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Stickburners! [Poll]

What is your vent set up?

  • Exhaust and firebox vents open

    Votes: 27 28.1%

  • Exhaust open, firebox open to closed, depending on temp target

    Votes: 56 58.3%

  • Both vents closed, control temp through cracking one

    Votes: 3 3.1%

  • What are vents?

    Votes: 10 10.4%
  • Total voters
    96
  • Poll closed .
SirPorkaLot

SirPorkaLot

somebody shut me the fark up.
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Location
Homeworth, OH
Name or Nickame
John
(Based on this interesting topic brought up in another thread)
How is your exhaust vents/dampers and firebox vents set up?


What temps do you run on average?

For bonus points, how much wood do you go through and what brand smoker?
 
Last edited:
Exhaust and firebox open. I control temps by size of splits and the amount I add. Basically I go by the size of the fire. As for temps well that depends sometimes I go low and slow and other times I like to run at 325°.

I don't keep track of the amount of wood I use but I'm in a relatively warm humid climate here in NE Florida running a Lang 36 patio.
 
Last edited:
I control temp with the size of the fire, although I may reduce the amount that the intake or exhaust is open to slow the velocity of the air moving into or out of it. I run around 275*, ebbs and flows as logs burn. I go through a 2-3 beer can thick 18” splits an hour in a 250g Shirley RF.
 
Run my Shirley with intake and exhaust at different openness depending on how much heat I need, ie. how much meat is in the cooker. Generally exhaust 1/2 to open and intake 1/2 open. Produces thin blue and keeps temps better regulated, fluctuations of about 30-40 degrees. Still learning…

Used to run really small pieces of wood but recently switched to splits. Flavor of the latter is unmatched.
 
That’s amazing, not sure how ya do it though.

If I ran mine wide open I’d be pushing 400F with the smallest of fires
 
I’m in the Open Exhaust/ Almost closed Firebox vent camp on my Shirley 24x36 and I typically run it close to 275 for everything I put in it. Once to temp, I probably use 2 splits an hour, but mine could be on the small side from what others use.
Like my Shirley so much I’m working with Paul now to build me another Patio Model this time with an elevated straight back cook chamber and a rotated warmer, both hipped roof. Looking forward to the experience of working with Paul.
 
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Stack with 18" extension wide open
Door cracked about 4-6"

Temperature? Well if I'm in a go fast mode I put meats closer to fire no deflecting from firebox to cook chamber. Meatloaf - thighs- abts etc etc. Slow it down by using deflecting baffled and place opposition firebox. I can amp up temp on thermometer by fire size. Usually I run about 275-300 on thermometer, cook by look and feel with no electronics until the end.

Bottom line I adjust food inside the cook chamber rather than my fire in firebox. My not so C anymore COS works well but it's quite a bit hotter near firebox. And can get really hot if deflect -baffle MSU system is not in place
 
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LSG 24x48, 24 oz beer can size splits every 40-50 minutes, exhaust full open, intake 2-3" on the slider, 250*-275* most of the time. If I need hotter more wood.
 
SMOKE FREAK said:
Airflow is key.
All vents open.

Only reason to adjust vents is if I F-up and make the fire too big.
So I don't do that...much...
Click to expand...


My Shirley drafts like a freight train with the firebox door almost closed, with nice clean smoke.

I don’t think i could improve anything with it open, except make it hotter.


I have owned offsets where this wasn’t the case, but not this one
 
I think I made my thoughts known in the "moderately priced wood splitter" thread.
I favor smaller fires burning with maximum air flow. I keep my fire box vent at least 50% open the vast majority of the time. I believe that the importance of maintaining a constant temp is vastly overrated. The protein does not know the difference. Once the meat is tender it is tender no matter how it got there.
I have owned every type of smoker other than a pellet cooker (I have been surrounded by friends with pellet cookers). I believe that at it's core BBQ is kind of boring. There are only so many things you can smoke and only so many ways to change up basic recipes. Stick burners make cooking Q much more interesting. There is an art to maintaining an optimum fire that is entirely missing with all other types of smokers. The selection of the wood, the seasoning of it, the cutting size, the building and maintenance of the fire in varying weather conditions, these are the things that make for a pit master and not just a cook.
None of this is fact-just my humble opinion.
 
None of the above. Exhaust partially closed, firebox vent fully open or closed a bit (never more than 1/3).

I control the temp with size of splits and timing I put them on.

I used to run full open, but started closing the exhaust again after watching Jirby/Johnny White/Goldee’s talk about doing so. Nothing new there though, that’s how the manual for my Horizon says to do it, and it was likely written decades ago.

Better heat retention without the exhaust wide open. Things cook quicker, I use less wood and I get a better smoke flavor
 
The Franklin pit doesn't have a stack damper so I run stack open and door either open, cracked or closed depending on how it's running. Door shut actually makes the pit hotter.
I run 275 to 300 on small splits. I'll use bigger splits if I need some time away from the pit.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
The Franklin pit doesn't have a stack damper so I run stack open and door either open, cracked or closed depending on how it's running. Door shut actually makes the pit hotter.
I run 275 to 300 on small splits. I'll use bigger splits if I need some time away from the pit.
Click to expand...


Well that’s interesting.

So Franklin decided there was no need for a stack damper on their smoker?

The only time I close mine is when I’m not smoking, to keep the rain and varmints out of the inside.
 
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