Pitmaker safe opinions, exhaust vent positions

H

Hank151

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2018
Messages
22
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Plainview NY
What’s up all just ordered a pitmaker Safe I’ve come across a lot of old posts/threads on them but nothing really current. This will be my first upright smoker anyone familiar with the newer models? Thoughts on them maybe some advice on whether to run the exhaust damper fully open, partially open not really sure what’s best. Some advice from you veterans bbq guys for a newbie would be greatly appreciated.
 
Don't know a lot about the Pitmaker Safe. They look nice but don't really see a lot of people using them on here.

They have the user manual posted online. It has some good info it.

I have a Humphreys Long Weekender which an insulated vertical cabinet as well. They are very efficient cookers and don't need much of a fire to get up to temp. I try to bring it up slowly to make sure I don't overshoot the temp I am looking for. It's a lot easier to add temperature than to reduce it. Once it gets hot that insulation will hold onto it for quite a while.

The Humphreys uses an incredibly small amount of air to run. The Safe is probably similar.

There are some videos on YouTube that will probably get you pointed in the right direction.

Post some some cooks after you get it. Am interested to see how you like it.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
^^^this
The safe is a lot thicker and heavier so it will take longer to come up to temp. Preheating the cook chamber with a weed burner will help. Exhaust and intake don't need to be open much at all once up to temp.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Hey PJtexas thanks for the advice I always was under the impression you have to cook with the exhaust damper wide open all the time so as to not have stale smoke lingering around.
 
Hank151 said:
Hey PJtexas thanks for the advice I always was under the impression you have to cook with the exhaust damper wide open all the time so as to not have stale smoke lingering around.
Click to expand...
That was the hardest thing for me to get used to. The top vent on my UDS runs wide open all the time. If I do that in the Humphreys the temp will sky rocket.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
What’s weird I’m coming from a primo ceramic smoker same thing as a BGE basically. What I always found was if I left the exhaust damper fully open and just had the intake open say 1/4 “ the temp would actually drop. I’m totally not used to cooking with the top open. Gonna take some getting use to. With the primo top and bottom we’re barely open to maintain 225. Just seems to me and again I’m just a backyard cook who loves to play with the smoker, that if the bottom is barely open and the top is fully open wouldn’t you loose more heat then you gain?
 
Hank151 said:
What’s weird I’m coming from a primo ceramic smoker same thing as a BGE basically. What I always found was if I left the exhaust damper fully open and just had the intake open say 1/4 “ the temp would actually drop. I’m totally not used to cooking with the top open. Gonna take some getting use to. With the primo top and bottom we’re barely open to maintain 225. Just seems to me and again I’m just a backyard cook who loves to play with the smoker, that if the bottom is barely open and the top is fully open wouldn’t you loose more heat then you gain?
Click to expand...

More oxygen is still getting into the cooker.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Hank151 said:
Hey PJtexas thanks for the advice I always was under the impression you have to cook with the exhaust damper wide open all the time so as to not have stale smoke lingering around.
Click to expand...
Insulated cabinets are very different than an offset where you are burning large pieces of wood. That takes a lot more oxygen and airflow. Insulated cabinets burn charcoal and need only a small amount of charcoal lit at a given time to keep the cook chamber at your desired temp (once up to temp). I run a maze in mine so i can control exactly how much charcoal is burning. This allows me to have the intake or exhaust a little more open since i don't have to worry about igniting the entire charcoal basket full of charcoal and wood chunks and temps soaring out of control.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
I run a Vault and the exhaust is always wide open when cooking. The ball valve will give you plenty of control. Just need to find your marks is all.

The cooker can hold heat seemingly forever with a tiny fire, but I find I get better results letting more airflow through in the beginning of my cooks and throttling back as the temps start reaching the desired number.

Pitmaker makes a heck of a cooker. I love my vault with the exception of the weight. Just a pain to move it around. Hope you enjoy the safe.
 
Leftwngr said:
I run a Vault and the exhaust is always wide open when cooking. The ball valve will give you plenty of control. Just need to find your marks is all.

The cooker can hold heat seemingly forever with a tiny fire, but I find I get better results letting more airflow through in the beginning of my cooks and throttling back as the temps start reaching the desired number.

Pitmaker makes a heck of a cooker. I love my vault with the exception of the weight. Just a pain to move it around. Hope you enjoy the safe.
Click to expand...
Thanks leftwnger can’t wait to get it. Do you use the water pan? What’s your lighting method? Sry for all the questions trying to get a plan together before it’s on my doorstep lol
 
I had the safe and as Leftwngr said I always ran the exhaust full open and all the adjustment was with the intake. I ran it both with and without water. These smokers hold onto their heat and and I will say this be mindful of your temps, small intake adjustments goes a long way. I always started by preheating with a weed torch and adjusted the intake 30 or more degrees before my desired target temp so as not to over shoot. If you do over shoot adding water will bring it down. Have fun.
 
Glad you pitnaker guys chimed in. They sure run different than most insulated cabinets. Any ideas why?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 
Thanks Stephan looking forward to cooking on it. You ever use one of those gurus on it?
 
Hank151 said:
Thanks Stephan looking forward to cooking on it. You ever use one of those gurus on it?
Click to expand...

As far as Im concerned there is no reason for one. Once you get your temp set it will burn for a long time I did more than a few 12 hour cooks on a single load of coal.
 
Hank151 said:
Thanks leftwnger can’t wait to get it. Do you use the water pan? What’s your lighting method? Sry for all the questions trying to get a plan together before it’s on my doorstep lol
Click to expand...

Water pan - generally, no. Only when my temps get higher than I like or when using bottom shelf. This has more to do with how I bring my cooker up to temp, but more on that in a second.

Lighting method - weed burner to preheat to about 200, charcoal and chunks in a line about 6-7" wide. Light one end and close firebox door, but don't seal completely. Basically, I close the door so the latch engages, but not completely sealed. I do this to ensure the wood burns instead of smolder. Depending how much meat I'm cooking, I will take it to about 250-275, then load the meat. Temp usually drops some, and when it gets to about 260 or so, I'll seal the firebox and close the ball valve about 80%. Cooker will normally hold heat at a solid 275 for hours on end from there.

This method means a hot small fire, so the bottom rack can get a touch hotter than rest of chamber, so if anything is on it, I add some fluid to minimize the hot spot. If nothing on bottom rack then no need for it.
 
Awesome tips thanks. So that line of coals and wood is essentially burning slowly over time not all at once. So by the time you close it all up there’s still unlit charcoal and wood chunks in there wonder what keeps the unlit pieces of wood from smoldering after you close it up I guess at that point the fire is hot enough for them to just light up
 
pjtexas1 said:
Glad you pitnaker guys chimed in. They sure run different than most insulated cabinets. Any ideas why?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with the different designs on some of the other cabinets mentioned but the pitmakers are reverse flow. Maybe that has something to do with it. I've run my vault with the exhaust in several different positions and always seem to go back to leaving it 100% open, even when running in the 160 to 180 range smoking sausage. Also, it might be worth mentioning I use a cyberQ a lot of the time, especially with the lower temp cooks.
 
Hey KW thanks for advice it helps to hear thoughts from all you more experience guys. Was wondering with the Guru how far open do you leave the intake? And also you can get these smokers to run temps that low huh 160-180 range that’s a pleasant surprise I hear a lot of guys saying it’s hard to keep them at low temps I’ll be it those posts were over 5yrs old
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AClarke44
Smoker/grill intake debate
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Steve68
S
H
Pit Maker Safe questions
Replies
1
Views
539
mcyork28
mcyork28
H
Pitmaker safe lighting advice (how do I get that nice blue smoke)
Replies
7
Views
942
W.I.T.W.A.G?
W
D
Cook times and running a 500 gallon Moberg
2
Replies
27
Views
3K
-Chris-
C
M
Grill/Smoker Build advice
Replies
9
Views
484
ebijack
ebijack
Back
Top