A call for help from all you stickburners!

[Pitbull]

Gotta say I'm kinda shocked on how much charcoal y'all are using to get started....I'm using 1/2 chimney or less and over 400* in about 20 minutes. Just seems like a lot of lump.

My half chimney just pours on my partial burnt from prior cook.

How big of a pit do you have? My trailer pits take a good initial stoke to get it going and heating up. It's a big insulated pit and there's lot of steel to get up to temp. Bringing it up to temp correctly and getting it stabilized takes about two hours. And really, two chimneys of coals looks lonely in the firebox..:tongue:

Once it's stabilized it doesn't take much to keep it going.

 

[SGH]

Gotta say I'm kinda shocked on how much charcoal y'all are using to get started....I'm using 1/2 chimney or less and over 400* in about 20 minutes.

1/2 a chimney would not even make the temp gauge move on my large offset. I could get by with 5 pounds but I like to establish a large coal bed from the get go. Just works well so I stick with it.

 

[Fwismoker]

How big of a pit do you have? My trailer pits take a good initial stoke to get it going and heating up. It's a big insulated pit and there's lot of steel to get up to temp. Bringing it up to temp correctly and getting it stabilized takes about two hours. And really, two chimneys of coals looks lonely in the firebox..:tongue:

Once it's stabilized it doesn't take much to keep it going.

By using my partial burnt, it ignites quick. Rather not start with fresh splits

 

[T&S BBQ]

I start with 2 chimneys of lump, get the smoker up to temp, then add a split or 2. Then add a split every 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. Remember small clean fire, exhaust fully open. If your smoker is getting to hot, don't damper it down, use less fuel to keep the temp down. Splits for mine are about wrist thick and 14" long. It's amazing that with a real clean fire, I don't get any strong smoke flavor. Good luck

 

[CharredApron]

I have gotten away from using any charcoal in my Shirley Fab. offset. I start with kindling and small branches. Gradually adding larger splits until she reaches 100 °C (212 °F) temperature. Then I open the cook chamber and spray down the inside to steam clean the racks and squeegee the baffle. Close the ball valve, close the cook chamber and add 3 good size splits to the firebox. The exhaust vent from the main cook chamber is constantly wide open. Once the cook chamber rebounds from the steam cleaning, I add one large split and then my meat to the cooker. Sometimes I get caught up doing somthing else and come back to add more wood and the embers have shrank way down and I need to give the fire a boost. I take pre-warmed splits from the warmer box and add them to the firebox and then open the damper between the cook chamber and the warmer to increase the draft thereby reducing the amount of smoke to the main cook chamber.
I guess it a matter of learning the nuances of your pit and then learning how to recover from heat loss without developing bitter smoke.

Good Luck!

 

[Pitbull]

By using my partial burnt, it ignites quick. Rather not start with fresh splits

I will do that on my Weber Kettle, but not on my offsets. I let the fire burn down and clean out the firebox, including using a big paint brush to sweep out the remaining ash. If you leave ash and spent coals in them it will eventually rot out your firebox. I start fresh and clean each time..

 

[Bludawg]

How big of a pit do you have? My trailer pits take a good initial stoke to get it going and heating up. It's a big insulated pit and there's lot of steel to get up to temp. Bringing it up to temp correctly and getting it stabilized takes about two hours. And really, two chimneys of coals looks lonely in the firebox..:tongue:

Once it's stabilized it doesn't take much to keep it going.

He calls the deducated rotisserie that he feeds big chunks UDS a stick burner:crazy: Not even close to operating the same just a Gussied up Santa Maria grill

 

[Pitbull]

He calls the deducated rotisserie that he feeds big chunks UDS a stick burner:crazy: Not even close to operating the same just a Gussied up Santa Maria grill

Yes, suppose so.

This is what we are talking about when you say stick burner.. Yeah, I know; showing off again.. :biggrin1:

 

[Fwismoker]

He calls the deducated rotisserie that he feeds big chunks UDS a stick burner:crazy: Not even close to operating the same just a Gussied up Santa Maria grill

Not quite accurate blue. I burn full size splits and its just as much of a stick burner as anyone else's, just a different kind of one.

My splits burn the same as yours, my smoke is the same as yours but probably cleaner.

I kill the fire and preserve what's left for my next cook, and I pour 1/2 chimney on.

My point is you can get a hot burning fire very quick that way, regardless of how long it takes to heat up your particular pit.

 

[Bludawg]

Yes, suppose so.

This is what we are talking about when you say stick burner.. Yeah, I know; showing off again.. :biggrin1:

Farkin Showoff and I thought you was cookin on a Burn barrel:laugh:

 

[Fwismoker]

Blue I'm sure your food has to be better than from my glorified burn barrel.

I'm getting a "real" pit but I think I'll continue to use my burn barrel for ribs , rib tips, Turkey's chickens etc...

I just wish my smoke was as good as yours.

 

[jbounds286]

I'm getting a "real" pit but I think I'll continue to use my burn barrel for ribs , rib tips, Turkey's chickens etc...

I just wish my smoke was as good as yours.

when?

 

[T&S BBQ]

Yes, suppose so.

This is what we are talking about when you say stick burner.. Yeah, I know; showing off again.. :biggrin1:

Freeking nice unit right there

 

[SmittyJonz]

When I add a log



15 minutes later