Temp control/blue smoke control on new stick burner

C

Cheech and Chong

Got Wood.
Joined
Aug 19, 2021
Messages
47
Reaction score
17
Points
0
Location
Subic Bay, Philippines
Hello all,

I am seasoning my new smoker today and I am having some trouble with temp and smoke.

The smoke chamber is 33 x 18 and it's 1/4 steel. I wiped the chamber down with cooking oil, lit some charcoal and brought it up to 250. I preheated some logs and then threw them on. My problem is if I close the intake vent to keep the temp down, the smoke is the bad cloudy smoke. When I open the intake more I get clearer blue smoke but the temps jump up to 300. I cant seem to get the temp down to 225-275 AND get the clear blue smoke. Could the wood be to moist? I really don't want to cook next weekend and have that crap thick smoke coming out. Any advice?
 
Crakaveli said:
too much wood? splits too big?
Click to expand...

Yes I agree. The splits are 8 inches long and I think I need to cut them in half and try and make chunks out of them. Also, I think the ones with bark create the bad smoke. Any truth to that?

I think the coals are spreading out too much so I think I will have a small metal basket made to keep the coals together and then I can just throw heated chunks on there. I went with the 1/4 inch steel even though it never gets below 70 degrees here. This thing holds the heat very well.
 
cleanest smoke is going to happen when you just let an offset breath and control the temp with the size of the fire. It will take a cook or 2 to learn what size fire your pit likes to run, don't worry about temp so much, in the summer here where its about *100 every day my pits are at *150-*175 with no fire in them.

*275 is the new *225
 
8" is a pretty short split. Try splitting them lengthwise, to make them smaller in diameter. Cutting in half, across the width, will just give you chunks that won't expose more of the wood. My Shirley needs splits about 15" long and about the diameter of a soft drink/beer can. I take a split from my wood supplier and split it once or twice more lengthwise to get the sizes I need.
 
cdhbrad said:
8" is a pretty short split. Try splitting them lengthwise, to make them smaller in diameter. Cutting in half, across the width, will just give you chunks that won't expose more of the wood. My Shirley needs splits about 15" long and about the diameter of a soft drink/beer can. I take a split from my wood supplier and split it once or twice more lengthwise to get the sizes I need.
Click to expand...

OK, I will try splitting the long way too. I think this smoker will be very fuel efficient. Even though it's never cold here, I am glad I upgraded to 1/4 steel.
 
- splits too wide and/or long for the firebox. What size is it? My firebox is 16x21" and I use 8 to 9" long, Red Bull to Coke can-wide splits
- don't choke the fire down, leave the door open 2" at minimum
- same as above, keep the exhaust vent wide open on the stack
 
sandro said:
- splits too wide and/or long for the firebox. What size is it? My firebox is 16x21" and I use 8 to 9" long, Red Bull to Coke can-wide splits
- don't choke the fire down, leave the door open 2" at minimum
- same as above, keep the exhaust vent wide open on the stack
Click to expand...

The firebox is 16 x 16. Also 1/4 steel. I kept the exhaust wide open. Are you saying leave the firebox door open 2 inches or open the intake door 3 inches?

yYjdSML.jpg

lYJU8j3.jpg

vGo6F5Y.jpg

BTMvVlC.jpg

yldTEIb.jpg
 
You have a vent in the Door…..leave the door closed and control the temp by opening the vent. My Shirley is at 275 in this photo…..it doesn’t take much air once you have that coal bed going.
 

Attachments

  • 18058CDC-1F4D-4AEC-8D14-BB0B41D4D4F8.jpg
    18058CDC-1F4D-4AEC-8D14-BB0B41D4D4F8.jpg
    48.6 KB · Views: 203
Use smaller wood. Cut splits or split your splits.

275* is Best BBQ temp - so bounce between 250*-325*
 
cdhbrad said:
You have a vent in the Door…..leave the door closed and control the temp by opening the vent. My Shirley is at 275 in this photo…..it doesn’t take much air once you have that coal bed going.
Click to expand...

I started out with a nice coal bed to get the smoker up to temp, but from then on, I only added wood. Should I keep adding some new coals also during the long cook?

Thanks,

Daves not here man
 
No, the splits you add will make coals. If the wood in your photos are typical size you have, try splitting them again lengthwise. Kindling Cracker works great. Get the XL if you buy one. That is what most of us use.
 
Cheech and Chong said:
I started out with a nice coal bed to get the smoker up to temp, but from then on, I only added wood. Should I keep adding some new coals also during the long cook?

Thanks,

Daves not here man
Click to expand...

Yes. if your wood is too dry it'll burn to Ash and not good red coals.... if so light up half a chimney of charcoal and when it's ashed over add to firebox as needed during a cook - but if your firewood provides nice red coals to add splitts on top of - don't worry about it.
 
Does it have any kind of firebox to cook chamber baffles? Perhaps a strategically placed fire brick or two will help shield from blowtorching your meat.
I struggled with this in my Old Country Pecos, as the stock baffle/deflector blocked good convective airflow. Had to run damper more open to keep the fire lit, in turn, too high (320°-350°) temps.
 
ChrsGuit said:
Does it have any kind of firebox to cook chamber baffles? Perhaps a strategically placed fire brick or two will help shield from blowtorching your meat.
I struggled with this in my Old Country Pecos, as the stock baffle/deflector blocked good convective airflow. Had to run damper more open to keep the fire lit, in turn, too high (320°-350°) temps.
Click to expand...

No baffles. I will keep an eye on that issue and maybe have some kind of baffle installed in the chamber to prevent burning the meat on that side.
 
sackedbysapp said:
Or just bog with it at 300. Let run where it wants too.
Click to expand...

Good thought... but first I will try a ring basket and smaller splits. I would like to be able to control the temp and get it running at 250 maybe even lower once I get more play time with it. But like some of us here, if the good lord says your gonna weigh 300, you aint getting down to 225.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Headgear
New Stick Burner Help
Replies
16
Views
833
cayenne
cayenne
Headgear
I May Have Ruined Some Wood!
Replies
19
Views
1K
Headgear
Headgear
T
New Backwoods Cabinet - How do I get more smoke flavor?
Replies
13
Views
790
snadamo
snadamo
Headgear
New Stick Burner
Replies
17
Views
856
lastmajordude
lastmajordude
Headgear
Pellet Grill Smoke Flavor
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
Headgear
Headgear
Back
Top