HELP...struggling with temperature control!

[spauld]

Took delivery of a Yoder Wichita stick burner recently and having big time issues contolling the smoke and cooking temps. Hoping i can provide some details, then get some advice from experiened folks: I'm starting my cooks with one or two big chimneys of hot lump, then tossing in one or two small splits of Hickory with the fire box door wide open. While the cooking chamber is heating up, i have more splits pre-warming on top the fire box. In 30m or so i'm up to 250F and ready to start cooking. Here's where things go wrong. Whenever I try to close the firebox door to start controlling the temps my stack starts puffing thick white smoke cuz the fire begins to smolder. I'm using dry, well aged wood, so what gives? Geez, Nevermind trying to adjust the damper, can't even close the dang door! Really makes no sense and I'm burning through way too much wood for a typical cook. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[RolandJT]

Waiting for the more experienced stick burners to chime in.

I would say from the brief description that you have too much fuel going at once.

Starting with 2 chimneys of lump seems excessive as does adding 2 splits.

I would recommend starting with 1/2 or 1 chimney of coals and adding 1 split at a time. Try this and see if you can't get clean burning firs at your desired temp.

 

[bryonlr]

How long does it white smoke after you close the door? Your choking it somehow, thick white smoke is usually wet wood or low air flow. Like Roland said try adding 1 split let it catch then add your your second.

 

[Ag76]

Took delivery of a Yoder Wichita stick burner recently and having big time issues contolling the smoke and cooking temps. Hoping i can provide some details, then get some advice from experiened folks: I'm starting my cooks with one or two big chimneys of hot lump, then tossing in one or two small splits of Hickory with the fire box door wide open. While the cooking chamber is heating up, i have more splits pre-warming on top the fire box. In 30m or so i'm up to 250F and ready to start cooking. Here's where things go wrong. Whenever I try to close the firebox door to start controlling the temps my stack starts puffing thick white smoke cuz the fire begins to smolder. I'm using dry, well aged wood, so what gives? Geez, Nevermind trying to adjust the damper, can't even close the dang door! Really makes no sense and I'm burning through way too much wood for a typical cook. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I would say you should cut back on the lump and maybe the wood too to control the temp. Leave the firebox door open so that the fire can get plenty of air which will result in a clean burn with thin blue and/or clear smoke.

 

[lantern]

I think you're using too much lump to start. One chimney or less is where I've always started and that includes some fairly big cookers over the years. Also, how thick are your sticks? I've never liked much more than wrist sized sticks. Anything thicker can try to smolder sometimes.


When you have so much fuel the door is supplying just enough to keep it from smoldering. The fire is burning but not as hot as it could if it was smaller with more pathways for the air to feed it throughout. Less is more here.

 

[cats49er]

What size splits are you using? It is suggested by most to use splits about the size of a drink can.In a stick burner you control the temp by the size of the fire,not by the size of your coal bed.The primary use of the coal bed is to ignite the splits.You might try this,start with a 1/2 chimney of charcoal.Then add 2 small splits.Let it burn and watch your temps.When it gets as hot as it will go and temps star to drop,add 3 small splits.See what kind of temp you get and if you get TBS.Keep doing this and adding one more split until you get to the max temp you think you would cook at.Take note on the size of fire and coal bed you have at the different temps.Once the splits are a blaze fully, you can most often close the fire box door.But if you close it and you get bad smoke,open it back up. I run my Lang with the fire box door cracked open quit often.How much opened depends on how much more fresh air the fire needs to burn clean.Hope this helps in the learning process for you.

 

[al_pastor]

I don't have a stick burner, so I'm no expert. But everything I have seen from Aaron Franklin, he uses his firebox door exclusively to control air intake. I don't think he even puts a damper for intake anywhere. So don't sweat it if your door is open. So is his.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Why are s there 2 threads on this ?

 

[spauld]

Thanks folks, I think there is some great info here and more for me to tinker with. Funny that at another forum, there was the suggestion that my coal bed was not significant enough, hence my attempt to bolster it with TWO chimneys of lump. My idea, not the folks on the other forum. I'll back off on the starting charcoal and try some of the ideas y'all provided. The sticks are mostly 'wrist sized'. I did figure that larger logs would tend to smolder since that's what sometimes happens in my wood stove. And the puffy white smokes starts pretty much immediately after I attempt to close the firebox door!

I do appreciate the help. I know there is a learning curve here, so I'm not worried, just wanting to dial it in sooner rather than later. And YES...I've watched the BBQ with Franklin stuff on PBS, so I knew I was ultimately OK leaving the firebox door open, just want to see if I can dial this in well enough to actually use the thing with the door closed and the butterfly vent adjusted. May be that I can't. Again, many thanks. ...and of course I'm eating my experiments! LOL

 

[yakdung]

I noticed your altitude in Arvada is 5,453′. Think that could be a factor?

 

[Bludawg]

Don't use so farking much charcoal you have to much fuel in the FB and the intake opening can't support it. I use less than a chimney about 1/2unlit and 1/4 lit along with 2 splits to get to temp 30-45 min. I add a split when I add the meat then 1 every 40 min or so.