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OK Joe Longhorn 250* max temp

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    OK Joe Longhorn 250* max temp

    Looking for other Longhorn owners to chime on what their max temp can get to. I just seasoned my new Longhorn and with the damper open and the chimney full open I was only getting about 245*. When I open the firebox ash door that the damper is built into, it gets me a few extra degrees (250/255*). Not that I'm looking to cook above 250, but it seems like I'm gonna be going through a LOT of charcoal if I have to keep it going full blast just to get the CC to 250.

    I've done most of the normal mods: sealed the CC and FB doors, RTV'd between the FB halves and where the CC and FB meet. I put a baffle in, but it makes no difference on temp whether it's in there or not. I've also built a 14x12x10 Charcoal basket for it. When seasoning, I put half a chimney of KBB in the left side of the basket and covered it with a chimney full of ashed over charcoal.

    I appreciate any input you guys have,
    Last edited by Chewey; December 16, 2018, 06:49 PM.

    #2
    B & B Hardwood Briquettes will burn hotter, but ultimately wood is going to be your ticket.

    Comment


    • PaulstheRibList
      PaulstheRibList commented
      Editing a comment
      #WoodCookers

    #3
    Yup.

    Like I mentioned earlier, when we were talkin bout charcoal baskets fer yer Longhorn: I was jus never able to git th BTU's I wanted / needed, usin charcoal briquettes...

    With wood, it has never been a problem...

    Comment


      #4
      Also make sure your basket has enough clearance from the bottom of the fire box. Ash will accumulate, smoother, and and mess with air flow to the fire.

      Comment


        #5
        It's an offset - burn sticks in it. From there control your temps by the amount of wood you have on fire and keep the vents wide open at all times.

        Comment


          #6
          Originally posted by Mr. Bones View Post
          Yup.

          Like I mentioned earlier, when we were talkin bout charcoal baskets fer yer Longhorn: I was jus never able to git th BTU's I wanted / needed, usin charcoal briquettes...

          With wood, it has never been a problem...
          I saw you said you weren't happy with the temps you were getting out of the KBB, I guess I didn't realize just how bad it was.

          Guess I'm gonna have to find a source for hickory splits down here in Tampa (what is a "split" anyway...just a split log?) and learn how to be a stick burner.

          Comment


          • EdF
            EdF commented
            Editing a comment
            Yep, a log split lengthwise a couple of times and cut crosswise to a convenient length. Burns hotter than charcoal.

          • Chewey
            Chewey commented
            Editing a comment
            Thanks EdF!

          #7
          Here's a quick few from Tampa Craigslist:









          They sell from individual pieces up to cords of wood...

          I just typed in Hickory, then checked hickory in "For Sale" to weed out some.

          Hope this might help git ya started with some wood to try, Brother!

          Any questions ya might have, ya know where we all are...

          Comment


          • tbob4
            tbob4 commented
            Editing a comment
            Great job, Mr. Bones!

          #8
          Look at you Mr Bones, thank you sir!

          Comment


          • Mr. Bones
            Mr. Bones commented
            Editing a comment
            Always my distinct pleasure to be of assistance, Brother!

          #9
          So how much hickory do you go through on a typical 8 hour cook? I'm trying to figure out how much to buy at a time. The only places that sell hickory here in town are about an hour away (or more with traffic).

          Comment


          • Steve R.
            Steve R. commented
            Editing a comment
            I usually add one split every 30 minutes or so with mine (not an OK Joe). My advice is to do a dry run and learn what works with your particular cooker.

          #10
          So after a year of using my Longhorn, I gotta say I'm pretty happy. My desire in upgrading my offset from a COS to what I'll call a Moderate Offset (MOS!) was more stability in temp control and more set and forget. Well I ran 50% on that. I got more tamp stability, but it's really not set and forget.

          Stability: I can run consistent temps across the entire cooker with ease and without major mods. I did do the door seals and added the 2 grate level thermos and ended up just removing the upper thermo and plugged it. I also messed around with interior baffles and found they made things worse. So I run with a single 5" plat baffle set up against the FB end to cut out any IR heating. I also extended the chimney to the grate level using flex duct. With that setup I get at worst 10-15* splits from end to end which I'm satisfied with.

          Set and Forget: While I don't have the luxury of loading everything and coming back 6-8 hours later, I've found that I can add 1 average size split every 45 minutes and maintain temps easily. There's very little jockeying of the door or vent. I only usually have to make adjustments if I use a split that' too big or too small or get distracted and go more than 45 minutes between added fuel. It's nice to not have to chase temps all over the place. Oh, I forgot...I did also build a basket to hold the splits. I never thought I would be a stick burner because I felt there were so many variables using straight wood. I thought charcoal would give me more consistency, but I'm really enjoying being a stick burner now.

          Many thanks to Mr. Bones and the others who helped me along the way. If anyone has done a search for OK Joe Longhorn trying to figure out if it's a smoker, I hope this follow up post after a year of experience helps. I should probably note also that I watched dang near every youtube video about the OK Joe smokers and I tried bunch of the tricks and I ended up settling on what you read above, which is to run it nearly as it comes. I think for the price, this is a great tool for the serious hobbyist.

          Comment


            #11
            Cool follow up!

            Comment


              #12
              1. Eventually you'll want to use wood. But in the meantime, use lump charcoal, not briquettes.
              2. Use a stoking fan in one of the damper vent holes. It will boost your temps.
              3. Make sure the charcoal basket it's at least a few inches above the bottom of the FB.

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