Starting a fire in an offset stickburner

[PaulstheRibList]

Huskee,

Love the post! I've never used a stick burner, but I remain fully confident I will have one in a year or so. QUESTION, the pre-burnt logs you are pulling off, it sounds like you pull them, they stop burning once outside the chamber, and then you reload them back onto your embers during the cook to add fuel that gives off the correct smoke? Do I have that right?

​paul

[Huskee]

Huskee,

Love the post! I've never used a stick burner, but I remain fully confident I will have one in a year or so. QUESTION, the pre-burnt logs you are pulling off, it sounds like you pull them, they stop burning once outside the chamber, and then you reload them back onto your embers during the cook to add fuel that gives off the correct smoke? Do I have that right?

​paul

Yes Paul. I'm not saying this is mandatory, but it seems to work out great doing so. I can limit the amount of fresh log smoke doing this. Plus it gives a chance to really play with fire!

[eugenek]

Built a makeshift firepit out of some old bricks and burned a couple logs to test things out. Got some nice sized pieces to use in the future.

And yes, playing with fire is fun.

[Dilla]

Huskee

do you ever just add a hand full or 2 of unlit charcoal or lump coal on your fire to keep it going for those long cooks?
Also the method you describe at the beginning of this post is great and all when you are cooking at such a high temperature for an hour and a half. I would like to see a similar write up on the method when some one is trying to cook some ribs at say 225-250 degrees for 6 hours or a brisket for 12 hours how do you keep a fire going for so long while maintaining such a low temperature?

[Huskee]

Dilla, it's very easy. I do the exact same thing, just play by ear how much wood to add to get whatever temp you're aiming for. Most cooking I do on it is 225-250 (avg 240-250). Cold weather obviously makes you need more, rain is THE worst thing ever on these cookers. It's hard to say exactly what to do, you just have to jump in and do it and if you get a bit too high it's best to pull a chunk of wood or two out, or open the cooking chamber lid for a few seconds (or both), as opposed to choke back your vents. You'll get the drift after 2 or 3 cooks, if not right away. Most of the time I leave my firebox vent open 3/4-full and regulate the temp more with the chimney. You'll likely find similar results since our smokers are so similar. Not sure what Horizon uses as a heat management plate/baffles, it can affect how airflow operates.

The fun is in playing and figuring it out, but at least have the gang here to help with questions!

[Dilla]

it has a convection plate that slides back n forth to try and regulate the temps from right to left of the cooking chamber. The convection plate has holes on the surface and it is attached to a rod with a spring handle that sticks out on the far left side of the cooker. it allows you to slide the convection plate without opening the lid or removing the grates.

[Huskee]

Dilla , I've positioned my Heat Management Plate (as Yoder calls theirs) tight to the angle of the cookbox, and plugged the small gaps on both sides with foil, so no air gets past the plate but instead has to go under it and up the progressive holes.

[Mether]

Great post and very useful information! I'm going to come back to this when I receive my smoker.

I've told my girlfriend about the new smoker, but not the size of it.. Hehe

[Huskee]

Thanks Mether! How long of a wait do you have?

[Mether]

I will receive it on Friday! (If everything goes as planned!)

[Huskee]

Woo hoo! I remember being quite excited watching the window for the delivery truck for hours on my delivery day.

[David Parrish]

Woohoo! We want to see pics!

[Spinaker]

I love this post. Makes me really want to pull the trigger on my Yoder dreams.

[Steve B]

Ha remember those old dreams before LSG was introduced to you. Peace brother.

[Spinaker]

Hahaha, I was like, I don't remember writing this. Then I looked at the date. Waaaaaay Pre LSG! Thanks for showing me the light. Steve B

[Mether]

I'm like a child on Christmas...

I have the tracking number following it closely.. If I'm really lucky I'll revive it Wednesday.

[1buba]

What a great post. Can't wait to make some mods to my COS. Or, get a new not C- OS. :-)
Thanks Huskee!

[DWCowles]

Haven't seen this thread in awhile so I thought I would bump it back up.

[HawkerXP]

[JCBBQ]

Thanks DW! It's interesting to see PaulstheRibList prior to being a stickburner convert. I didn't realize it was such a recent occurance.

[Spinaker]

I wonder what ever happened to Eugene. He was a funny dude. eugenek