Super hot spot in offset smoker?

smoke ninja

smoke ninja

somebody shut me the fark up.

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I run an ok joe longhorn with a baffle and 3 tuning plates. Temp on the firebox side runs about 30-40 degrees above the stack side. Today ive been moving the maverick around in the cook chamber and noticed a hot spot just past the plates (with the baffle they go about half way across the chamber). I mean like really hot, maybe 40 hotter than the firebox end. The previous owner had more plates but removed them because he said he was getting poor airflow.

Any similar experience, thoughts or solutions?
 
Just gotta do play with them. I'm thinking I'd like a convection plate more than tuning plates once you got the convection plate right but that's trial n error too.......

How much gap you got tween plates? Seems not enough Heat coming up tween plates and all at end after last plate. I'd increase gaps. How wide are your plates? I seen a fellar on YouTube prefers skinny plates of 3-4" wide with increasing gap size.......
 
SmittyJonz said:
Just gotta do play with them. I'm thinking I'd like a convection plate more than tuning plates once you got the convection plate right but that's trial n error too.......

How much gap you got tween plates? Seems not enough Heat coming up tween plates and all at end after last plate. I'd increase gaps. How wide are your plates? I seen a fellar on YouTube prefers skinny plates of 3-4" wide with increasing gap size.......
Click to expand...

Well i guess i only have 2 tuning plates and the baffle.



I think they are even tighter at the moment.

Do have another plate to go across them



Im not using that right now.

By convection plate do you mean like those plates with increasingly larger holes?
 
Yup that's a convection plate. You will just have to play with the gaps with the tuning plates - should be able to even temps out.
 
Smoke on Badger Mountain said:
Just out of curiosity. Have you ever run the pit without any plates at all? I wonder what the temperature differential would be then.
Click to expand...

Nope. I have alway meant to run some test but in over a year of using i just cook.

Mostly only use firebox side, i can fit 3 racks of ribs or a butt and a brisket, aboutvas much as i ever cook at one time. Using the stack side tonight for a brisket.

Guess a few cans of biscuits are in order.
 
40 deg anit bad I run 100 for the first 9" then even all the way across I use the hot spot to cook chicken make use of it
 
Smoke on Badger Mountain said:
You mentioned a 30-40 degree differential from end to end but what is your normal cooking temp you shoot for?
Click to expand...

The smoker, as setup nown runs best close to 300 on the firebox side. Its not the 40 or so variance on either side i want to resolve. Its the spike in the middle.

Its running like 300 (firebox) to 340+ (after plates) to 260 (stack end).

Still cooks great, just need some fine tuning
 
push the middle plate closer to the FB or over lap it on the baffel and slide the last one toward the middle a little wee bit
 
here is what I did in a Brinkmann and it has to be similar in cookers but the plates got to be all together next to the fire box and on the last to plates adjust the gaps 1/8" and on the last one 1/4" . I had a 5 degree difference on the cooker I had and just play with the gaps on the last two till you figure it out .

DSCF1434.jpg
 
SmittyJonz said:
Just gotta do play with them. I seen a fellar on YouTube prefers skinny plates of 3-4" wide with increasing gap size.......
Click to expand...

^ this. Those look to be 6 inch plates and IMO a little large for a relatively small offset. I would try a mix of smaller plates, for example leave a 6" at the firebox, small gap, another 6" and a little larger gap then smaller plates and increasing gaps.
 
I know this looks crazy, but it works great for me, might be of some help.

sww86s.jpg


I get these cake and bread pans at the second hand stores for cheap.
I move them around, add, subtract for what ever I'm cooking and smoking.

900snc.jpg


I will evan turn them up to catch drippings or use as a water pan.
 
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