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Old 08-10-2011, 10:05 AM   #1
William Cannon
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Join Date: 07-22-11
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Default Offset Smoker Help (Mods completed)

I did my first smoke with my modified 16” New Braunfels Hondo COS earlier this week and I wanted to get your feedback on my mods and my first cooking experience. I understand these are hard to learn on, they use a ton of fuel and that I should have made a UDS or bought a WSM. However, my wife will not go near a smoker if it looks anything remotely like an ECB (where I cut my teeth) and I want her to be able to help out. In any case, I’ve made my bed, so now I just need to make the best of it.


The Mods:
· Dual grate level thermometers




· Sealed the lids with RTV silicon (mostly sealed – still tiny cracks in the smoke chamber on the far side).






· Mostly sealed the firebox side door with aluminum flashing and RTV caulk (the bottom hasn't been sealed because it’s curved). No pic.


· Lowered the smoke stack


· 22 gauge steel baffle covering the bottom half of the opening, which angles down to the bottom and extends 12 inches. Note: there is a piece of junk metal in the pick, which is not normally there.


·
10 gauge steel tuning plates (which sit about two inches from the grate). I have a variety of 4" and 6" plates that can cover more than the entire area if needed.
· 4 Bricks wrapped in foil



· Waterpan next to the smoke stack. No pic.

· 10”x10”x6” expanded steel coal basket with 2 snake/maze plates made of left over 22 gauge steel.


note: the pic above was from a walk through/seasoning burn.


The Maiden Voyage:
Horizontal Modified Minion: I loaded the firebox with Kingsford regular charcoal except for a gap near the chamber side where I put in the hot charcoals. A 7lbs brisket went on the firebox side of the smoke chamber and 3lbs chicken went in the middle at hour #4. The smoke stack was fully open, and the breeze was swirling but mainly blowing from firebox to smoke stack.
Issue #1: Getting the temp up to 225
At the beginning, I had issues getting the firebox side of the smoke chamber over 170. With a fan, I was able to get it to 240, but it would not hold. If I left the firebox vent fully open, it would stay around 170. If I closed it 3/4s, it would go up marginally beyond that. After messing with the airflow, I opened the gaps between the tuning plates. That didn’t help enough. Then I took out the tuning plates. No dice. Then I pulled the baffle up so it would allow more heat to pass through. That got the firebox side of the chamber up to 225.
Possible Causes?:
  • When I dumped in the hot charcoal, I don’t believe it was hot enough?
  • Is my baffle too long?
  • Does my baffle cover too much? It covers ½ the hole
  • Tuning plates won’t work with my smoker?
Again, the burn in the pic was from a walk through/seasoning.


Issue #2: The right side of the smoker was 20-25 degrees lower on the smoke stack side.
I took out the tuning plates completely on the right side right side after creating large gaps didn’t do anything. Then, I took out the 4 bricks on the smoke stack side, thinking it was blocking air flow. I moved the water pan to the middle of the smoke chamber thinking the evaporation was cooling it.
Possible Causes?:
  • Hell if I know, but ultimately it seems that I need to get more heat to the smoke chamber while tuning it down on the firebox side.
Issue #3: In hour #6, I had a hard time keeping the firebox side of the smoke chamber below 250.
For reference, at hour #4 I raked most of the hot coals to one end of the basket and reloaded the coal. I can only assume the firebox was significantly hotter (duh). I ended up putting the tuning plates back in on the firebox side and that helped cool things by 10-15 degrees, coincidentally that also closed the temp difference between the firebox side and the smoke stack side. There weren’t many coals left, but it got pretty dang windy and where the wind started blowing consistently from firebox side to smoke stack side.
Possible Causes?:
  • The wind was strong enough to get through the ¼” gap at the bottom of the side firebox door and through gap on the latch.
  • The fire didn’t burn around the maze since I couldn’t rake 3 or 4 small hot coals before dumping in more Kingsford. The basket was too hot for garden gloves.

I realize there will be a learning curve but I also read a ton on the modifications to lead me to believe they can work. I just got the fiberglass rope in the mail, so now I can finish sealing up the firebox. I really like the idea of tuning plates so I think I’m going to shorten the baffle or drill some holes in it. If I’m going to shorten it, I need to do it this afternoon since I borrowed an angle grinder that I need to give back.
Are any of the modifications are working against me or against each other?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
WC
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Old 08-10-2011, 10:16 AM   #2
William Cannon
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Oh... The chicken was pretty good; the breast just a teeny bit dry. The brisket ended up being done about 45 min early (180 degrees). It was ok - tasty, not dry, not moist, not really tender. We weren't planning on eating it same day, since I got started late. However, my oldest kid talked me into serving it after 30 min of rest. I regret not wrapping it up and letting it get to at least 205.
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Old 08-10-2011, 10:30 AM   #3
colonel00
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I haven't cooked on my COS in quite a while but I do remember a few things. First, I gave up on trying any sort of Minion Method. Basically I just had to get the coals going and then refill as necessary. Now, with all the mods you have done, it does seem that you are restricting the flow through the system. I would scale the mods back a bit and then take baby steps in progressions. Maybe take out the bricks and just try with the baffle. I would say that you might want to open up that baffle too. I would guess that you are holding and losing a lot of heat out of the firebox before it ever gets a chance to move into the smoke chamber.
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Old 08-10-2011, 10:32 AM   #4
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One more thing I noticed in that last picture. Your coals are sitting just as high if not higher than the opening to the smoke chamber. That right there is going to cause issues.
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Old 08-10-2011, 10:42 AM   #5
luke duke
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Quote:
Originally Posted by william cannon View Post

the mods:
· dual grate level thermometers
looks good

· sealed the lids with rtv silicon (mostly sealed – still tiny cracks in the smoke chamber on the far side).
i've never tried this, but it can't hurt. I don't know how long the silicon will last with the heat.

· mostly sealed the firebox side door with aluminum flashing and rtv caulk (the bottom hasn't been sealed because it’s curved). No pic.
you can jam small pieces of aluminum foil in any cracks you want to seal. Remember - redneck:duct tape::pitmaster:aluminum foil

· lowered the smoke stack
looks good

· 22 gauge steel baffle covering the bottom half of the opening, which angles down to the bottom and extends 12 inches. Note: There is a piece of junk metal in the pick, which is not normally there.
i would bend it a little more so it doesn't cover so much of the hole. You might also consider tapering it a little so it isn't as wide as you get closer to the smoke stack or just drill holes like you mentioned. More/bigger holes the further you get from the firebox.

·
10 gauge steel tuning plates (which sit about two inches from the grate). I have a variety of 4" and 6" plates that can cover more than the entire area if needed.
· 4 bricks wrapped in foil
it's pretty tough to get tuning plates dialed in on a pit that small. I would try messing with the pit for a while before adding the tuning plates. I've never used bricks, but adding mass is a double-edged sword. Adding mass will increase the time that it takes your pit to heat up, but it should maintain temp better after it heats up. You can try preheating the bricks in your firebox or oven prior to cooking.

· waterpan next to the smoke stack. No pic.
i've never used a waterpan, but in addition to adding moisture, you are adding mass. Mass that won't get over 212f.

· 10”x10”x6” expanded steel coal basket with 2 snake/maze plates made of left over 22 gauge steel.
looks good. Make sure that you have a means to clean the ash out from under the basket while you are cooking.
You are trying a lot of different mods at once. I would ditch the bricks, water and tuning plates for a few cooks. Add one thing at a time after that.
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Old 08-10-2011, 11:05 AM   #6
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OK My .02 You have done a very nice job and you will make it happen, it just takes time.

First, an offset is a stick burner. You are 100% charcoal. That right there is part of the problem.

Your baffle as the Colonel said, might be just a little to big. I like them to just cover the hole enough to force the smoke down under the cooking grates.

He is right about the fire box being too high. And the baffles in the fire box. I think they should go away. That would restrict the amount of fuel you are burning. Again this is more of a stick burner. You need a bunch of fuel to get her temp up.

I can't see how low you have extended the chimney. I like them almost to the bottom of the chamber. Again that will help keep the heat in and also the smoke.

Good luck with that nice lookin cooker. I just found one on CL and will start the mods soon.
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Old 08-10-2011, 11:37 AM   #7
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> I can't see how low you have extended the chimney. I like them almost to the bottom of the chamber. Again that will help keep the heat in and also the smoke.


I think you're right about the air flow being blocked, and I think the problem is actually that you have lowered your exhaust/chimney intake. Heat, rises. You've hindered the flow by lowering the intake. Try it with all the other mods and remove that can, see if most of your other problems dont go away...
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Old 08-10-2011, 12:51 PM   #8
William Cannon
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Quote:
Originally Posted by colonel00 View Post
One more thing I noticed in that last picture. Your coals are sitting just as high if not higher than the opening to the smoke chamber. That right there is going to cause issues.
Ideally where should the coals be sitting in relation to the opening? I don't think they sit higher, but it is pretty high off the bottom to allow ample room for ash.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:02 PM   #9
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The best mod I made to my Char-Griller Off-Set, after all the other mods, was an iQUE 110. Seriously!! The darn thing just did what ever it wanted. I was constantly farting around with the tuning plates, air intake, lump/briquettes/sticks, tweaking the mods and the temp still bounced all over the place. The iQUE 110 solved pretty much all of that. Good luck, and may the force of patience be with you! Cheers!!!
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:26 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by William Cannon View Post
Ideally where should the coals be sitting in relation to the opening? I don't think they sit higher, but it is pretty high off the bottom to allow ample room for ash.
It's hard for me to really say. However, in the picture there is a large portion of the firebox that is "above" the opening to the smoke chamber. So, think about how much heat is going straight up from the coals and being held there. Without a good draft, it will be harder to get that air flowing into the smoke chamber. As was suggested, you might reduce some of the mods and go from there. Also, get some lump charcoal to reduce ash and try with more lit charcoal in the basket.
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Old 08-10-2011, 01:43 PM   #11
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I really can't help with the offset temps. But will say that you'll get much better poultry results by cooking at higher temps, like 325-350. Low and slow doesn't really work on poultry, it just ends up drying out and the skin will be rubbery.
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Old 08-10-2011, 03:21 PM   #12
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I really can't help with the offset temps. But will say that you'll get much better poultry results by cooking at higher temps, like 325-350. Low and slow doesn't really work on poultry, it just ends up drying out and the skin will be rubbery.
Really now?

It seems that as always there is a bunch of opinions, mine included, take a few hours to absorb all the information, then start with the easiest and work from there. Just one at a time until you find the right combination that works for you.
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Old 08-10-2011, 10:23 PM   #13
William Cannon
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Originally Posted by colonel00 View Post
It's hard for me to really say. However, in the picture there is a large portion of the firebox that is "above" the opening to the smoke chamber.
I looked at the smoker again; the bottom of the coal basket sits about 5.5" to 6" below the opening. The pictures must warp the relation between the two.


Quote:
Originally Posted by El Ropo View Post
I really can't help with the offset temps. But will say that you'll get much better poultry results by cooking at higher temps, like 325-350. Low and slow doesn't really work on poultry, it just ends up drying out and the skin will be rubbery.
As a blind rule, I agree especially with the skin (if the skin is important to you). However, some of the best dang poultry I've had has been low and slow brined or beer canned birds for that matter.


Quote:
Originally Posted by hamiltont View Post
The best mod I made to my Char-Griller Off-Set, after all the other mods, was an iQUE 110. Seriously!!
Yeah, if money was no object I would have bought one too, but then by the time it was all said and done I could have bought a nice smoker. In the meantime, I did make this little contraption with some stuff I had laying around the house while the smoker was going.



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Old 08-11-2011, 12:45 AM   #14
smokin bohunk
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When I made mod's (exhaust and baffle) to my offset I bought a roll of aluminum flashing actually still using it on exhaust cut a length roll it up and stick it into exhaust, it unrolls and fits perfectly you can adjust depth into your smoker all you want until you figure out what works for you! Little thin for a true baffle but you would be amazed It will get you close and it is cheap! Couple tools or a vise and you can bend it to about whatever position you want.
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