I did that by accident. I got an antique wood stove that I used for my fire box that has a baffle plate in it. I decided to leave it in and fire it. Glad I did. The smoke across that grill is amazing. Mine is a 120 gallon offset.
Disappointed that you didn`t show the smoker that you liked so much. Waited to the end and you never showed the smoker that you like so much. You need to also say that you are raffling your smoker off and not giving it away. Kind of misleading.
Check out the Horizons convection plate. They are designed to be slid in the chamber and you can dial in the heat across the smoker. In my smoker the convection plate is 1.25" from the hellmouth and it will hold temps evenly. If you what it hotter on side just slide the plate.
Ok saw this when it came out and had 2 Briskets to cook on an old country pecos ... well I wish I would have been able to make this mod before would of saved a lot of time and energy due to space on grill to use without burning ... just used for 1st time with deflector plate up and WOW 3/4+ of the grill space is now available ... doing a rack of spare ribs and the results are amazing .. extended stack and deflector up all heat at about 4 inches from fire box on grate rest is good to cook on, holding temps 10 degree difference from hot side to stack side and ribs cooked fabulous NO BURNT BOTTOM ...juicy tender ... this is a must for anyone trying to maximize grill space on a Pecos Smoker Thanks Jeremy this works on backyard smokers too..
I built my own smoker and added this scoop plate to deflect the radiant heat, and it works a treat even temps all across the grate right to the firebox. ❤
I just made a scoop like this for my Old Country Brazos and it really does even out the temps and give you ALL of the cook grate to safely cook on. Mine isn’t welded in, it’s about the height of the grate rail so it rests in there and can be removed. Watching this video again, I’m glad I haven’t actually welded it in because now I can remove it when I feel like cooking anything on that top rack like wings. You’ve taught me a ton on running an offset and smoking meat, thank you for the science and the knowledge you’ve shared!
I attended your kansas city event and actually spoke with the gentleman who built this 1000 gal out and he pointed that out to me. Went home and did this to my old country pit and it works beautifully, highly recommend.
Are you running any type of water pan or anything with your modification? On my Old Country I removed the baffle but I have a water pump above the outlet.
I have a plate in my 250 like the Franklin and I love it... the scoop sounds even better.. I saw the goldies smoker design recently and wonder how that would preform on a 1000 gallon.
Great video. I have a brazos old country offset smoker. I broke the spot welds on the sides of the baffle. Lifted it to 90 degrees and left it in place. Really helped with controlling the hot spots and air flow. I have learned so much from you. Thank you so much.
I removed mine, put it in the grate and added a shelf to raise the cooking area up about 3". I went as far as making mock briskets out of flour and water when I was testing but I have considered putting mine back at 90 degreesb again so I don't have to use the shelf.
I have a Pecos. I have four thermometers, at food level in the lid, equally spaced. I used two 12"x12" tuning plates in the bottom of the chamber. At any temperature between 200°F and 275°F, my cooler is within 5°F all the way across, the food cooks evenly, the color and smoke level is the same for everything. There's a foil lasagna pan I fill with water on the plate closest to the firebox. It maintains temp on reasonable fuel for four hours, in weather below 60°F, I use a welding blanket, and can maintain 275°F for more than 4 hours with no work or additional fuel.
Yes. You are 100% correct. Hot gases go up. Why fight physics? With the design you described, the heat ‘rains’ down upon the meat, then moves out the exhaust pipe. Further, the damper adjustment you mentioned allows just enough back pressure to even out the temperature across the grate. Applying these concepts, I have a lowly Oklahoma Joe ‘Longhorn’ working super good. You are giving your viewers valuable information. Thank you.
So I have been considering building my own smoker, and I was considering all these questions because I've heard many people talk about hot spots. I had finally concluded to do a scoop type system because it logically made the most sense. But it was really good to hear your scientific approach and comparison of the different designs. Definitely gives me some more food for thought.
Last year I removed the baffle in my Old Country Wrangler (not the tin can Wrangler 2) and it made a big difference in not having that hot spot on the bottom in the middle. The smoker works much better now.
I just bought an Old Country Wrangler (series 1 not 2). Was just wondering if I should remove the shield altogether, guess it does better huh? So you don't use the welded shield nor the rock grate from your firebox inside the cook chamber? Your cook side runs empty of all baffles/shields? I originally removed the lower firebox rack & put it in my cook side for a baffle. Dropped its fire boxes top rack down to hold wood/charcoal/fire. Actually this did okay? Just popped the shields two welds on the side nearest to my stack to raise my shield a few inches? Q. Remove my bottom charcoal grate (baffle) I moved over? Q. Anyone just drill big holes in their shield before removing it altogether on a Wrangler? Q. Best to just remove shield & baffle & let her flow balls to the wall Im sure..lol Q. I have a Joe fire basket, is it better to use it or not? Thanks All, sorry for all the questions. Big step up from my p.o.s tin can Char-broiler, I rarely used it cause it sucked so bad.
Jeremy. I got a lone star 20x42. I’m not sure it’s exactly like a scoop but does let heat out at the top and believe or not circulates the smoke in the cook chamber and let’s cool smoke back into the firebox. Happy to let you cook on it sometime if you want content. It’s a great little smoker.
Was going to say the same. I have the same 20x42 LSG offset. Very consistent temperatures across the cooking grate horizontally presumably related to the “scoop”
I decided to try your idea. I have a backyard sized pit 40x20 made of 1/4 welded steel. I bought some ceramic fiber insulation board and cut a half circle to fit as a heat directing scoop. Today I’m gonna run a biscuit test and see how even it’s cooking. Only thing I’m concerned of is my stack comes in up higher in the cook chamber so maybe I’ll need to modify the stack to enter down lower at the grate.
I initially built my 330 gallon without a diffusing plate. The fire would blast anything next to the firebox. I added a thick piece of 3/5" to the side of the grate rack on a slight angle so the top was slightly closer to the firebox opening. it has helped to evenly distribute the air flow across the bottom rack.
I did this to my Pecos by putting some bricks in front of the firebox exhaust under the grates so the heat hits the bricks and goes up. The fat renders much better for me now and it adds more cooking space as you stated. I also have a stack extension so it also has good airflow even though I added some turbulence in the cook chamber.
@@kodyanderson4974 yes. Under the grate. Basically to keep the heat from advancing across the grate. So there is a few inches of space from the fire box.
I built my own 120 gallon pit and used a left over piece of plate as a baffle but its shaped like a trapezoid with the larger side at the fire box. It seems to work well but the scoop sounds like it would work better for mine too. Also always love seeing the experiments that you do and the tips and tricks you find to show us!!
We all would love to hear your take on Goldees' new design with their backyard offset smoker. Design looks great and the concept is interesting. Would love to see your opinion after using it some day.
After watching your channel for multiple years, I finally decided to buy an offset and went with the LSG Texas Edition, which has the scoop. It has been an awesome cooker and I haven’t had any issue burning my food. The only trouble I occasionally have is getting food to finish quickly, I spent ~7 hrs on some spare ribs. This may just be a result of me being new to offset cooking but any tips would help, and I definitely recommend the smoker!
Take a look at the Lonestar Grillz 20” smokers. They have a similar baffle. It’s amazing and produces extremely even temperatures throughout the bottom rack. The top rack is higher…which is great for wings!
Their pits are amazing and super well designed. I keep the firebox damper about 25% open and the smokestack damper to control temps and you get beautiful, efficient fires that don't waste fuel, put the perfect smoke on the food, and hold temps so well.
You mentioned LSG smokers... You're correct. Their baffles direct the heat up to the top grate area. I place my water pan in the upper right as a barrier to that heat. The lower right grate location becomes the true low and slow smoking location. Very nice, well-made smokers.
I think this is my first time commenting on a TH-cam video. I am an amateur smoker, I have a crappy char-griller offset, but I have made good food. Heat management is so hard with this thing, I stacked some bricks inside it to mimick this wall till I could find out if it would work. One brisket and a couple chickens in, this works great on my tiny smoker. When I finally build one I will use this!
I’ve been cooking on offsets for many years now. I don’t have a giant one but I would notice the center would be at a steady temperature, the closest to the fire box would be way to hot, and then the other side would be just barely warm. So I bit the bullet and bought a lava lock baffle plate. I’d rather have an even distribution of heat then burn my meat because the fire will go into the cooking chamber. This might be an unpopular opinion but weather it is brisket or pork buts I always smoke them fat side down. No point of having fat side up when the fat doesn’t penetrate the meat. The fat cap is just a good shield from burning the meat.
As someone who regularly cooks on the Yoder Loaded Wichita, he missed the ability to move the baffle plate back and forth to mix hot upstream gasses with those directed along the bottom through the holes. The plate mass (and the weight of steel in this thing) acts as a thermal mass to even out spikes. I personally run the plate about 3-4 inches away from the firebox with a water pan on the open side. Renders fat cap up perfectly.
I feel like I love your content way more when its just you being you in vlog content, I love the straight forward scripted feeling instruction but when your personality shows through its great content.
This has completely changed the way I think about how an offset works. I been building a 90gallon reverse flow (old air tank) now I think I'll make it switch back and forth and see wich I prefer. Well said! Thank you as always!
I don't know where you are at in your build, but, "smoker builder frank" recently did a video about how smoke flows thru the smoker. His explanation made complete sense to me. I have been in the process of designing the rebuilding/replacement my very burnt out fire box and I am also intrigued by the Goldees hybrid design but I want the fire box open to the front, not the end. It's taking some Frankenstein designing and I have no idea how it will ultimately cook, but I'm hoping, and hoping{!}, it will be better than what I using now! I have a 16x32x1/4 cook chamber, it's small and challenging, but I've been able to make it work in the past. Rust is a killer!
I put a large baffle like the Brazos has in my homebuilt smoker, but I'm encouraged to fab a scoop and give this a try. Thanks for highlighting this alternative technique to managing airflow and convective heat!
No wonder my old country cooks weird I'm commenting on this 2 days after I watched the video I cut that baffle thing out and flipped it over where it points the fire up and it cooks great now thank you man. Would love to have some q with you sometime
I have a Shirley reverse flow patio model no hot spots, holds temp, you can use all racks, great smoke flavor,and cooks great . Is your scoop innovation for traditional offsets only?
I have a diffuser plate, but I also added a downspout to the chimney right at the grate level so the heat & smoke rises and then gets pulled down across the top. Works great for me, but I’ll take this into consideration when it’s time to upgrade.
That's exactly what I did with my homemade 1/4" 125gal offset. I used it several times without the scoop, I called it a 'block' because its goal was to block the radiant heat of the fire, and I had problems with the bottoms of brisket getting hard/burned. So I used a piece of 1/4" plate to blast the gasses straight up, block the crazy-hot radiant, and now she runs like a dream.
Thank you for this great video which shows that all smokers are not created equal. The scoop baffle is the most important part of your 1000-gallon offset, as it shields the cook chamber from the radiant heat (hot spot control) and creates top-down cooking (proper fat render). You wisely pointed out that many backyard offsets on the market today have tuning plates that essentially turn the smoker into a bottom-up cooking oven with restricted air and smoke flow. Keep these smoker design videos coming, as hopefully it will lead to better smoker design in the future.
Hey Jeremy, you’re definitely right here. The competition side of bbq has been utilizing this for a long time if you go back and look at how long jambo pits have been utilizing the same scoop idea up through all the other companies now like jay craig and outlaw smokers out of Indiana. Then we utilize that 100 degree hotter top shelf to really break down fat if you need it or set sauce or whatever. Cool to see you as a more restaurant style cook enjoy the same thing that the comp cooks dig to just feed six people on a weekend.
Watched the whole video about the scoop.. to see the scoop and it never happened. I just finished a build and we put a scoop on it. Wouldve been good to see the piece of metal that could make or break my smoker
I added a baffle to my smoker. I have noticed that it acts like a big ol' heat sink and requires quite a bit more time and fuel to come up to temp. This scoop design sounds intriguing.
i have a tiny 1/4" offset and i grabbed a big baffle with holes like you showed to try and kill/manage my temps. its definitely helped me in the short term because of all that thermal mass helps me manage the fire easier and has balanced my hot spots. my problem is the smoker isnt that long so any hot spot really kills my ability to cook alot on it. 2 large briskets would put 1 of them basically on the hot spot without it. im probably sacrificing convection and air flow, but theres always a compromise. This does have me thinking though and experiments will need to be done!
I decided to build my own offset with a, roughly, 60 gal tank cooking and a 20 gal fire box. It's been an adventure in stick welding and I still don't think I'm there yet. But you know what I like? I like building something that is going to bring people joy
I really like the way Loan Star Grillz did their intake baffle. It's every even on the top and bottom. The baffle is in front of the intake. Then it is set up to dissect the gases to split to the top and bottom. So your lower rack cooks at a lower temp and your top is hotter. They show their temp Separation on their product video. That is what sold me on their smoker. I could send you some pictures if you would like to see it.
I have a yoder wichita and it makes the darkest bark I have ever seen on brisket/pork butt without tasting oversmoked. I removed the heat management plate after many briskets having the bottom overcooked from the radiant heat. I agree that the baffle plate is disrupting airflow which explains the fire management problems I have from time to time, but the center is not the hot spot. The right side next to the firebox is hottest and gets progressively cooler towards the left end.
Also meant to add with the heat management plate the top rack is more of a warming area or cold smoking zone. Without it, the upper area is a convection oven on steroids, wing cooking machine.
Entered. Got my mug. Bought a SuperDuty to tow it. If I don't win then you can't be my friend. Designed my reverse flow and had someone fabricate it for me. It works great and was a fun thing to do. Now I wish I could change some things. :)
just in general, the tank size/length can have a considerable difference, especially when the stack is closer to the firebox. Heat is energy, and how it functions and works in a given area, and how it can be manipulated will be different from one size cook chamber to another. Is my thinking correct?
I always wondered, watching all the "deflector/reverse flow/diffuser gadgets" on horizontal smokers, why this was so tough a problem to solve. Makes sense. Well not yet with me hanging meat in a WSM, but if I ever go this route, I will remember this. Thanks!
You really have to start reviewing the Lonestar Grillz smokers. Their Texas edition does this. Their 20x42 does it as well though the scoope is a little closer to the grill grate. And just for kicks, you should review their pellet smoker. Hands down the best pellet smoker out there (that actually smokes the meat). And if you want even more intense smoke, they just came out with wood chips that you can mix with the pellets - it is a game changer!
More or less you absolutely love what Mr Jambo has been doing for years?? I don’t mean this smart by any means. I view the baffle exactly like you described here. I had a 250 built for me and tried to explain what I wanted but I got the traditional slanted plate , goin to see if I can get some mods done
I have been building my cookers so that the heat goes straight to the top of the CC from the FB for the last 20 years. I can't believe it has taken everyone so long to catch on to this and throw away the tuning plates years ago.
Have you seen the brand new Brazos model? It has a removal/adjustable heat deflector plate and you can configure it in a way that points the air up! The new Brazos has other great mods but that one is excellent.
If you get a chance I would check out a Lonestar Grillz (LSG). I have a 20x36 LSG and it has a baffle with an opening at the top and bottom. Not sure they all have that, but I find it works very well.
What if you put the baffle in the firebox instead: keeps flames out of the cook chamber, and doesn’t mess with the flow of air once it makes it into the smoker
I think this is how Jambo Pits are designed. From what I've seen in them, the firebox is usually raised, and the bottom of the opening from the firebox to the cook chamber is at or just below grate level. So the heat and gasses come in to the cook chamber at grate level and immediately go to the top of the pit and across. There is a "scoop" like he describes from the box to grate level or just above the grate. I built a reverse flow smoker 7 or 8 years ago. I wish I had seen this before I built it. I had mine after the Lang smokers. Those cook way different with all the radiant heat from the reverse flow plate. Still cooks good, but I still wonder, "What if?"
Love my Wichita but yes figured out pretty quickly to remove the heat dampening plate. Its a tank and makes amazing food without that. Only wish exhaust was a little longer.
Funny. As soon as I saw the click, I imagined this exact design! I'm no engineer, nor do I ever use a smoker...hell, I am terrible with all grills if I'm being honest. I just considered how to manipulate the smoke to encompass the entirety of the inner tank.
Ok guys here's how it works a lot of you have seen the video of Aaron Franklin cooking a brisket on a Wrangler with the big fire I guarantee you he did not take out the baffle and the Wrangler is the hardest smoker to cook on because it's so short of a cook chamber and my guess is Aaron also had a heat management plate And cooked it low and slow If you know anything about wranglers there like direct heat I mean the fire's right there at your brisket I have owned a Wrangler I have owned a Pecos and I own a Brazos and no I'm not taken out the baffle
When I built my smoker, I made the cooking grate even with the middle of the firebox opening. I thought it was too high but this video changed my mind.
Sad us folk outside of USA can’t participate- but do understand the shipping costs. The smokers you talk about are next level to what we can buy. ( specially in Africa )
Most of us poor folk in the Southern US convert a propane tank (most common) or water heater cylinder and weld our own. It is a dying truth, but for decades this has been the way.
Ever cook on a Jambo? That's the basic function of the jambo. The entry point of the fire box is higher than most offsets, and the Temps across are almost perfect. Many of these guys doing it that way now are just copying what Jambo has been doing for ages. I'd love it if you did a video on one.
I know this video aired about three months ago. Did you ever get an opportunity to look at the Goldies backyard smoker where the pipe comes out the top and then into the smoke chamber?
I would interested to know what you think of the new Goldees backyard offset. They have a bent pipe coming from the firebox to try and solve the problems you are talking about.
Do you think adding a baffle like this and relocating the exhaust would help on a cheap offset smoker, or would the thin metal just let too much heat escape?
The scoop forces the hot gases up and over the meat, right? While that works great for thin cuts it reminds me of cooking in a Weber kettle with a SlowNSear. Works great but I found that thick cuts like a pork butt cooking “top down” seemed to require more time or wrapping. I prefer a no baffle design like my Texas Pit Crafters direct flow offset. While it has a relatively small hot spot next to the firebox I can still use the top grate for cooking the same cuts I’m cooking on the bottom rack. A design that really makes sense to me is the new Goldie’s pit.
I just bought a used Propane tank … fella told me it was about 100 gals … it takes up half the box of my Chevy pick up … it’s way bigger than that Franklin
Jambo's been doing the top down cooking for decades. Also Outlaw smokers does this as well. That LSG Texas edition has the right concept but they won't allow any modifications or additions to that model so for that reason I wouldn't choose them.
Removing the baffle on the Brazos may have been that easy on older models, but I have one that I bought about a month or so ago and I am having a hell of a time removing it. I used an angle grinder to remove the spot welds on the bottom of it, but the ones at the top are so solid, there is no way to wiggle it back and forth to pop the others loose.
Please post on how you got it out. I also bought a Braxos a month ago and both of my first 2 cooks have produced burned meat. Trying to follow MS’s cooking times.
@@jEthrodul1 I haven't yet, that's what I was saying in my last comment. I was able to get the 2 welds off on the bottom end portion of it, but not the ones near the top. I may end up having to drill them out, but that's going to be super tedious.
Jeremy, hope you see this. I JUST purchased a new Brazos, super excited. But the baffle I noticed on mine is adjustable up and down. As I’m typing this, I’m not sure if it’s also removable, but I will check. If it’s not removable, does an adjustable baffle make it better, or do you still recommend removing it?
Do you have any thoughts on smokers with a crossflow design? Basically its a baffle that covers the entire bottom of the smoker and directs the smoke back towards the firebox (the smokestack is directly above the firebox).
Pretty much flipped it around from where it was welded from the factory, added some foil to cover the gap. Seemed to work well. Think I'll work on something a little more permanent/substantial than the foil.
I added a scoop to my Brazos DXL by cutting a cheap dollar general baking pan down, and man did it change the game. What company made the 1000 gallon put you gave away?
I have always wondered why you have never used a lone stars grillz. That's what i have. The 20 X 32 inch. Would love, love, love for you to review one. I feel like the one i have takes longer to smoke my food than what other people say. Example the hour per pound.
Would there be an issue using copper pipe in a smoker? I remodel showers and have a bunch of 1/2 I'd like to use as the platform the meat sits on, or some 3in copper I have as an exhuast for the smoke to travel to the meat. Looking forward to some advice! Thanks everyone!
Great video, there is a brand in the UK called Cactus Jack that has this exact system, but it uses a ceramic half moon stone to achieve this, it cooks very evenly
For anyone interested: this is a video where I show all the features of the pit, including the scoop. th-cam.com/video/uqyeAo5Ij4A/w-d-xo.html
Any reason why you did not show the scoop on the 1000?
Can we see the scoop?
@@CraftyZA it’s in the video linked in this comment. The footage of the scoop was edited out of this video by mistake.
I‘ve got a picture of both maplewood metalworks scoop and my throat on my 500 on the gram as well. Good stuff man!
What do you think of the new Goldees offset smoker?
Would have been helpful to see the scoop :)
Was gonna say the same
That’s what I was waiting on the whole time
You can see the scoop at 2m 39s of the video where he announces the smoker.
th-cam.com/video/uqyeAo5Ij4A/w-d-xo.html
@@RaistlinMPPnot all hero’s wear capes.
Did I miss something? I saw all the baffles you don't like, but I didn't see the scoop one that you do like? 16 minutes and no payoff.
4 minutes of ticket selling
Exactly.
I did that by accident. I got an antique wood stove that I used for my fire box that has a baffle plate in it. I decided to leave it in and fire it. Glad I did. The smoke across that grill is amazing. Mine is a 120 gallon offset.
Disappointed that you didn`t show the smoker that you liked so much. Waited to the end and you never showed the smoker that you like so much. You need to also say that you are raffling your smoker off and not giving it away. Kind of misleading.
Get a life!
Agreed, big teas with no visual example.
Yeah I think like $30 for a coffee mug?
@@JuanMartinez-df1lc$50
He’s been talking about purchasing a mug to be automatically entered in the drawing since the first video of this series.
Check out the Horizons convection plate. They are designed to be slid in the chamber and you can dial in the heat across the smoker. In my smoker the convection plate is 1.25" from the hellmouth and it will hold temps evenly. If you what it hotter on side just slide the plate.
Ok saw this when it came out and had 2 Briskets to cook on an old country pecos ... well I wish I would have been able to make this mod before would of saved a lot of time and energy due to space on grill to use without burning ... just used for 1st time with deflector plate up and WOW 3/4+ of the grill space is now available ... doing a rack of spare ribs and the results are amazing .. extended stack and deflector up all heat at about 4 inches from fire box on grate rest is good to cook on, holding temps 10 degree difference from hot side to stack side and ribs cooked fabulous NO BURNT BOTTOM ...juicy tender ... this is a must for anyone trying to maximize grill space on a Pecos Smoker Thanks Jeremy this works on backyard smokers too..
I built my own smoker and added this scoop plate to deflect the radiant heat, and it works a treat even temps all across the grate right to the firebox. ❤
I just made a scoop like this for my Old Country Brazos and it really does even out the temps and give you ALL of the cook grate to safely cook on. Mine isn’t welded in, it’s about the height of the grate rail so it rests in there and can be removed. Watching this video again, I’m glad I haven’t actually welded it in because now I can remove it when I feel like cooking anything on that top rack like wings. You’ve taught me a ton on running an offset and smoking meat, thank you for the science and the knowledge you’ve shared!
I attended your kansas city event and actually spoke with the gentleman who built this 1000 gal out and he pointed that out to me. Went home and did this to my old country pit and it works beautifully, highly recommend.
Are you running any type of water pan or anything with your modification? On my Old Country I removed the baffle but I have a water pump above the outlet.
@Doug Schriefer I've done it both ways and it's actually more even temps with no pan.
Who makes this pit? He never mentions it. And I still don't know what the deflector looks like. Lol
I have a plate in my 250 like the Franklin and I love it... the scoop sounds even better.. I saw the goldies smoker design recently and wonder how that would preform on a 1000 gallon.
Great video. I have a brazos old country offset smoker. I broke the spot welds on the sides of the baffle. Lifted it to 90 degrees and left it in place. Really helped with controlling the hot spots and air flow. I have learned so much from you. Thank you so much.
I removed mine, put it in the grate and added a shelf to raise the cooking area up about 3". I went as far as making mock briskets out of flour and water when I was testing but I have considered putting mine back at 90 degreesb again so I don't have to use the shelf.
@@All2Skitzdnot sure I understand your post about the baffle and mock brisket
I have a Pecos. I have four thermometers, at food level in the lid, equally spaced. I used two 12"x12" tuning plates in the bottom of the chamber. At any temperature between 200°F and 275°F, my cooler is within 5°F all the way across, the food cooks evenly, the color and smoke level is the same for everything.
There's a foil lasagna pan I fill with water on the plate closest to the firebox.
It maintains temp on reasonable fuel for four hours, in weather below 60°F, I use a welding blanket, and can maintain 275°F for more than 4 hours with no work or additional fuel.
Yes. You are 100% correct. Hot gases go up. Why fight physics? With the design you described, the heat ‘rains’ down upon the meat, then moves out the exhaust pipe. Further, the damper adjustment you mentioned allows just enough back pressure to even out the temperature across the grate. Applying these concepts, I have a lowly Oklahoma Joe ‘Longhorn’ working super good. You are giving your viewers valuable information. Thank you.
So I have been considering building my own smoker, and I was considering all these questions because I've heard many people talk about hot spots. I had finally concluded to do a scoop type system because it logically made the most sense. But it was really good to hear your scientific approach and comparison of the different designs. Definitely gives me some more food for thought.
Last year I removed the baffle in my Old Country Wrangler (not the tin can Wrangler 2) and it made a big difference in not having that hot spot on the bottom in the middle. The smoker works much better now.
I just bought an Old Country Wrangler (series 1 not 2). Was just wondering if I should remove the shield altogether, guess it does better huh?
So you don't use the welded shield nor the rock grate from your firebox inside the cook chamber? Your cook side runs empty of all baffles/shields?
I originally removed the lower firebox rack & put it in my cook side for a baffle. Dropped its fire boxes top rack down to hold wood/charcoal/fire.
Actually this did okay?
Just popped the shields two welds on the side nearest to my stack to raise my shield a few inches?
Q. Remove my bottom charcoal grate (baffle) I moved over?
Q. Anyone just drill big holes in their shield before removing it altogether on a Wrangler?
Q. Best to just remove shield & baffle & let her flow balls to the wall Im sure..lol
Q. I have a Joe fire basket, is it better to use it or not? Thanks All, sorry for all the questions. Big step up from my p.o.s tin can Char-broiler, I rarely used it cause it sucked so bad.
Jeremy. I got a lone star 20x42. I’m not sure it’s exactly like a scoop but does let heat out at the top and believe or not circulates the smoke in the cook chamber and let’s cool smoke back into the firebox. Happy to let you cook on it sometime if you want content. It’s a great little smoker.
Was going to say the same. I have the same 20x42 LSG offset. Very consistent temperatures across the cooking grate horizontally presumably related to the “scoop”
I decided to try your idea. I have a backyard sized pit 40x20 made of 1/4 welded steel. I bought some ceramic fiber insulation board and cut a half circle to fit as a heat directing scoop. Today I’m gonna run a biscuit test and see how even it’s cooking. Only thing I’m concerned of is my stack comes in up higher in the cook chamber so maybe I’ll need to modify the stack to enter down lower at the grate.
I initially built my 330 gallon without a diffusing plate. The fire would blast anything next to the firebox. I added a thick piece of 3/5" to the side of the grate rack on a slight angle so the top was slightly closer to the firebox opening. it has helped to evenly distribute the air flow across the bottom rack.
I did this to my Pecos by putting some bricks in front of the firebox exhaust under the grates so the heat hits the bricks and goes up. The fat renders much better for me now and it adds more cooking space as you stated. I also have a stack extension so it also has good airflow even though I added some turbulence in the cook chamber.
I used a big limestone rock in mine, works great! Absorbs the radiant heat and I still get a good draw.
So in the bottom of the smoker you blocked that so it shoots back up?
@@kodyanderson4974 yes. Under the grate. Basically to keep the heat from advancing across the grate. So there is a few inches of space from the fire box.
@@emcalone thank you sir. How high do you stack them
@@kodyanderson4974 As high as the grate.
I built my own 120 gallon pit and used a left over piece of plate as a baffle but its shaped like a trapezoid with the larger side at the fire box. It seems to work well but the scoop sounds like it would work better for mine too. Also always love seeing the experiments that you do and the tips and tricks you find to show us!!
Same here, made a big difference. I think blocking the radiant heat was just as important and directing the hot gas straight up.
We all would love to hear your take on Goldees' new design with their backyard offset smoker. Design looks great and the concept is interesting. Would love to see your opinion after using it some day.
Came here to say this…
This
I want to see the scupe.
I want to see this scoop?
After watching your channel for multiple years, I finally decided to buy an offset and went with the LSG Texas Edition, which has the scoop. It has been an awesome cooker and I haven’t had any issue burning my food. The only trouble I occasionally have is getting food to finish quickly, I spent ~7 hrs on some spare ribs. This may just be a result of me being new to offset cooking but any tips would help, and I definitely recommend the smoker!
Take a look at the Lonestar Grillz 20” smokers. They have a similar baffle. It’s amazing and produces extremely even temperatures throughout the bottom rack. The top rack is higher…which is great for wings!
Their pits are amazing and super well designed. I keep the firebox damper about 25% open and the smokestack damper to control temps and you get beautiful, efficient fires that don't waste fuel, put the perfect smoke on the food, and hold temps so well.
You mentioned LSG smokers... You're correct. Their baffles direct the heat up to the top grate area. I place my water pan in the upper right as a barrier to that heat. The lower right grate location becomes the true low and slow smoking location. Very nice, well-made smokers.
I think this is my first time commenting on a TH-cam video. I am an amateur smoker, I have a crappy char-griller offset, but I have made good food. Heat management is so hard with this thing, I stacked some bricks inside it to mimick this wall till I could find out if it would work. One brisket and a couple chickens in, this works great on my tiny smoker. When I finally build one I will use this!
I’ve been cooking on offsets for many years now. I don’t have a giant one but I would notice the center would be at a steady temperature, the closest to the fire box would be way to hot, and then the other side would be just barely warm. So I bit the bullet and bought a lava lock baffle plate. I’d rather have an even distribution of heat then burn my meat because the fire will go into the cooking chamber. This might be an unpopular opinion but weather it is brisket or pork buts I always smoke them fat side down. No point of having fat side up when the fat doesn’t penetrate the meat. The fat cap is just a good shield from burning the meat.
As someone who regularly cooks on the Yoder Loaded Wichita, he missed the ability to move the baffle plate back and forth to mix hot upstream gasses with those directed along the bottom through the holes. The plate mass (and the weight of steel in this thing) acts as a thermal mass to even out spikes. I personally run the plate about 3-4 inches away from the firebox with a water pan on the open side. Renders fat cap up perfectly.
I never thought of this way. I have mine were the start of it is in the fire box.
I feel like I love your content way more when its just you being you in vlog content, I love the straight forward scripted feeling instruction but when your personality shows through its great content.
16:14
This has completely changed the way I think about how an offset works. I been building a 90gallon reverse flow (old air tank) now I think I'll make it switch back and forth and see wich I prefer. Well said! Thank you as always!
Ur lying
@@Steve-cu1ye negative I like to play
I don't know where you are at in your build, but, "smoker builder frank" recently did a video about how smoke flows thru the smoker. His explanation made complete sense to me. I have been in the process of designing the rebuilding/replacement my very burnt out fire box and I am also intrigued by the Goldees hybrid design but I want the fire box open to the front, not the end. It's taking some Frankenstein designing and I have no idea how it will ultimately cook, but I'm hoping, and hoping{!}, it will be better than what I using now! I have a 16x32x1/4 cook chamber, it's small and challenging, but I've been able to make it work in the past. Rust is a killer!
I put a large baffle like the Brazos has in my homebuilt smoker, but I'm encouraged to fab a scoop and give this a try. Thanks for highlighting this alternative technique to managing airflow and convective heat!
Thought the same thing
No wonder my old country cooks weird I'm commenting on this 2 days after I watched the video I cut that baffle thing out and flipped it over where it points the fire up and it cooks great now thank you man. Would love to have some q with you sometime
I have a Shirley reverse flow patio model no hot spots, holds temp, you can use all racks, great smoke flavor,and cooks great . Is your scoop innovation for traditional offsets only?
I have a diffuser plate, but I also added a downspout to the chimney right at the grate level so the heat & smoke rises and then gets pulled down across the top. Works great for me, but I’ll take this into consideration when it’s time to upgrade.
That's exactly what I did with my homemade 1/4" 125gal offset. I used it several times without the scoop, I called it a 'block' because its goal was to block the radiant heat of the fire, and I had problems with the bottoms of brisket getting hard/burned. So I used a piece of 1/4" plate to blast the gasses straight up, block the crazy-hot radiant, and now she runs like a dream.
That's exactly what I did.
Would love to hear the throughts on the scoop vs the goldee's backyard design with the "scoop" directly from the firebox vs within the tank
Thank you for this great video which shows that all smokers are not created equal. The scoop baffle is the most important part of your 1000-gallon offset, as it shields the cook chamber from the radiant heat (hot spot control) and creates top-down cooking (proper fat render). You wisely pointed out that many backyard offsets on the market today have tuning plates that essentially turn the smoker into a bottom-up cooking oven with restricted air and smoke flow. Keep these smoker design videos coming, as hopefully it will lead to better smoker design in the future.
Hey Jeremy, you’re definitely right here. The competition side of bbq has been utilizing this for a long time if you go back and look at how long jambo pits have been utilizing the same scoop idea up through all the other companies now like jay craig and outlaw smokers out of Indiana. Then we utilize that 100 degree hotter top shelf to really break down fat if you need it or set sauce or whatever. Cool to see you as a more restaurant style cook enjoy the same thing that the comp cooks dig to just feed six people on a weekend.
Watched the whole video about the scoop.. to see the scoop and it never happened. I just finished a build and we put a scoop on it. Wouldve been good to see the piece of metal that could make or break my smoker
Why not just attach the firebox to the upper part of the cook chamber?
I added a baffle to my smoker. I have noticed that it acts like a big ol' heat sink and requires quite a bit more time and fuel to come up to temp. This scoop design sounds intriguing.
90 gallon smoker made from 24" pipe. How far from the firebox should the scoop go? How high up should it go? Cooking level or slightly higher?
i have a tiny 1/4" offset and i grabbed a big baffle with holes like you showed to try and kill/manage my temps. its definitely helped me in the short term because of all that thermal mass helps me manage the fire easier and has balanced my hot spots. my problem is the smoker isnt that long so any hot spot really kills my ability to cook alot on it. 2 large briskets would put 1 of them basically on the hot spot without it. im probably sacrificing convection and air flow, but theres always a compromise.
This does have me thinking though and experiments will need to be done!
Jeremy...Please do a review of a standard offset to a reverse flow. I would really like to see the results and get your opinion.
Video Idea - what should you do to get your equipment ready for the cookout season (cleaning, maintenance, inspections, etc..)
I would have been nice to actually see the “scoop” you are talking about 🤷🏻♂️
I decided to build my own offset with a, roughly, 60 gal tank cooking and a 20 gal fire box. It's been an adventure in stick welding and I still don't think I'm there yet. But you know what I like? I like building something that is going to bring people joy
I know this was a yr ago. But , how is that built smoker doing? Would love to see some pics. I'm trying to modify my bought smoker
@@TrueHearted78 well... It's one of the biggest personal projects I've ever done. It's not done yet, but I just have the cooking chamber hatch to cut
@@TrueHearted78 I'll post a video on it when it's finished
I built my 250 gal offset with this exact design except a square firebox! Love it it allows me to use almost every square inch of grates.
@MadScientistBBQ_ saw your comment. What’s up?
I really like the way Loan Star Grillz did their intake baffle. It's every even on the top and bottom. The baffle is in front of the intake. Then it is set up to dissect the gases to split to the top and bottom.
So your lower rack cooks at a lower temp and your top is hotter.
They show their temp Separation on their product video. That is what sold me on their smoker. I could send you some pictures if you would like to see it.
That sounds very interesting. Can you supply a link to that video?
I have a yoder wichita and it makes the darkest bark I have ever seen on brisket/pork butt without tasting oversmoked. I removed the heat management plate after many briskets having the bottom overcooked from the radiant heat.
I agree that the baffle plate is disrupting airflow which explains the fire management problems I have from time to time, but the center is not the hot spot. The right side next to the firebox is hottest and gets progressively cooler towards the left end.
Also meant to add with the heat management plate the top rack is more of a warming area or cold smoking zone. Without it, the upper area is a convection oven on steroids, wing cooking machine.
Entered. Got my mug. Bought a SuperDuty to tow it.
If I don't win then you can't be my friend.
Designed my reverse flow and had someone fabricate it for me. It works great and was a fun thing to do. Now I wish I could change some things. :)
just in general, the tank size/length can have a considerable difference, especially when the stack is closer to the firebox. Heat is energy, and how it functions and works in a given area, and how it can be manipulated will be different from one size cook chamber to another. Is my thinking correct?
I have that exact Yoder model. I took the tuner plate out. The infrared radiation from the plate burns the bottom of meat.
I have OK Joe offset smoker and figured out how to manage the heat. Now when I use it I seem to get good results.
I always wondered, watching all the "deflector/reverse flow/diffuser gadgets" on horizontal smokers, why this was so tough a problem to solve. Makes sense. Well not yet with me hanging meat in a WSM, but if I ever go this route, I will remember this. Thanks!
I would love to see you prove the concept by adding a scoop to your OC Brazos and do some cooks on it. Good stuff Jeremy.
We need this^^
Yes
You really have to start reviewing the Lonestar Grillz smokers. Their Texas edition does this. Their 20x42 does it as well though the scoope is a little closer to the grill grate. And just for kicks, you should review their pellet smoker. Hands down the best pellet smoker out there (that actually smokes the meat). And if you want even more intense smoke, they just came out with wood chips that you can mix with the pellets - it is a game changer!
More or less you absolutely love what Mr Jambo has been doing for years?? I don’t mean this smart by any means. I view the baffle exactly like you described here. I had a 250 built for me and tried to explain what I wanted but I got the traditional slanted plate , goin to see if I can get some mods done
I'd really like to see what the scoop looks like. Did I miss you showing it?
I have been building my cookers so that the heat goes straight to the top of the CC from the FB for the last 20 years. I can't believe it has taken everyone so long to catch on to this and throw away the tuning plates years ago.
Have you seen the brand new Brazos model? It has a removal/adjustable heat deflector plate and you can configure it in a way that points the air up! The new Brazos has other great mods but that one is excellent.
I'd like to see that baffle system
If you get a chance I would check out a Lonestar Grillz (LSG). I have a 20x36 LSG and it has a baffle with an opening at the top and bottom. Not sure they all have that, but I find it works very well.
What if you put the baffle in the firebox instead: keeps flames out of the cook chamber, and doesn’t mess with the flow of air once it makes it into the smoker
I'd love to see you review LoneStarGrillz pits, as I've had my eye on their Large Insulated Cabinet, Pellet Smoker, and their offsets for some time.
After owning multiple styles of offsets my favorite is the reverse flow method. The Shirley reverse flows are incredible.
I think this is how Jambo Pits are designed. From what I've seen in them, the firebox is usually raised, and the bottom of the opening from the firebox to the cook chamber is at or just below grate level. So the heat and gasses come in to the cook chamber at grate level and immediately go to the top of the pit and across. There is a "scoop" like he describes from the box to grate level or just above the grate. I built a reverse flow smoker 7 or 8 years ago. I wish I had seen this before I built it. I had mine after the Lang smokers. Those cook way different with all the radiant heat from the reverse flow plate. Still cooks good, but I still wonder, "What if?"
FYI. You are correct, Jeremy, The LSG new “Texas edition” offset has a very large baffle sending all heat directly up. Video on the LSG channel.
Love my Wichita but yes figured out pretty quickly to remove the heat dampening plate. Its a tank and makes amazing food without that. Only wish exhaust was a little longer.
You didn’t talk about reverse flow offsets and why they’re the best because they solve every issue you identified. You should be cooking on a Lang 😊.
Funny. As soon as I saw the click, I imagined this exact design! I'm no engineer, nor do I ever use a smoker...hell, I am terrible with all grills if I'm being honest. I just considered how to manipulate the smoke to encompass the entirety of the inner tank.
Ok guys here's how it works a lot of you have seen the video of Aaron Franklin cooking a brisket on a Wrangler with the big fire I guarantee you he did not take out the baffle and the Wrangler is the hardest smoker to cook on because it's so short of a cook chamber and my guess is Aaron also had a heat management plate
And cooked it low and slow If you know anything about wranglers there like direct heat I mean the fire's right there at your brisket
I have owned a Wrangler I have owned a Pecos and I own a Brazos and no I'm not taken out the baffle
When I built my smoker, I made the cooking grate even with the middle of the firebox opening. I thought it was too high but this video changed my mind.
Sad us folk outside of USA can’t participate- but do understand the shipping costs. The smokers you talk about are next level to what we can buy. ( specially in Africa )
Most of us poor folk in the Southern US convert a propane tank (most common) or water heater cylinder and weld our own. It is a dying truth, but for decades this has been the way.
Just so happens this is exactly what I made for my home smoker. It works very well!
Any reason why you did not show the scoop on the 1000?
Ever cook on a Jambo? That's the basic function of the jambo. The entry point of the fire box is higher than most offsets, and the Temps across are almost perfect. Many of these guys doing it that way now are just copying what Jambo has been doing for ages. I'd love it if you did a video on one.
I know this video aired about three months ago. Did you ever get an opportunity to look at the Goldies backyard smoker where the pipe comes out the top and then into the smoke chamber?
I would interested to know what you think of the new Goldees backyard offset. They have a bent pipe coming from the firebox to try and solve the problems you are talking about.
Do you think adding a baffle like this and relocating the exhaust would help on a cheap offset smoker, or would the thin metal just let too much heat escape?
WE NEED SOME OLD COUNTY BRAZOS CONTENT!!! Id like to see this idea put to the test on it
I have an internal damper system inside my firebox to distribute the heat in my cook chamber evenly!!
😊
I love the idea of a scoop matched with a stack that exits low in the barrel.
Would adding fins be great? The draw of the chimney would pull and force the gas to create a tornado inside?
Hey what’s the best pellet smoker?
The scoop forces the hot gases up and over the meat, right? While that works great for thin cuts it reminds me of cooking in a Weber kettle with a SlowNSear. Works great but I found that thick cuts like a pork butt cooking “top down” seemed to require more time or wrapping. I prefer a no baffle design like my Texas Pit Crafters direct flow offset. While it has a relatively small hot spot next to the firebox I can still use the top grate for cooking the same cuts I’m cooking on the bottom rack. A design that really makes sense to me is the new Goldie’s pit.
Bro, I got so much hate from some of the Lone Star Grillz family when I did a video on removing the tuning plates was superior. Glad to see this.
I just bought a used Propane tank … fella told me it was about 100 gals … it takes up half the box of my Chevy pick up … it’s way bigger than that Franklin
I just got a old Oklahoma Joe Offset Smoker , got to get it cleaned up and try some cooking with it 👍
Jambo's been doing the top down cooking for decades. Also Outlaw smokers does this as well. That LSG Texas edition has the right concept but they won't allow any modifications or additions to that model so for that reason I wouldn't choose them.
Superb i added this thinking and plate to the smoker i just built.
it definitely makes sense, might also be a fun project for the summer
Removing the baffle on the Brazos may have been that easy on older models, but I have one that I bought about a month or so ago and I am having a hell of a time removing it. I used an angle grinder to remove the spot welds on the bottom of it, but the ones at the top are so solid, there is no way to wiggle it back and forth to pop the others loose.
Please post on how you got it out. I also bought a Braxos a month ago and both of my first 2 cooks have produced burned meat. Trying to follow MS’s cooking times.
@@jEthrodul1 I haven't yet, that's what I was saying in my last comment. I was able to get the 2 welds off on the bottom end portion of it, but not the ones near the top. I may end up having to drill them out, but that's going to be super tedious.
Jeremy, hope you see this. I JUST purchased a new Brazos, super excited. But the baffle I noticed on mine is adjustable up and down. As I’m typing this, I’m not sure if it’s also removable, but I will check. If it’s not removable, does an adjustable baffle make it better, or do you still recommend removing it?
Do you have any thoughts on smokers with a crossflow design? Basically its a baffle that covers the entire bottom of the smoker and directs the smoke back towards the firebox (the smokestack is directly above the firebox).
I pulled the baffle off my Old Country. I'll try using it to direct heat from the firebox up.
Pretty much flipped it around from where it was welded from the factory, added some foil to cover the gap. Seemed to work well. Think I'll work on something a little more permanent/substantial than the foil.
Woah when was the Aaron Franklin interview. I wanted to see that.
I added a scoop to my Brazos DXL by cutting a cheap dollar general baking pan down, and man did it change the game. What company made the 1000 gallon put you gave away?
I have always wondered why you have never used a lone stars grillz. That's what i have. The 20 X 32 inch. Would love, love, love for you to review one. I feel like the one i have takes longer to smoke my food than what other people say. Example the hour per pound.
Would there be an issue using copper pipe in a smoker? I remodel showers and have a bunch of 1/2 I'd like to use as the platform the meat sits on, or some 3in copper I have as an exhuast for the smoke to travel to the meat.
Looking forward to some advice! Thanks everyone!
Great video, there is a brand in the UK called Cactus Jack that has this exact system, but it uses a ceramic half moon stone to achieve this, it cooks very evenly