New JAMBO!!!

[PaulstheRibList]

Special shout-out to Huskee, Spinaker, and PaulstheRibList for helping me with my decision on what smoker to get and how to manage a fire in a stick burner.

Paul, when I did the burn-out I lit a chimney of charcoal to get the fire started. When I went to put it in the fire box though, the chimney handle would hit the top of the fire box opening, so I couldn't maneuver it in to lay down a line like I had planned. I ended up trying to jump the lit coals in by stopping the chimney abruptly at the door, which resulted in a large pile right by the door and two loose coals falling out. They landed in wet mulch, but I don't want to take the chance that they travel a little further to the wood fence and cause some mischief. I'm sure I'm missing something (that's why I included it in my story), but I wasn't comfortable handling the chimney in a different way without some heavy duty long gloves. What is your method?

For my rib cook on Sunday, I started with some pretty thin pieces and a starter cube and it worked really well. It allowed me to put the fire right where I wanted it, and I kind of like going campfire-style to start everything up, but I'd like to have options. Oh, and Kindling Cracker should arrive this week

You are right, it's a bit of work to get the chimney in the firebox. The key is to have a pair of Welding Gloves. I'm going to need to add this to the ESSENTIAL list for Stickburning, along with a Stickburner, Kindling Cracker, and seasoned wood. The gloves are used by me EVERY TIME I tend the fire.

When loading the coals in, just sort of pour them in best you can, then you can quickly move them over with the gloves, or with a log you are holding with the gloves.

I use the gloves to Move the Lit Logs inside the cooker, to break up logs that are nearing the end to add to the coal pile, and to place the next log on the right side of the box for pre-warming.

In short, go to Lowes/HomeDepot/WeldingSupply house this weekend and get a pair. The white Lincoln gloves are my fav. They are thicker and last a long time, so long as you don't HOLD lit coals/logs for more than a moment at a time.

Fire Management takes some time to learn, and IT PAYS OFF!

[PaulstheRibList]

PBCDad and TripleB i also had paint problems when I got my Jambo.

It really bothered me at first. Now, I absolutely don't care. Just cook on that puppy and post your exploits in The Pit and share that excellent barbecue, cooked over a clean, live wood fire, and before you know it, you just won't remember any of the paint problems that don't impact the quality of your cook at all.

At least that's how it worked for me.

#JambosCookGreat #StickburnerForever

[bbqncigars]

I used to use gloves, but now use the long spring loaded metal tongs. I can easily put the 1/4 logs that I feed my insulated firebox to the exact position I want them. There is one set of chrome plated steel tongs dedicated to fire tending, and three long stainless steel tongs for food handling.

[CandySueQ]

FYI -- All you Jambo Wannabes! Visited with Jamie this past weekend, he plans on retiring and not making pits after one more year.

[Jerod Broussard]

Great for him. I can see someone wanting to buy that business.

[PBCDad]

Cool, proud owner of a limited edition right here! I wonder how many Jambo pits are out there, total. Given the small scale of production, it can't be too many.

[rwalters]

Love your new stick burner... and love your "improved" backyard!!!! Look forward to seeing you put both to good use

Curious... how would you compare the ribs that you had from your Jambo, to ribs from your kettle/SnS? Just curious.

[rwalters]

Just goes to show how each individual cooker is truly individual. Probably much like you, I have cooked on just about every mainstream style of backyard smoker that exists. To date, my favorite overall smoking experience has been on my MAK pellet pooper... especially with ribs. So stinkin' easy, and oh so good!

[PBCDad]

rwalters definitely, and I think this site is very good at saying "To each his own." I had a lot of fun managing the fire, and I learned a lot so next time should be even more fun. The color on these ribs was something I've never gotten on any other smoker I've used.

[rwalters]

I have no doubt that I will once again have a nice stick burner... when the season that my wife and I are in is over. We have a houseful of kids, and time for burning sticks just doesn’t come easy. I must confess, as happy as I am with pellets, there’s just something very special about managing a live fire and keeping it just right