is not essential, but may help. Are you sure you were not getting a back draft from the wind forcing smoke back through the firebox door? Usually if you have a good draft going the right way you will not see much smoke coming out the firebox door, maybe at start up for a little while. I don't recall it being mentioned, but you are leaving the exauste wide open right?
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

I had the exhaust half way closed but opened it all the way back up should I leave it wide open? So start the fire with coals then feed only wood from then on?

[Bludawg]

Position the Pit so the prevailing wind Blows across the long axis & not at the ends. NO charcoal basket the only charcoal you use should be to start your splits burning when yo first light off.

[Kcmoribguy]

Can get it down from 350 I probably put to much wood in ha here is a pic

[Kcmoribguy]

Can't knock the flame down

[Mo-Dave]

I had the exhaust half way closed but opened it all the way back up should I leave it wide open? So start the fire with coals then feed only wood from then on?

I stopped using charcoal more than a year ago, only wood, even in my UDS, but to start out charcoal in just enough amount to get the wood going is ok.

If you don't have one, a weed burner can come in handy, HarborFreight.com has them on sale now for 18.99. I don't even take mine inside most of the time year round. I like to crank mine open to turbo and watch for the people sticking their heads out their windows, and doors, worth every bit of 19.00.

Never close your exauste unless you have a fire, or are done and the meat is off the cooker. Also pay close attention at the start, it is much easier to control the heat to the level you need by adjusting the intake before it gets way up there. Oh don't put the cooker anywhere near any structure.
Dave

[Mo-Dave]

Can get it down from 350 I probably put to much wood in ha here is a pic

It kinda does look like to much but can't tell, I usually start out with two or three med size stick, let that burn down to almost coals before I add another stick or two, after the white smoke has went away I then put on the food. When you put the food on the temp may come down, don't change anything for awhile. don't be real concerned with heat going up and down, I don't get to concerned if it hovers around 225 up to say 325 before changing anything, but many cook hotter than that.
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

So just close the exhaust if you get a flame up right? Then reopen it when the flame is out?

By the way thanks a ton guys for helping me threw this I really appreciate it!

[Kcmoribguy]

Should I soak the wood? I can't get the flame out now

[Mo-Dave]

Should I soak the wood? I can't get the flame out now


You can use a garden hose with a light mist, don't over soak it if you still want to continue to cook.
Dave

[Mo-Dave]

So just close the exhaust if you get a flame up right? Then reopen it when the flame is out?

By the way thanks a ton guys for helping me threw this I really appreciate it!

No close off the intake, unless the food is off the cooker, then you can close everything down. If the food has been wrapped in foil you can close it all down, and after everything is shut see if the temp goes down, it may take awhile. I guess I should ask if you have food on it or just practicing burn control?
Dave

[Kcmoribguy]

Seasoning and practice burns

[JonP]

Can get it down from 350 I probably put to much wood in ha here is a pic

Too much wood. Just pull out that cinder block chunk. Keep exhaust wide open. Coal bed and smaller splits for that style firebox.

No water! Let it burn hot, just manage a smaller fire.