The biggest issue I've observed with using logs in the offset vs charcoal in the WSM is the constant tending of the fire. With the WSM I was able to dump in a bag of charcoal, get the coals going, turn on the Auber, and then fall asleep knowing it'd pretty much stay within 1-2° of the desired target temperature. But with the offset, I've had to make adjustments to the air intake pretty regularly. It takes longer to normalize and then if I add another split or open the lid to check on the meat I have to go through the process again. The temperature can range between 20-30° swings. Not that this babysitting was totally unexpected, but it's such a change from the carefree process I'd gotten used to. Ah, I miss those long naps I could attribute to "tending the fire". I tried the Auber which seemed to minimize the big swings but it was way too slow in getting back up to temp. So I ordered the 20 CFM version and I'm trying it today for the first time. The first couple hours has been encouraging with about a 10-20° swing in temperature and about a 10-minute wait to normalize. It's dipping down at the moment because I forgot to set my temperature alarm and I needed to add more fuel, but even now it's recovering nicely. I'll share the graph after the cook is complete. Here's a pic of the 20 CFM and 6 CFM blowers side by side and the smoker temperature hovering around my preferred 250°.
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Last edited by eugenek; July 4, 2015, 11:59 AM. -
Sweeeeeeeet!!
My 6 works great on my kettle and Pit Barrel. -
Sorry I never got around to giving an update. In a nutshell, it's not providing the results I need later in the cook. Each time I've experienced problems keeping the temp up so I end up removing the Auber and managing the vent manually. Today's cook I decided to leave it off entirely. Maybe it's performance is being hindered by the location of the vent (bottom right of firebox) and the amount of ash that builds up?
Two big thumbs up on the WSM, but not so much on the offset. Will continue to experiment when I get a chance.Comment
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What fuel are you using on the offset?Comment
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Oak and pecan logs, I start them with the gas.Comment
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Wood does best with a really small really hot fire. Burns cleaner with less ash.
I'd be leery of using a fan with wood.
To me log burners shouldn't even have vents, just give it all the air it can get, and build the fire accordingly.
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Thanks for the tip on log burning, always room to learn more!Comment
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