OK Joe Highlander Fire Management Questions

[robert-r]

Hi, All

I bought an OK Joe Highlander and am need of suggestions as to how to maintain the bed of coals on a cook.

I have made a convection plate & tuning plates for it and can get very even temps across the length of the cook chamber. I made a charcoal basket that is raised 3" & a box to extend the exhaust close to the cooking grate.

I have not (yet) installed gaskets on the cooking chamber door or fire box door. It's a bit leaky, imho. Should be able to fix that.

I have been practicing with the cooker. I can build a fire with RO lump & add sticks to get 250* + temps. However.... I'm having problems with building a bed of coals that will last more than 2 hours.

Starting the fire with 1 1/2 Weber chimney of RO lump & making sticks that are about 2" square by 12" long.. They seem to ignite much quicker than larger ones when added to the coals. I do pre-heat them.

The problem as I see it: not a big enough coal bed to maintain a cook.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[TexArlina BBQ]

Congrats on the new smoker! I've had my Joe for about two years now. Best thing I can tell you is that you have to feed it fuel. I've done all night cooks for competition and it requires some fire tending. I think that's just the nature of an offset unless you get the more upscale rigs. I too use RO lump and apple/oak that I buy at academy. It will produce some good Q for u. I've places 12th in ribs and pork at one comp and 5th in chicken at another using the Joe. My family enjoys the food cooked on it as well. It's just not a set it and forget it kind of set up. I haven't made any mods to mine.

 

[pjtexas1]

If got are adding sticks every 45 minutes or so as the temp drops then the coal bed should be getting replenished. If it's not then try bigger splits or maybe your wood is too dry. Overly dry wood turns to ash so quickly that very few coals are left behind. You could add more lump but I would try to figure out the issue first.

 

[SmittyJonz]

My splits are are pretty dry as they are two years seasoned so I will burn a chimney of charcoal and toss it in a couple hours into the cook I'll do it couple times if needed

Wood 6 months to 1 yr split I don't need to.

 

[COS]

I just got one also and still learning mine. I found out having a good coal base is key. I see what smitty is saying. I just received some bigger splits so hopefully that will fix a lot of issues. I'm starting to see it likes a lot of air for a clean fire, easy to choke out get dirty smoke. I'm not using a basket either just stock, grate on bottom of fire box.

 

[robert-r]

Thanks, everyone.

The wood may be part of the problem. They are splits from Home Depot. I "split" the splits because they were taking too long to catch fire (to my way of thinking), even though I had pre-heated them.

 

[Bludawg]

YOU have to much restriction. get rid of the coal basket and the exhaust extension!!!!!!!!! Cut 2 splits so they lay across the FB grate on the short axis of the FB. Put 1 1/3 the length of the grate and one at 2/3 rds the length fill the gap with Lump and lay 1 full size split on top. Blast it with the weed burner. leave the CC open and the door on the FB until you have smoke making it all the way through the pit and coming out the exhaust. Close the CC door. add a second Split. once it is fully ignited( evident by the lack of smoke coming off of it.) Close the FB door and open the intake fully. Let it settle to your desired cook temp. once it drops 25 deg lower add a split and repeat every time the needle dips 25 deg below the cook temp.

 

[Doog]

I usually use a full chimney mixed with charcoal & lump. Then a couple of splits to get things going. Let it settle in an your off and smoking.

 

[robert-r]

Thanks again for the comments & suggestions.
Will give every one of them a try.

I'll be smokin' soon!!!