How to use your COS/ Cheap offset Smoker Properly

lowbass said:
Thanks for the info. I have a Char-griller with the off set smoke box and I am itching to do a "wood only" smoke in it.

I purchased a bundle of "Fire wood" from HD that has splits of Hickory, Oak, and Pecan about the same(maybe a little thicker) size as the OP used.

I'll probably purchase another bundle since the bundles seem to only have about 7-8 splits in them. I think I would need to get at least 8hrs worth of cooking time out of my wood.
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That can get expensive. You may need 3 bundles for 8 hr cook. If you decide to start running wood regularly- then check Craigslist for firewood. :thumb:
 
Good info. I have not ran my Lang 36 much but fired it up today just to work on my fire management. Didn't cook anything but it seems to like to run around 275-300.
 
A Deflector Baffle and Tuning Plates or Convection Plate are the 2 best mods besides New Thermos in lower corners of the doors. They don't need to be sealed up all that much- just need good airflow or draft thru the smoker. and a grate 2-3-4" off bottom of FB so ash can fall and fire get good airflow.

I went up to Oklahoma for a few days a cpl weeks ago and borrowed an UnModded OK Joe- didn't even have a baffle. I went to dollar Tree and bought 2-$1 cookie sheets and put them under cooking grate side by side on Firebox end with a tinfoil water pan on top and I had only 20-30* difference end to end.

You can see them in this pic

 
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I always use water pans in mine, just like above. Mine is a NB with no mods other than deleting the stock thermo. Use a maverick, and smoke the crap outta all kinds of stuff. I use pecan and mesquite as it's the most available and cheap around these parts.
 
SmittyJonz said:
A Deflector Baffle and Tuning Plates or Convection Plate are the 2 best mods besides New Thermos in lower corners of the doors. They don't need to be sealed up all that much- just need good airflow or draft thru the smoker. and a grate 2-3-4" off bottom of FB so ash can fall and fire get good airflow.

I went up to Oklahoma for a few days a cpl weeks ago and borrowed an UnModded OK Joe- didn't even have a baffle. I went to dollar Tree and bought 2-$1 cookie sheets and put them under cooking grate side by side on Firebox end with a tinfoil water pan on top and I had only 20-30* difference end to end.

You can see them in this pic

Click to expand...


When you do this, do you butt the cookie sheets together and up against the smoker box end? And does this help to force more heat down to the far end of the smoker where the smoke stack is?
 
lowbass said:
When you do this, do you butt the cookie sheets together and up against the smoker box end? And does this help to force more heat down to the far end of the smoker where the smoke stack is?
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Yes. Sometimes you need a 2" gap at FB end, sometimes no gap. Just experiment. :thumb: 1/8' or 3/16" plate would be better but I was borrowing this smoker for 1 Day. And Water pans don't do much for the meat but I find running a water pan helps even out the temps in most smokers I use.
 
A1F74C9F-9641-40EF-96A1-1876D05496A5.jpg


Thanks to posts like this one and ones like it from Bludawg etc. I have started using my SNPP as a stick burner again.
I had just about given up with the amount of charcoal it would eat or the amount of creasote I would get with the fire choked right down burning wood.

I removed the stack extension, left the baffle, Use the exact same cookie sheets for tuning plates and make a small hot fire.
Typically the damper is open 1/2-3/4, and that runs about 250-325 with about
10-25 deg. Difference from end to end.
With the cook in the pic. I was trying to keep the temp down for trout.
Pit temp was around 300 deg 1/2 hour before this pic was taken.
 
Great write up.. Basically the same thing I do on my char griller.. I most always have the intake wide open and one small split roaring keeps the temp in the range and the smoke invisible.

I think the biggest thing is not going in thinking you need to run 225,250,275 etc With all the variables and there effects on the COS whereever she wants to run that day be happy and just feed splits.
 
Cos

I too just started using splits in my COS..What a difference it makes, holds temp much better. Question using all splits,Apple/Cherry would they over smoke what I'm cooking?
Also had a problem with temps across the cooking grates. I gave up trying to get even temps, and now I like it that way, cause I have 3 cooking zones.
Hot n Fast by the firebox, medium in the middle, and Low n Slooooow at the far end.
Thanks DanB
 
DanB said:
I too just started using splits in my COS..What a difference it makes, holds temp much better. Question using all splits,Apple/Cherry would they over smoke what I'm cooking?
Also had a problem with temps across the cooking grates. I gave up trying to get even temps, and now I like it that way, cause I have 3 cooking zones.
Hot n Fast by the firebox, medium in the middle, and Low n Slooooow at the far end.
Thanks DanB
Click to expand...

The key to not over smoking no matter what type fuel, whether you're using charcoal or all wood is having a small hot clean burning fire where it's not billowing white smoke. Like mentioned earlier, there may short periods of white smoke while burning all sticks until it flares up, and that's ok as long as it only last for a few a minutes.
 
Yep, splits for Boss Hog as well. I like getting things started with lump and a couple of splits, then it splits all the way...



 
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