Burnin' Sticks

[Cap'nPat]

In the past I've used charcoal as my primary heat source with mesquite chips for flavor, but on another thread a lot of members have suggested using wood only with my vertical COS. I'd love any tips on regulating temperature when using wood, which I read can be more difficult than charcoal.

Pat

Dyna-Glo vertical offset

 

[Joe Black]

When wood burns down to a bed of coals, it's just charcoal. Work to learn how to keep a small hot fire that continues to maintain a good hot bed of coals. A lot is in knowing how your smoker burns the wood and when to add wood. I think a big thing is to always pre-heat your splits so that when you add wood, the splits ignite very quickly. This helps greatly with temp drops.

Good luck, there are several heat management videos on here. Joe

 

[jwtseng]

On my stickburner (horizontal offset), I shoot for having a fully burning woodfire at all times...no smoldering! This is the cleanest burning fire, releasing the most combustion gases favorable to smoke ring formation and IMHO best smoke flavor (not oversmoked, creosote laden, bitter flavor).

To do this, I keep all intake and exhaust dampers wide open. In fact, unless it's a really windy day, I usually burn with my firebox door wide open too. That ensures that the fire gets all the oxygen that it needs. Since there is no regulating how the fire burns with this method, the only other way to control temps in the cooker is to manage the size of the fire with fuel. Need higher temps? Then put more wood on. But generally keep a small but hot and fully burning fire going at all times. Add small splits when temperature starts to dip to maintain the fire.

 

[Cap'nPat]

how much wood should I have on hand. I'm making ribs and trying to decide between hickory and mesquite.

Pat

Dyna-Glo vertical offset

 

[Joe Black]

If you start with a 2/3 basket of RO lump and light it with 2/3 chimney of RO Bria's, you will establish a good bed of coals. If you are using well seasoned oak splits about the size of a soda can and about 10-12" long, about 15 splits should last 3-1/2 to 4 hours if you are cooking at 250-275*. When I cook baby backs, that's about where I stand overall.

A lot will depend on how your cooker holds heat, what size your cooker is, what temp your cooker likes to run, how often you look at your meat, what type of wood you use, how well seasoned the wood is, what the outside temp is, how windy it is, and about 47 or 13 other important things that are all lumped under train and error as well as practice, practice, practice.

Good luck and good smokin', I hate to be so negative, but you'll know it when you get there. However, the trip is absolutely awesome.

 

[BBQ Freak]

the smaller splits are easier to control a steady fire and do not worry about it spiking a little and coming back down , a lot of people over think it and think you haft to stay at one exact temp . my temp will fluctuate + or - 25 degrees each way .

 

[cats49er]

You might try a practice run to help you learn your smoker using wood without cooking anything.

 

[1MoreFord]

how much wood should I have on hand. I'm making ribs and trying to decide between hickory and mesquite.

Pat

Dyna-Glo vertical offset

Start with Hickory, Oak, or Pecan. No Mesquite till you know what you're doing.

 

[MOTU]

on my stickburner (horizontal offset), i shoot for having a fully burning woodfire at all times...no smoldering! This is the cleanest burning fire, releasing the most combustion gases favorable to smoke ring formation and imho best smoke flavor (not oversmoked, creosote laden, bitter flavor).

To do this, i keep all intake and exhaust dampers wide open. In fact, unless it's a really windy day, i usually burn with my firebox door wide open too. That ensures that the fire gets all the oxygen that it needs. Since there is no regulating how the fire burns with this method, the only other way to control temps in the cooker is to manage the size of the fire with fuel. Need higher temps? Then put more wood on. But generally keep a small but hot and fully burning fire going at all times. Add small splits when temperature starts to dip to maintain the fire.

^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^

 

[Texan79423]

You cook on coals and add wood to produce smoke and keep your coal base. I suggest you just take a day and learn you pit. Add a chimney of coals (charcoal or lump) then add wood till you got a fire and coals. Close it in and play with intake and exhaust and watch the exhaust. Your exhaust tells the story not the temp gauge

Playing with pit and learn to manage the fire first is a heck of a lot cheaper than messing up a bunch of $$ meat. Once you got the fire management down cook some cheap chicken leg quarters. Good for pit seasoning too

The most important thing is relax, have a few beers, don't worry about temps and spikes, just have fun and enjoy yourself. Once you know the pit and fire management it will all come together for you. Another thing when cooking the only door you need to open is the fire box door to add fuel. If you opening the cook chamber your loosing heat and creating draft. If you looking your not cooking.

If I did not have a pit to entertain me I would likely come home build me a whiskey (or Few) and build a fire in the backyard and cook marshmellows to unwind.

 

[Springram]

No question the use of smaller splits about the diameter of your forearm, etc ( unless you are Popeye) really help with better temperature control. If my splits are too wide, I split them again using a short (14") handle splitting axe and a 3 lb drilling hammer. No long handle maul for me...I am a 3 time back surgery loser.

 

[Joe Black]

No question the use of smaller splits about the diameter of your forearm, etc ( unless you are Popeye) really help with better temperature control. If my splits are too wide, I split them again using a short (14") handle splitting axe and a 3 lb drilling hammer. No long handle maul for me...I am a 3 time back surgery loser.

A couple of months ago I bought a "Kindling Kutter" from Northern Tool and it's a dream for my old back. It really works great for all my splits. Google it and watch the video. Best $100 I've ever spent. Joe

 

[Springram]

A couple of months ago I bought a "Kindling Kutter" from Northern Tool and it's a dream for my old back. It really works great for all my splits. Google it and watch the video. Best $100 I've ever spent. Joe

That really is a nice looking tool for making smaller splits. I can see why you like like it. If i did not already have my small axe and hammer, I would be on the way to Northern Tool.

My axe is a Fireside Friend Splitting Axe by Estwing. It weighs 4 lbs. With the hammer at 3 lbs, I only need a couple of wacks to split my already cut 8" splits when they are too thick.

Us "back guys" need all the help we can get.

 

[m-fine]

I do not do the wide open vents. I keep the exhaust wide open, and definitely do not choke a wood fire to smoldering, but I do restrict intake air to only give it a bit more than it needs. If you run wide open the chimney effect sucks a lot of air through and heat out. That means you need to burn much more wood, and you will have very high flow of hot DRY air to dry out your meat.

You need to learn to manage the temps by building a small fire and adding small thin splits and use the air controls to manage air flow to keep the fire burning clean. You will find there is less water loss with unfoiled meats and good smoke penetration. If you mess up, it is better to let the smoker get too hot for a bit than to smolder the fire and get bad flavor.