To Bark or Not To Bark

[GMDGeek]

Did a cook this weekend, been doing several lately to learn my new R&O Off-Sets ways and learned something about wood.

Last week I had posted asking about 2-3" pecan limbs that I had gathered from my buddy's house. They had been cut and stacked in a dry location and aged for about 6 months. I couldn't get the things to burn to save my life! Ended up switching to my split oak.

It may have been in part to where I was cooking. The wind kept changing direction (was more of a refreshing breeze) and would either come perpendicular to the firebox or blow gently into it. I notice with the dampers half open that when the breeze blew perpendicular to the firebox that the temp wouldn't take a drop but that the fire would start having issues.

So 2 big questions:
1. Those with Off-Set cookers - when setting up your pits how do you position the firebox for handling breezes? How do you position your pits for heavy wind?

2. Those with Off-Set cookers - I am leaning towards SPLIT wood and not un-split rounds, such as from smaller tree limbs. What are y'all's thoughts on this?

Thanks,
G

 

[Lake Dogs]

I live on a lake; my smoker is +-200 feet from the shore. It's too large to move around, so in answer to your first question; I dont move it. Regardless of type of wind and/or direction, it stays the same.

For the second question, I use fairly large VERY dry (and warmed usually) splits. It's RARE that I use an unsplt limb section.