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Splits NOT Flaming??

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DanB

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Hi All My 1st try with wood splits/White Birch from HD, worked pretty good. Yesterday I started with a basket 1/2 full with Kingsford Blue & Royal Oak lump. When the basket got down 1/2 full I added a two cherry splits 12" x 3", could NOT keep them lit. They would burn/fire with the firebox lid open , but when closed they would just smother.. I tried going to back to the white birch that I used the last time with the same results..Also was getting lots of white billowing smoke.I'm thinking that for some reason there wasn't enough oxygen to keep the splits on fire. Even tried smaller splits, with the same results.I had the vent door wide open. thought that might help. The splits were heated up on the firebox lid.
Temps were anywhere form 225-300. Ribs came very dark looking, using the 3-2-1 way.
What could have gone wrong with the splits not catching on fire? Last time with the white birch I had a nice "clean" fire.
My FB grate sits 4" from the FB floor, so ash is NOT the problem. Looks like it is a air flow problem of some kind.
Smoker is a Brinksmanns Smoke N Pit. Done all the mods.
Thanks Dan
 
If they were flaming when you opened the door, then you're not getting enough oxygen to your fire with the door shot. May need to keep the door propped open a little to get that thin blue. You also may want to get off the birch and go to a hardwood like oak, cherry, apple, maple, etc. Won't help with the flaming issue, but it should help flavor! The splits will also burn probably twice as long, saving you money and wood in the long run.
 
To clarify. Did your last smoke go exactly right using the SAME method as you're using right now? If your answer is positively yes then all fingers point towards the wood. If there are variations in what you did before then it's harder to figure out....but the brethren with sure try!!
 
He said he went back to the original wood with same result...

Did you check to make sure your intakes were clear of ash? I know you said you have a basket, Your fire wasn't getting clogged with ash was it? Is your fire elevated off the bottom of the firebox? Could the fire breathe from underneath?
 
I would try without the basket. Baskets are designed for charcoal. Your splits may have been hovering right at it right above your coal bed. Pics of your basket might help someone figure this out.
 
Shagdog said:
He said he went back to the original wood with same result...
Click to expand...

And thus reason I asked if his entire method from before was the exact same.....



We all know that one little change can make a big difference. I think you're on the right track at asking about how the coals were packed.
 
I see you did "all the mods". I have seen people complain about not enough air flow for wood splits if they did the drier vent from the chimney down to the grate. It might restrict your airflow too much.

It definitely sounds like an airflow problem though. You need good flow in and out.
 
I had this problem on my cheap Brinkman Trailmaster, I added 2 splits like you thinking they would burn better together, I ended up removing one and the fire soon burned clean, ran one split at a time the rest of the cook no problem. I did have to add lump though.
 
I just had a post on smoke/fire issues and the advice I took from here that helped me was getting rid of the charcoal basket and smaller splits.
 
Hi All
Another try at stick burning, here are the results..First off I tried to use the charcoal basket, once again. Filled the basket 3/4 full of Kingsford Blue with a can in the middle/minion method, place the hot coals in the middle , once everything got hot, tried to get the a smaller cherry split/12x1 going, not much luck..
I then emptied the basket on the firebox grate which sits 4" above FB floor.Tried once again to get the smaller splits going , no such luck, but with firebox lid open there were flames, also at times with the vent door open, flames would appear. Some how I finally got a bigger split/12x3 to flame.Temps by the FB were around 300-350, on the end away from the FB temps were 300. I had to keep opening the cooking pit door to lower temps.Next time maybe all small splits 6x3
When I emptied the basket onto the FBI grate a lot of coals went under the grate. How do I fix that problem. Going to give stick burning another try. If NOT successful, I will go back to using charcoal and wood just for the flavor.Seems like I have an air flow problem? The smoker is a Brinnkmans Smoke N Pit.. There has to be a ton of these smokers out there using wood as fuel? Why do I have a problem??
Thanks Dan
PS With all that the ribs came out pretty good.
 
Did you try removing the dryer vent from the stack? It may be restricting air flow.

Pics would help if possible.
 
lose the basket, and use less coals. all those coals also use up oxygen in the firebox. Just use enough coals for a small base and to get the splits burning

Also, try moving the fire closer to the cook chamber. Air flow may be better there, that's what I did with my old OK Joe and that helped a lot

you may be overloading your firebox with fuel.
 
Forget the minion method. You are likely choking away the air to the splits with all the charcoal or the charcoal is consuming all the oxygen before the splits get a chance, resulting in incomplete combustion.

Try this. Light a chimney of briquettes (maybe 1/2 to 3/4 depending on how big your FB is) and once they are hot, dump it them in the firebox and throw on 2 splits. Leave everything open until you have some nice big flames. Then close the doors and keep the exhaust and intake wide open and see what happens.

Also, it could be the wood...sometimes I have stubborn pieces that just don't like to stay lit.
 
Splits

Hi All Will try next time with a smaller fire and NO basket.
I did lose the basket on the last try.
Thanks Dan
 
I do not know if you have room, but in my jambo i preheat the sticks, on the inside of the firebox, then when time move it over to the fire and they light right up.
 
Basket Pic

HI All Here is a pic of my basket.Here the White Brich is flaming with the FB door open. Jusy thought of something,could it be the fire bricks causing the air flow problem?
Thanks Dan
 
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