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View Full Version : Results from first full day of cooking on the offset stick burner

Taylormade
05-01-2017, 07:17 AM
So I recently picked up a 120G offset smoker and to be honest, I've been struggling with it. I couldn't keep temperatures well, I couldn't achieve consistent TBS, I was constantly messing around with the vents and blah blah blah. I was having to tend to the fire literally every 5-10 minutes.

I've been asked to cook on Sundays at my buddy's bar/restaurant so I've been cooking regularly on it but I've been getting mixed results. I finally decided my exhaust wasn't drawing enough to keep the embers going like they needed to be so I cut the "roof" off my exhaust stack, letting it breathe a little more and it made all the difference in the world!

Before
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/8E1B5113-D0BA-41BA-8962-F49217A80DC8_zpsv2jmfeot.jpg

After
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/9C4FBCE2-F042-433F-9A8A-D970BC9570EB_zps0sji4v6k.jpg

So now I was able to really hold constant temps much better than in previous cooks so I got after it. I cooked a brisket, two racks of ribs, some chicken and mac-n-cheese.

Good news is that I was able to really dial in the settings with the vents and figure out where they needed to be to get the TBS rolling.

Bad news is it was able to get to temp a little faster and higher than I was prepared for and I ended up cooking most of the day at 300. I typically cook at 275 and I ended up overcooking all the ribs. They were still good, but it was closer to pulled pork and my guests had trouble picking the bone up and getting it to their mouth before it slid right off :icon_pissed

The Mac-n- cheese wasn't the best as I smoked it for an hour or so with oak. Too smoky for my tastes and I certainly wouldn't serve it in a restaurant. Next time it'll be foiled for the entire time and whatever smoke creeps in will be enough.

The brisket was awesome and I'm told the chicken was as well although I didn't have any of it. I took a platter to the restaurant of all of it, good and bad, and they loved it so it wasn't a total wash.

Anyway, here's some 'que pron. Thanks for getting this far.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/B6D1D007-449D-430B-B8D4-3CEF5A458963_zpsbuxpjdqo.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/EC7483B4-6790-4CB7-A2E3-94ACE0F8FD43_zpsxwpq1cjq.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/FF5DD84F-5A05-4364-A81A-2D885B944AF1_zpssumeijuv.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/FF168616-0104-44E8-9A69-0EE4658248D6_zpsqkqzm1er.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/59F299A0-547E-4F74-BB16-F14FEAE28D1C_zps4g6bair3.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/BAB74936-98E9-4B8C-BE3B-C74F54F778D3_zpskbqneaig.jpg
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/3FC7A2DA-F6A3-4E79-AF5F-383CC1FF9715_zpsruj5yxdi.jpg
Stlsportster
05-01-2017, 07:36 AM
Looks good to me! Don't forget that we are always more critical of our Q than the people we feed. Sounds like you're dialed in now.

Interesting about the chimney cover...you think you'll engineer something new that gives you more flexibility to close it up a little and keep the rain out?
12ring
05-01-2017, 08:13 AM
Looks good to me. Would like to see pics of the smoker as well if you have some.
WilliamD
05-01-2017, 10:31 AM
Nothing wrong with that cook!!! Looks Great!
bwram1
05-01-2017, 10:54 AM
Cook looks great! As for the Mac n cheese, I can attest to the fact that it can be overpowered by smoke. I typically do it with pecan...An hour of smoke and an hour covered. If I am using oak, I cut the smoke time to 20-30 minutes and complete the 2 hours covered.
dgaddis1
05-01-2017, 11:52 AM
1 - I've never cooked on an offset smoker, but:

2 - I can't imagine that 'roof' on the exhaust was inhibiting air flow at all. There's more 'flow area' out of the roof than there is through the pipe. You sure you didn't just finally figure out how to run the cooker?
PorkinButts82
05-01-2017, 12:04 PM
Can I get a plate of leftovers?!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
Taylormade
05-01-2017, 12:06 PM
Looks good to me! Don't forget that we are always more critical of our Q than the people we feed. Sounds like you're dialed in now.

Interesting about the chimney cover...you think you'll engineer something new that gives you more flexibility to close it up a little and keep the rain out?

I appreciate it but the ribs and the mac n cheese were both sub par, certainly on my scale. For now a ziplock bag will be covering that chimney, ha. I may create a rotating cap thing as well in the future.

Looks good to me. Would like to see pics of the smoker as well if you have some.

Here ya go!
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f393/scotttaylor72/BBQ/A6805412-4EB2-4465-BEFF-2C2A5DC70F6D_zps4fbabfz0.jpg

Cook looks great! As for the Mac n cheese, I can attest to the fact that it can be overpowered by smoke. I typically do it with pecan...An hour of smoke and an hour covered. If I am using oak, I cut the smoke time to 20-30 minutes and complete the 2 hours covered.

Yeah, it was just too much. Oh well, lesson learned. 'Appreciate the advice on pecan!

You sure you didn't just finally figure out how to run the cooker?

I'm not up to snuff on my thermodynamics but I swear it sure seemed to pull harder without that roof on. I changed nothing else at all.
Taylormade
05-01-2017, 12:08 PM
Can I get a plate of leftovers?!


It's a solid 2.5 hour drive, but the next time I'm on my way down to Miami, I'll meet ya off 75 and toss a plate out the window!
Melt In The Sun
05-01-2017, 12:20 PM
I wonder if the wind shifted a little? That can make or break airflow in my offset, for sure.
DownHomeQue
05-01-2017, 01:57 PM
How many trail runs did you do? I wouldn't think removing that roof would make such a difference? either way glad you got her figured out!
Taylormade
05-01-2017, 05:54 PM
I wonder if the wind shifted a little? That can make or break airflow in my offset, for sure.

Nah, nothing changed other than the chimney vent being removed. I actually had to close one of the vents entirely and the other part way because it was getting too hot in there. I've NEVER had that problem before. I'm using the same 2yr old Oak and all other elements are the same with the lone exception being the ambient temperature outside. It was a lot hotter yesterday than it had been previously.

How many trail runs did you do? I wouldn't think removing that roof would make such a difference? either way glad you got her figured out!

I've lit her up and cooked four other times for at least 5 hours each time. It was to the point where I was considering selling it and finding another one. I was having to mess with the fire every 5 minutes, having to leave both vents wide open, leave the fire door open or cracked just to keep enough air flowing to achieve TBS and not white pillow cloud smoke.

The firebox is enormous but I like it because I have a rack in there that I can cook wings and sides on.

Yesterday started out as the previous four did... I was 45 minutes into it, meat hadn't even hit the grates yet and I was already putting my 6th stick of wood on. Once I cut that bad boy off, the angels and bluebirds were on my shoulders and the rest of the day was glorious.

That or the drugs were really good. :crazy:
IXL
05-01-2017, 07:35 PM
The "roof" on top of the exhaust was creating a turbulent current as the flow of hot gas was being impeded from flowing directly upward. This in turn created a back flow in the pipe, with a concurrent rise in backpressure.
The practical effect of such construction is to partially stifle the ability of the fire box to maintain the desired fire.
With this obstruction to proper outflow eliminated, the fire can be easily controlled with the intake vents.
Taylormade
05-01-2017, 07:38 PM
The "roof" on top of the exhaust was creating a turbulent current as the flow of hot gas was being impeded from flowing directly upward. This in turn created a back flow in the pipe, with a concurrent rise in backpressure.
The practical effect of such construction is to partially stifle the ability of the fire box to maintain the desired fire.
With this obstruction to proper outflow eliminated, the fire can be easily controlled with the intake vents.

Yeah, what he said ^^^^ :clap2:
ronbrad62
05-01-2017, 08:21 PM
Glad you got it all figured out, it's a very satisfying feeling. Now, get out there and cook some more!!
sudsandswine
05-01-2017, 08:54 PM
Regardless how you feel about your cook, that view from the smoker is fantastic :thumb: