Bandera fuel tips/tricks?

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dgrsmoke

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I picked up a Bandera on Craigslist a couple days ago and am planning on running some of the mods listed here to help with bringing it up to heat and maintaining temps (fire bricks, high temp tape for the door, raised firegrate, charcoal basket).

I wanted to ask what your strategy for fuel is. What type of wood is your go to? Wood chunks or logs and how much? Charcoal briquettes or lump, how much, how often? I ran mine yesterday for a 8.5 lb pork butt and ended up using a full 18.6lb bag of Kingsford briquettes, plus a little bit of another bag and a sizeable amount of wood chunks. I had it going for 12 hours and can’t wait to keep playing with it for the next smoke. Thanks in advance!
 
Forget charcoal basket and fire bricks - all it needs is a decent expanded metal raised fire grate, baffle/deflector and flat top lid on the firebox. Oak or Hickory or Pecan Splits.......
Door gaskets are up to you. Leaks don’t hurt nuttin’ - extra exhaust.
 
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I would do chunks so the fire is more manageable. The firebox is 16x20x12” so it is a bit on the small side.
 
SmittyJonz said:
Forget charcoal basket and fire bricks - all it needs it a decent expanded metal raised fire grate, baffle/deflector and flat top lid on the firebox. Oak or Hickory or Pecan Splits.......
Door baskets are up to you. Leaks don’t hurt nuttin’ - extra exhaust.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. Mine is a newer Bandera so it already has the deflector leading into the smok box, so I should be covered on that aspect. I did read a couple things on a flat lid or even welding another sheet of flat metal on the inside of the firebox lid, I can look into that. What’s the benefit of splits over chunks? I usually only see the chunks, but I’m sure if I look around I could get splits (assuming that’s just a term for logs cut into smaller ‘splits’?)
 
If you can keep Decent temps with charcoal - go for it but
It can get pricey running it on charcoal.
 
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SmittyJonz said:
If you can keep Decent temps with charcoal - go for it but
It can get pricey running it on charcoal.
Click to expand...

Yea that’s exactly why I was asking what other people do, I don’t like burning money.
 
SmittyJonz said:
buy a 1/4-1/3 cord of firewood off craigslist. may need to cut them in half to fit the firebox.....start with a 1/2 to full chimney of burning charcoal and 1 split then add a split every 45 minutes.

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143736
.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I’ve read stuff about over smoking meats, but also know of places that use only wood fires so I wasn’t sure. All my previous smokes have been on a Weber kettle with chips.
 
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