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exhaust damper settings

The_Kapn

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Tim
Capt,
No one else is biting--so I will.

I am new to all of this, but the premise of the system seems to violate most everything I have learned here.

Also--My smoking experience is strictly Bandera. Would probably vary for other smokers. Also, I am a 100% wood burner.

Enough disclaimers.

I went to their site and reviewed all their literature. Interesting!

In it's most simple terms, they are restricting or accelerating the exhaust vent. That may work if you have an unlimited source of fuel dispensed into the firebox at a rate to match their requirement for heat over a long burn. Maybe BigAls basket would help here.

Also, I was taught that "vents open", free airflow, preheating "quality seasoned wood", and attention to details yields consistant results. I am a believer!!! If some computer starts choking off my exhaust-----? Sorry, I am addicted to "clear blue" smoke!

Restricting the exhaust has led to "white smoke" almost every time I have seen it done- (In the Bandera). I am even removing the plate on the exhaust in my new "Mod'ed" smoke box.

They are not bashful about the need for "no air leaks". Sorry, I never saw one of those cookers! There is no way that choking off the exhaust would put out the fire in any smoker I have ever seen--unless it was totally air-tight. Ain't gonna happen.

I guess that my basic problem with the concept is that exhaust control is not the key to fire and smoke control! There are just too many factors and variables for it to be that simple!

Now, I have toyed with the thought that a fan in the exhaust might be handy to "Dump" bad smoke or bring temps down in a hurry. But, I can do that by opening the smoke chamber door or the fire box door myself.

Besides, if my job as the "Southern Brethren Pit Bitch" was automated--I would have to look for other work :cry:

I think quality smoke and good heat control is a bit of "Voodoo Black Magic" and attention to detail! Ya learn that here--not with a
black box"!

Just my nickles worth from one real Captain to another!

TIM
 
Perhaps splitting this thread is in order. The subject of exhaust damper settings has been raised and I'm going to give my opinion.

"Always full open" on the exhaust damper is absolutely sound advice for rookies. That being said, type of fire (all wood, predominately wood, charcoal basket or other varitations of the Minion method) enters greatly into the need for full open up top.
Given no extended burn method is in play I still question "always full open". If bad (white) smoke is a problem going full open is the first correction I would make.
If you have your wood or mostly wood fire going and the firebox damper is adjusted anywhere less than full open, common sense tells me that setting the top damper to allow more exhaust than you have inlet air is just letting heat escape more quickly than is necessary. I have experimented with top damper settings and staying in the ballpark of mirroring the firebox damper settings doesn't cause bad smoke and minor changes from this point allow for fine tuning pit temps by + or - a few degrees. I also think reducing the top damper setting to equal the inlet damper will pay some dividends in maintaining temps this winter when some of us will be cooking in weather 40* and lower, overall fuel efficiency should improve also.
 
kcquer said:
Perhaps splitting this thread is in order. The subject of exhaust damper settings has been raised and I'm going to give my opinion.
Scott may be right here.
I keep exhaust wide open and plead guilty to being a "rookie".
I am 100% wood burner after an initial shot of KindsFord on startup.
I use 2-3 oak chunks per hour. Each is 8-10" and "beer can" diameter. I "tend the fire" every 45 min to 1 hour, depending on temp trend.
My new rebar firegrate should extend this some-just need to get time to test it!
I am happy with all of this, but could always do better.
On occasion, I do throttle the intake up to 50% for a few minutes.
My "pre-Brethren" esperience under the "expert guidance" of a friend led to disaster as I choked off the exhaust.
So, I would love to learn more about exhaust control.
TIM
 
I started playing with exhaust damper settings because the instructions that came with my cimarron recommends less than full open for normal operation.
My "pre-Brethren" esperience under the "expert guidance" of a friend led to disaster as I choked off the exhaust.

A lot of people I know that don't have the benefit of the Brethren, try to operate a smoker just like a woodburning stove. This will lead to bad smoke every time (again given we're talking an all or mostly wood fire). A quick glance at the dampers on my BSKD reveals by design that with both dampers full open there is by design a bit of flow restriction at the exhaust. There are 6 slots at each damper and the ones in the exhaust are smaller. Within a certain range of attempting to maintain equal settings the exhaust can be manipulated to either exhaust excess heat or retain the heat a bit longer, Fire size is still the main variable to pit temp but the exhaust can be used to fine tune without ill effects.
I also believe that reducing the overall cfm airflow through the pit can reduce drying of briskets. None of these flow reducing measures should be undertaken at the expense of "good smoke".
So, I would love to learn more about exhaust control
This my friend is all about trial and error, and it's very difficult to assign contants to something that is so full of variables. Each cook brings different breeze, ambient temp and humidity (effects moisture content of fuel as well as combustion factors) conditions,not to mention how much or how little stuff you have inside the smokebox. Just try adjusting the exhaust a bit and watch your digital and make sure your smoke stays clean. If you get positive results experiment some more, if you just get bad smoke for your efforts leave it full open. I've had success sustaining smaller fires this way and think its worth a try.
 
KCQUER cover the subject well, I just want say a little about burning all wood in a cooker of this size and using exhaust as temp control. I always recommend to new cooks using small offsets to leave the exhaust open and to use charcoal as your base (easier to control temp and produce less gases that we don't want on our food).
A charcoal basket will make temp control much easier and over all operating cost will go down. Cooking in brown paper bags and foiling techniques were developed by wood burners to protect the meat from over smoking. Were you cooking on a larger Klose for example you can easier burn logs because the volume of air you are moving is much larger, but even on these unit controling pit temp with the exhaust is something to avoided.
There is no shame in using charcoal, it's all about making clean smoke and producing the very best Q.
 
I always use my heat sheild when smoking because I do small loads. I open the top damper full at the start of the burn and then watch the air temp digital below the heat shield. When I close the damper to 1/4 open there is an immediate temp rise on the air digital. And I have not observed any change in the color of the smoke. Using Kingsford and wood chuncks for flavor. But what works here, is always different because of the 6,700 ft altitude and low oxegn content per cubic foot of air as we found when when testing the basket dividers both here and at Phil's (sea level).

I leave the fire box damper wide open due to thin air. I don't recall ever being able to get smoke chamber above 260 F regardless of the ammount of fuel load in the fire box.
 
Jim and all the others--I am getting educated--love it!
There is no shame in using charcoal, it's all about making clean smoke and producing the very best Q.
I am 100% wood cause I have an abundant supply and the cost is about Zippo, since we burn a lot (3 or more full cords) of firewood in the winter anyway. I just cull out the Primo pieces and treat them like the Royalty they are! :lol:
Keep up the ideas--
Thanks,
TIM
 
I just read through this. Great info.

I think I saw it here, but just in case, wind, thats my problem. I was cooking in 25mph wind a last weekend, and the damper on the firebox needed to be nearly completely closed, due to how fast the draw was against the chimney.

Normal operation though (without wind) is full open on all.
 
A quick glance at the dampers on my BSKD reveals by design that with both dampers full open there is by design a bit of flow restriction at the exhaust. There are 6 slots at each damper and the ones in the exhaust are smaller.

Wanted to correct and update this info. There are 7 inlet vents with a total area of 21 sq inches. There are 6 exhaust slots with a total of 6 sq inches of exhaust area. It would seem there is quite a bit of exhaust restriction in the design of this smoker.
I would be curious to know the numbers on the CB/NB Bandera, and if they (inlet and exhaust) are closer to being equal.
 
Bill
In wind like you discribed do you move the pit based on wind direction?
 
jminion said:
Bill
In wind like you discribed do you move the pit based on wind direction?

Sometimes, but I have very limited space.

Got like a 10x12 concrete slab patio, facing the south west. There is a clearing and forect preserve behind us, so wind is almost always a factor.

I am about 45 miles east of Chicago, right at the northern tip of Tornado alley.

If and when I ever get a deck, I will add some sort of wind block structure to it.

I often will use a wind deflector mod. Got all kinds of stuff. I put the WSM in a box, I prop a 4x6 sheet of plywood against my gas grill, even use a refrigerator box tied up against my cooking cart.

On a really windy day, when I got a couple units going, my yard looks like Sanford and Son.

Turkey fryer and lighting chimneys is my biggest pain (on a blowy winter day)
 
Bill if you live east of Chicago, water is a much bigger
problem than wind.
Mikeg
 
MikeG said:
Bill if you live east of Chicago, water is a much bigger
problem than wind.
Mikeg

Oops. Your right. 45 miles west. (There is an East Chicago though, in Indiana. Rough Place)

Anyway, Jorge doesnt believe the Junk Yard Mod, so I'll post pictures next time.
 
Leftover 'grita mod from the party this weekend is giving me enough cahoneys to put in my .02. The lid on my 'dera in Texas heat is usually about half closed in the summer, and mostly open in the winter. If I lived farther north it would be wide open in the winter.
I have discovered my own mojo to keeping the fire within 225-250 deg F. with a feeding about every forty five minutes. I have heard people talk about leaving the vent wide open, but in Texas it hasn't worked for me....just burns wood too quick and too hot. I just judge the smoke coming out of the stack. If you can't see it, and it smells good, everything is okay. If it's white, you either have wet wood or cold wood. If it is black or green, you are in deep doo doo and better do something quick, like pull off a log and open the vents wider.
I know different folks know what works for them...just admitting that mine doesn't follow "the book" but people scarf it down anyway. :)
 
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