User error...period. As someone who's been smoking for "15 years" as you say you've been, I find it hilarious you blame the result on your "cheap smoker". Franklin has videos of him cooking ribs and brisket on an even "cheaper" backyard smoker and his products came out fantastic according to his guests eating. Every comment below is accurate, no baffle plate, no basket or grate installed to keep the charcoal and wood off the floor of the fire chamber. Many mistakes here from a seasoned pro such as yourself. I use an Oklahoma Joe smoker as well, I have won several small local comps with Ribs and brisket. Its not the smoker bud...user error.
I agree on the grate, etc. I dont have this exact smoker. I have a chargriller pro I think it is. I e cooked everything on it in quantity and even sold it to neighbors. I catered a graduation party for a neighbor once too. I put way too many shoulders in there at once, lol, they were almost touching but it all came out great. Everyone loved it. The problem to me is everyone seems to want to cook the same way in every cooker. Whatever they learn on and get used to they want to use in every other cooker. That’s why straightflow offset guys often try a reverse flow and say it doesn’t work. Same here. He’s figured out what he likes in a higher end box and expects it to be exactly the same in a cos. You need to adjust technique as you change cookers. Won’t work the same in a Kamado either.
Been using an Oklahoma Joe smoker offset for 6 years. Various wood types. Beef, pork, chicken, venison, and wild game birds. All turned out fantastic, sometimes after a little tweaking as usual for an offset. Do your homework video boy.
I totally agree. People think the more expensive it is the better food it makes. These people don't know how to smoke meat. They know how to turn their pellet smoker on and set the temp and timer lol.
Open up your vent half way. Do not build your fire on the bottom of the firebox. As a matter of fact, OKJ recommends using a grate inside the firebox. Using the grate provided with the OKJ, insert one of them in the box in to elevate your fire. I use the grates with a firebox basket on top. That way my fire is higher and I can scoop out the ashes during the cook to make the fire burn longer and more efficiently. Also, I have good luck with smaller water pans, loaf size, at the rear near the stack and the front near the fire box opening. The one you use is too big for the grate area. Also, I find that I don not have to rotate the ribs. I cook at 225-250 for 3 hours, wrap for 2 hours, unwrap for one hour then check with my probe for tenderness. Being black with soot is not something I have never experienced. I have good clean smoke through out my cooks. I am fairly your fire location and a two smaller water pans will yield you much better results..happy smoking!! :)
What mods? I’ve owned a kamado joe classic 3 for 2 years and love it. But I’m wanting to get an offset along side it but videos like this turn me off. Also, any particular offset you recommend?? I don’t mind paying up as long as it’s good (I didn’t mind at all paying for the KJ cuz it rocks).
First off, great video as usual. I have the bigger version of the highland (the long horn reverse flow), and find these 5 things help keep a clean fire for me: 1. use a charcoal box a large square box that holds charcoal/wood, Oklahoma joe sells one 2. put that box on a grate, the grate should be perpendicular for maximum lift and airflow under the box 3. start the smoker with a chimney full of charcoal (I use lump charcoal) 4. use a combination of wood splits and charcoal, I can only run "wood only" for a few hours before it doesn't provide enough charcoal to keep a clean fire, meaning every 1.5-2.5hrs I add a few handfuls of lump charcoal. 5. open the damper door slide, it usually provides enough air, if its choked I open the door up. The long horn reverse flow really helps keep the heat even, about a 20degree difference in the main cooking zones, 1/3 of the grate is in the "no cook zone" its too hot by the firebox. I hope that helps anyone starting out with a cheaper offset, and keep up the great videos!
Thanks for sharing your details for everyone in a similar boat. I am intentionally avoiding the charcoal route because I have lots of grills that use charcoal for heat and wood for flavour and wanted to see if with ~15 years of live fire experience I could overcome common issues on a stock grill... predictable, but no. I ran that fire as well as you can and the issues are still there Attempt 2 (next video in a few weeks) I am still stubborn on giving into charcoal and conventional wisdom... instead I tried to recreate the Go Prometheus kit costing $250 (goprometheus.com/product/okj-highland/) for under $50 which I did. The next cook with all the mods is way better, but it still lacking in comparison to my premium offset (we are comparing $400 CAD to $5000 CAD) which I can appreciate is crazy in its own right. What might be a more interesting head to head is the KJ since it seems we will have to come to some level of heat and flavour being too different components
I have been using the Oklahoma Joe Highlands since 2017. Never had a bad cook. I use charcoal as the primary heat and wood chunks for the smoke. I can regulate how smoky the cook is easier that way. I also only open the door on the fire box to clean it, the damper that I see you never opened is how I regulate airflow. Temp with the chimney. Also looking at the price you paid blew my mind. Your half off price was almost twice what I paid for mine.
The retail price is currently $449 in USA. Summer of 2020 it was $349 but you could get them cheaper than that if you find them on sale or on clearance. I agree - mine cooks great and I love it although I have done quite a few mods.
Your honesty is what makes your channel so great. Here is my method, here is my tool, here are the results. Then you follow up with changes to make the original tool/method better, so we can all benefit. Are the more expensive tools better? Sometimes, but not always, like you show! Keep up the great work. I love my BJ series 1, but I’m trying to convince my dad to get a stick burner on a trailer so he can BBQ at the church and my house too! Your videos are right on point
I feel I have fallen for marketing and spent more than I need to only to find out I got hoodwinked later on when a tool costing half as much can do just as good of a job. I like testing these assumptions vs. just taking them at face value. I will come back in a week or two armed with my mods to give this a more fair chance
Hi James. Thanks so much for the great content. I'm a recent user of the Oklahoma Joe Highland smoker - I bought it last June, and used it through October (since Ottawa weather doesn't make for pleasant BBQing, I'm on hiatus 'till April). I've gotten good results so far - I've never experienced the ashy tastes you describe. Perhaps the ashy taste is due to the smoker not being seasoned enough. The manual (page 3) suggests spraying with vegetable oil, then the seasoning process "should be sustained for at least two hours, the longer the better." Perhaps leftover manufacturing powders caused the ashy taste. I experienced the same difficulties as you in managing temperatures and evenness, but I when I installed the stack extension, the problems became much easier to avoid. I'm planning on having a smoke collector installed this coming summer, because (as you pointed out), the placement of the stack is sub-optimal. I'm using 8" sticks, but it looks to me like your 6" sticks would be much better. Thanks again for the great content and the experienced tips and techniques, Josh
James your a TH-cam Rockstar . Love the videos. I have a Highland reverse flow. I tried using the reverse feature but felt it didn't provide enough air flow . I do not like the chimneys position when its in the reverse flow configuration. I usually just run it as a typical offset. I too have issues with temp swings. I make my splits the same size as you mention. I use charcoal as my base then add wood as the temp just starts to drop. I usually add a handful of charcoal when I add the new splits too. Preheating splits always helps. I am thinking of extending the chimney and even going as far as welding a larger chimney diameter and height but placing it closer to the grate. Did you say you used an elbow to get the flue closer? Did that help? Any thought s are appreciated. Thanks,
Thanks for sharing. It is good to see that even someone whit years of experiance can have a failed or disapointing cook. It happens but whe can learn from this. Great work 😀
Another great video James. I was excited when I saw you had the OKJ Highland. This was the 2nd smoker that I bought out of the 4 that I now own (my only offset). I've often wondered if upgrading to a more expensive offset would improve the outcome of the cooks. So I am looking forward to some follow up videos with this smoker to see if you are able to improve your results and if an upgrade is worthwhile. Keep up the great work 👍
Thanks, since these were recorded a short while back I can already tell you it gets better from here after we do some mods .... but, best effort and mods its not going to match my offset. I no longer think its possible to get identical parity on a 30g offset to a larger one burning more wood more cleanly
I have the exact same offset smoker and I made some mods at assembly and over time: - added a second temp gauge - added the horizontal heat deflector baffle plate with various sized holes thar runs around 3/4 the length for more even heat distribution - added an aluminum elbow on inside of smoke exit pointing down to force more smoke/heat to lower grate before exiting - added the felt gasket material around main door - used firebox black gasket adhesive around fire box - added smoker door locking latches - have the 2 level expansion rack system for large cooks - have the grill smoker jacket to wrap when temps get low, wet, and/or windy in cold weather - use charcoal/wood basket (I shake to drop ash to bottom) More air flow, easier to maintain temp with easy clean ash removal under the basket - have a fireplace ash bucket with ash rake (under a minute to clean out extra ash to improve air flow) - seasoned the grill with test fire (oiled the outside to season like a cast iron pan) - I have a 2-speed Ryobi P3320 fan (can use battery of power cord). Helps add extra air when needed to keep the temp more consistent for a clean burn. Always have an issue with the fire burning off the paint above the fire box. After every cook, I use wire brush attachment on my cordless drill to remove the paint flakes. Spray black rust-oleum high heat ultra for grills to protect the exposed metal. I would say the charcoal/wood basket is the most important piece I would recommend and couldn't do without. The basket make fire management and temp control so much easier. Never had an issue with sooty meats with this smoker.
@@PlanktoniusRex Why? I have a better smoker that works perfectly. Why buy an more expensive house when you just need to remodel the kitchen to fit your needs. Spending around a $100 for the perfect smoker for my needs sounds like a winner to me.
My first offset was a Horizon that was about the same size. I found a water pan really messed with the airflow and caused a significant hot spot right in the middle of the grate.
I added a full mod kit to my Oklahoma Joe. Seals, baffle kit with custom water Pan etc. the baffle helped stabilize the heat difference. Been cooking wonderful tasting and smoky bbq ever since.
Good stuff! I did similar mods after with gaskets, intake, extension and semi insulated Fb and it worked much better. Think that comes out in a week or two
I have my Oklahoma joe for about 3 months now I use the box for the wood and haven’t had that ash build up your talking about. Every time you open that lid on the fire box the ash starts to swirl. Am I’m curious how the firebox held up to the fire being on the floor of the firebox. Great video enjoying the perspectives
Great video! I have the Oklahoma joe and extended the smoke stack, added a elbow vent, and have a baffle. I’ve always wondered how much better a more expensive offset would be or if having a quarter inch steel and bigger firebox will allow me to not keep feeding the highland wood every 15-20 mins. Looking forward to more comparisons.
Thanks Dan. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
Crazy question but did you preseason your smoker first before the cook ? The top of your door on inside looked brand new and not seasoned. Coulda been adding the soot? Just a thought. I have the mini Oklahoma joes and I love it. A bit small for racks n others but I manage to make it all work.
i should have mentioned that in the video but yes i did, i burned it out first, then did my biscuit test in the first video then did some oil. its still a new pit / first layer of seasoning after only 3-4 fires before these ribs went on but it smelled good and wasn't smoking like the first fire so i don't think it was anything inside the smoker causing the smell vs stagnant smoke not venting out quick enough
I figured there would be a temp difference from each side of the pit but didn't realize it would be that much! The smokestack location for the OKJ was one the main reasons why I stayed away from that brand of smoker and I'm glad I did! I'm sure there are work arounds, but they are other brands of smokers with less work around issues at the same price range; not to mention better quality built too (Old Country BBQ pits). Great informative video!
I like the old country but it wasn't on sale so I went with OKJ. I also have seen this kit costing $250 targeting budget friendly smokers and the highland is part of the smokers supported by the kit - goprometheus.com/product/okj-highland/ So in my next video I recreate this kit but for under $50 as spending as much on kit as the grill seems nuts to me and give this cook another go with the mods installed
Question: I see you mentioned the soot on the probes as a bad thing. I looked at s bunch of your other videos and see thst your probes usually come out clean. When I'm smoking, my probes ALWAYS come out with soot. I typically have my smoke coming out clearblue or light white. Am I using too much wood maybe?
I picked up the charcoal basket they sell works very very well with split as needed for extra smoke but the basket imo must have runs long with no swings in temp Great vid
I have this same smoker and it's been great. I normally have a bigger bed of charcoal and then add one or two small splits every 45 mins or so. I normally keep the door open to have maximum airflow and then close it as needed. I also have the Oklahoma Joe charcoal box and its lifted a little to increase airflow.
Good stuff! My mods i did after this have made a world of difference. I took a page from my pizza oven for the firebox, changed the chimney and a few other things and i am now getting 1-3f temp ranges front to back
That was my biggest gripe about the Highland when I had one, the fire tends to work against you at times when trying to maintain it. There is very little wiggle room to even step away from it for a moment. The tuning plate from bbqsmokermods helps regulate the temp across the chamber but keeping that fire lit optimally will always be a bit of a challenge with the coalbed diminishing so rapidly due to thin construction. I would love to see a video of you picking up your new Carlisle Gen 2 (which I’m almost certain will happen after this series) and perhaps a tour of Smoke North if they’re up for it!
These videos are a little behind and i am trying to get them out as quick as possible. I have ordered and paid for a gen 2 since, hoping to get it soon
Could it be from left over manufacturing residues/oils? Like how they suggest a few small fires in a wood stove first or an outdoor burn to cure paint, etc.?
If you add a metal dryer elbow to your vent stack pointing down towards the grate you will get better results. I I also sealed my firebox with black food grade rtv seal. There's tons of videos of how to mod Oklahoma Joes even up to adding a diffuser plate kit which helps distribute the heat for a more even cook.I take my lower grates that it comes with wrap them in foil and you can put them in at a angle by the fire box which helps keep the heat towards the bottom of the grill. You also need to season your grill on your first burn in after you burn everything off you want to coat the inside of your grill with oil and let it burn in for hrs so it's seasoned like a cast iron skillet. I have a Oklahoma Joe and I've done lots of competition type recipes on it and got amazing results out of my Oklahoma Joe. I have never had a dirty smoker Ash taste. thanks for video.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50. I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
@@SmokingDadBBQ Cool. Again I loved your video. The tunning plate is probably the best mod anyone can do but it's expensive so like I said the smaller grates it comes with wrapped in foil really worked for me also putting my water pan below the ribs helps too. Thanks for responding to me and for putting out good videos.
Don’t use a water pan at all. The humidity you’re creating traps and mixes with the smoke, which then cakes onto your food. Spritz generously every 30-45 mins using 50/50 water/acv and that’s more than enough moisture.
Hey James, I remember a while back in the comments you were talking about how you’re experimenting with this thermapen alternative. I see you’re using it again in this video, what are your thoughts on it compared to the thermapen? Thanks!
I need to do a boiling water test. In ribs I was seeing a 1f difference between the two but not sure if it’s a difference in the spot or the probes I wouldn’t say it’s better / more accurate but I think everything I’ve done so far it’s been as good and less money so for a good value I am giving it a thumbs up
I wonder if a 90 degree elbow at the smokestack inside the chamber would help. I think that would force the air and smoke down and create better circulation inside the smoke chamber.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50. I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
You have to start with charcoal. You have to put the charcoal on top of the charcoal grate allowing air to get underneath. That's why they give you a charcoal grate. You need the charcoal to keep a stable temp in the cook chamber. Wood goes on top of the grate, one or perhaps two small splits at a time. . You cannot cook with this smoker with straight wood splits and no charcoal. You need a much larger offset smoker to do that. I've had my Highlander for almost three years now and it cooks great (although I've done quite a few mods)!
I have the same O Joes smoker and never get that taste. I use regular briquette charcoal with hickory chips, smoke 2 hours at 250, and wrap for 2 hours, Perfect. It really is a pretty good smoker for the money
I saw this comment on another channel: A large water pan (at least a gallon) placed on the grate against the fire box in the cooking chamber acts as a buffer, keeping the temperature more stable. The more you can fill the firebox outlet with the pan, the more air must be directed around and across the water, stabilizing the incoming heat. Because water boils at 212 °F, the resulting air temperatures stabilize as smoke passes across the water pan. My Char-Griller offset hole is about the size of a football. Having a large mass of heated water to warm the air back up helps the temperature in the cooking chamber return to normal faster after the lid is opened. I've used this method a lot and have always recommended it to friends who use offset smokers, and they're always amazed the first time they try it. The larger the pan, obviously, the longer you can burn before having to refill it.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50. I also did what you said here and moved the water pan down below the grid against the firebox so it acts like a baffle to direct flow air up and over I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
I have had a Highlander fot three years now and never had an issue with it and that might be because i used a grate in yhe firebox since day 1. I use lump charcoal to get it to the right temperature then one stick of wood every 30 minutes. It's almost like clockwork the way I cook with it.
James, I’m loving the head to head and comparison videos you’re doing. Is there any chance you could ever try a Weber Summit Kamado? I’d really like to see the difference in cooks between that and the Kamado Joe as well as if it’s possible to replicate the Kamado Joe experience on the Summit by using KJ accessories.
The temperature swing is why I use a vertical smoker. While I cannot smoke a packer brisket due to size it works superbly with smaller cuts and does allow for a full rack of ribs. Since I am an amateur smoker I always have that soot like substance on my meater probe. I always thought that was the way it was supposed to be. I guess I learned something.
I use a reverse flow Highland. I think this really evens out the temperature in the cook chamber. The only mod I've done is extend the smoke stack. I do use the basket that came with the unit.
mine didn't come with the basket, my mods were to relocate the intake to even out temps (now 1-3f across the cooking area), extend the stack, make a semi insulated firebox, seal up the smoke leaks etc. Redo of the ribs post mods in a week or two
I had a guy to add a smoke collector to my Oklahoma Joe. It changed my flow dramatically. I also brought my stack down to grate level. I was also able to use larger splits.
Thanks Tarus. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back. Was also able to use half splits vs. 1/4
I saw the full video now, and what a flashback for me! Maybe you can try the following that works on my Oklamoma joe (full size with the smoke room). 1. put some kind of grill rack in the fire box under the wood. You get better air flow that way in the fire box, and combustion will be easier and faster. (remove ashes under the rack from time to time). 2. Every time you add wood, leave the lid open for some time so bad smoke can escape eventhough heat will still be pulled into the grill box. Once the smoke is clean, close it again. 3. I also have a plate with holes in the grill box under the grill. The holes become larger in the direction of the chimnee. This will also capture (for a part) the ashes from the wood at the bottom of the grillbox. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks Mark. I stuck being stubborn on the next attempt but I semi insulated the firebox, changed the draw and the airflow pattern and got much better results after $50 at Home Depot
I have had this same smoker for over 6 years and I make a lot of ribs. I have never had that problem of taste. Now I do have a problem that after about 2 hours it is very hard to maintain 275-300 temp settings without constantly feeding the smoker every half hour. Sometimes I put a piece of metal in the firebox lid for more air. I just wish I could afford something like your other on. Also you can get some baffle plates to almost make it like a reverse flow.
Did you season it? Did you use lighter fluid? Did you add unlighted briquettes? What kind of wood did you used if any? Do you have any idea how to use the dampers? There is no way you can know where the sweet spot is since you’ve never used it. Did you do any modifications to the smoker such as Seal the fire box Seal the lid with oven rated gasket That should be enough to start with
Great video, I had a cheap NexGrill offset from Home Depot and same thing, fire management was a nightmare and the food had the ashy taste. Sold it a couple months after purchase as it never got used.
@@SmokingDadBBQ no kidding. I was getting better results from the pellet grill. Sold the cheap offset and bought a kamado cooker. Best. Decision. Ever.
@@Kyle-nj1gz agree. For people that have this I want to try and make it as good as possible. But for people who don’t…. This does not taste like how bbq should taste, and to your point for less effort and more space pellets, kamados etc make better food stock. 30 gallons is just too small to unlock the full benefits of an offset at its best
Great video. I like it that you made the first video cook without any mods, so anyone getting this knows what they are getting in to. I would have thought that your strategy of using small sticks of wood would have produced much better results considering the tiny size of the firebox, obviously that was not enough. Watching your videos, you place great emphasis on smoke quality, and rightfully so. I have been to busy bbq restaurants that serve some great meat, but with heavy dirty smoke. Considering the undersized firebox, I believe you need to make some compromises. My guess is that the logs that you got are of decent moisture content which you need to produce great aroma when using in a larger smoker. For the OJ, I suggest experimenting with kiln dried wood, with moisture content of 8% or less. That will not give you the best smoke aromatics as you can get by using logs with higher moisture level in your Carlisle, but it will help minimize the sooth flavor. I also suggest adding grates under the charcoal bed to get better air flow and to protect the thin wall of the firebox. There are those who give up using wood in OJ's, they rely on charcoal alone instead. I think the compromise is to have a heavy bed of charcoal with the addition of kiln dry log.
Thanks, I don't like to mod something until i feel like I have a really clear picture of what I want to fix. After these tests the fix list is (1) smoke leaks that pull smoke away from passing over the food (2) insufficient draw to pull smoke up and out (3) draw location, arch the smoke back down over the food to create a rainbow and (4) semi insulated firebox to keep a small fire burning clean. My mods video comes out next, the firebox stock IR temp was something like 150f on the outside... with the semi insulated firebox I built for $25 the IR gun read 850+ even two hours after i stopped adding wood which made a massive difference. I am biased... but if you want to run charcoal and or wood so dried it has no flavour than whats the point of going with an offset? I thought my strategy and the fire I maintained here would have been better that it was but I will redo with mods in hand. Wood is a natural product, so just like on any other grill i try to eliminate as many variables as possible. I buy Furtado farms (sorry Canada only for all reading - dicksonbbq.com/collections/charcoal-wood/products/cookwood-oak-logs) which are naturally seasoned for over a year and have a low enough moisture content for good combustion without robbing the wood of all its flavour
@@SmokingDadBBQ I completely agree, why the pain of using an offset smoker if robbing away a good smoke flavor. One might as well cook on a pellet smoker. Your mods seem very intetresting and promising. I am already excited to see the outcome result. Don't tell me yet, I am guessing you would be using bricks in order to insulate inside the firebox.
Hi there... I had one of those (the original ones were the "Smoke Hollow" brand). Oklahoma Joe are Identical smokers. Believe it or not, that was a step up for me from the Home Depot brands (e.g., Char Broil) I was used to. I used the 'ol Smoke Hollow for several years until the fire box started coming apart at the seams. The MANY gaps had to be re-welded and I even welded the side door shut because of warpage and air gaps. I used a charcoal/wood chunks basket and as Brian mentioned, baffles were needed. I've now moved up to a Lone Start Grillz offset (and insulated vertical) and the quality difference is amazing.
thats a nice looking pit (Lone Star)... my mods cook thats coming out soon goes much better but i am no longer optimistic I can make it taste as good pound for pound as a premium pit.
I have a Highland. It was frustrating until I installed a baffle plate. It really evened out the temps. I've battled soot, but only when using dense woods like oak. When I use a light wood like cherry, there's no soot. Either way, like you discovered, I must use small splits. I guess the problem with the Highland is, it's just a cheap, inefficient smoker, which makes it very finicky. When you get it dialed in, it cooks great... but it's always a fight. The advantage? If you can cook on a Highland, you can cook on anything!
@@1230mkelly I have seen their new one. My avg video makes about $50 so I can buy this, do a bunch of videos and sell it for maybe a $100-$200 loss which I made up on the ads That gets a lot harder to do on pits in the $3k range
You'll need a baffle plate James. Install the plate leaving about a 1 inch gap with the fire box. By doing this you'll allow a certain amount of smoke to flow over the food while evening out the heat. Also use a much smaller water pan so you can move the food your cooking closer to the middle of the grill.
Thanks Brian, I added a 3" elbow and got temps within 1-3f front and back of the grill so I think that issue is solved. Mods video comes in a week or two I also moved the water pan below the grid so it acts more like the direct flow baffle on my/your smoke north pit directing air up and over in a similar rainbow pattern... again at 1f difference i am happy with that. total cost was about $50, did a semi insulated firebox, stack extension, gasket for leaks and the intake. hoping i am not spoiling too much here lol but it was night and day better than this cook.... but still a long way off what i get on my Carlisle. I am doing a modded offset vs. KJ as this will be close... the small offset can fit three racks, i can do 6 in the KJ in less time/effort. i don't think a 30g offset can match the flavour based on the amount of wood burning and passing over the food, BUT we can do much better than what was achieved in this cook
@@SmokingDadBBQ Wow, sounds like you took care of a pile of problems. I think you're going to make people who own this brand of smoker very happy with your out come.
@@briandaffern5108 thanks, when we got married i remember the feeling of saving a year or more for something I wanted that cost the same as this pit so a premium priced pit is out of the question for many. For people who have one i want to help get the absolute most out of it, and for people with budget space to see if you can get the results we want for less money. I confident on the first goal, these videos need to catch up but with more under the belt it’s not going to achieve parity with my Carlisle
True, at the same time a Carlisle will not produce the same results as a 1000 gallon pit. Showing people how to get good bbq from a box store offset is a noble bbq cause. @SmokingDadBBQ
Definitely a draw issue too. A lot of people with a COS mod the inlet to the chimney using an aluminum dryer vent inside the lid attached to the chimney and the other end just above the level of the grate.
Thanks Jeff. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
Thanks Bill. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
James. I wonder if you were to move the stack from the top of the drum down to just above the cooking grate. I would think that you would also need to extend the exhaust stack by the same amount as you lower the exhaust port. This should cause the smoke to travel parallel to the cooking grates.I'm also concerned that you taste ash. Could wood ash in addition to smoke from the combusted splits be drawing through the drum and falling onto the ribs? Perhaps the age old proverb "you get what you pay for" is at play here!
Good plan, I thought the same so the mod video when it comes out has relocated the draw, extended the stack, sealed the leaks and added a semi insulated firebox
Sounds like the velocity of your fire might be too fast. You may just have to make an even less aggressive fire, still clean, just less aggressive. Baskets often help with this for smaller smokers.
i just got one has defector plates and charcoal box i use 80% charcoal and the rest wood splits i only have 8 degree difference between ends and ribs taste great
I always use the small grates in a V shape in the fire box. One on the bottom horizontal so i can pull ash below it and the other two in a V shape so the wood is some what self feeding and better airflow. So I can have a big enough fire and not get too hot I keep the firebox lid cracked by wedging a split chunk between the firebox lid to mix cooler air and allow some heat and smoke out through the firebox lid. If i need to control temp i use the stack damper to draw more or less heat from the fire box. (½-¾ open for mine) Side note I use the reverse flow highland, so I don't have the same temp difference in the cooking chamber and my air flow might not behave the same as yours. My temp difference left to right at the grate is still about 25 degrees.
I did. I am really happy with how it did after $50 in mods. It’s comparable to my expensive offer taste wise now. Only difference is fire management slightly more involved
Build the fire closer to the door, get an 18" extension exhaust pipe from autozone and place the water pan touching the chamber wall next to the fire pit. Damper on the stack 1/3 and firebox 1/8 with the amount of woof you use, world of a difference. Splits I use on this method are 12", angle them.
I did a few break in burns at high temps until there was no more bad smells / smoke but maybe that was an issue. I have a redo coming with some mods that cost less than $50
I have never used an offset smoker, but am currently reading Franklin Barbecue's book. If you haven't read it, it is worth it if you are getting into offset smokers. He talks about how to modify the cheaper offset smokers. The other thing is he does not like kiln dried wood. He actually prefers a little moisture in the wood. The amount you had to play with that fire is too much. You should be able to fill the fire box up more and control the temp with the damper on the chimney like you would on the Joe. I think the firebox being opened every 15 minutes contributed to the issue.
Owned a Highland never had bad food off of it! Got tired of doing mods to get it to work with me and found out every offset has its issues. I have gone a different direction with having a reverse flow cabinet made but gotta say. I miss using my Highland. My cabinet smoker runs itself and is kinda boring!!
the way I get clean blue smoke is preheat splits in my grill @ 300 degrees , then placing one split on coal bed leaving door open until ignition ...Ive also use smaller splits and not large chunks of wood...I also think thicker pit metal like 1/4" and slightly bigger cook chamber makes the process slightly easier as pit temperature swings are slower to change
I've had my Highland for over 3 years and I never had anything come out sooty...EXCEPT when using Birch wood. I've been able to get even temps from side to side by using some baffle plates I had made up (they're about 4"x16") and after playing around with the position and gaps between the plates, my temps are at most 10 F from side to side.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50. I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
@@SmokingDadBBQ I've done the stack extension as well and found it helpful in stabilizing my temps. I look forward to seeing your semi-insulated firebox...might be my next mod!
I have used a friends that did that. Personal preference is I don’t like reverse flow until much larger sized pits. I think improving the direct flow, stack size, draw location, smoke leaks and firebox will help significantly
i love where this left off with $50 in mods that came after this... but having several offsets i know the difference of stall / stagnant smoke vs. what offset ribs should taste like. a few home depot mods later this cooks like pits costing 10x more
Thanks Roger. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back I know that will work, BUT i wanted to try and get it to run like an offset with wood only. the mods help fix that
You should check into the Go Prometheus kit for the highland. Fat Stack smokers makes these kits to help run small smokers more efficiently. Low cost per value in my opinion.
James, you get what you pay for is how we say it in Canada. It probably a silly question but James have you done a burn out , I am wondering if it's a dry industrial oil fragments you are tasting.
I have never had a problem with my Oklahoma Joe new smoker like you used or my old 1/4” original Oklahoma Joe smoker. Not sure what went wrong for you.
I made a few tweaks for under $50 and it now tastes the same as offsets costing thousands more. The smoke was stagnant so dropping the stack, extending it and a few fire bricks it worked way better
Nothing wrong with the okie. I few mods and they are golden. A higher price smoker doesn't make you any better food. It might hold temp better, but that's about it.
You set this up for failure by building the fire in the right back corner on the firebox. Your fire should be as close to the door as possible in this small of a firebox as it keeps the flames out of the chamber and gives more area for air flow.
Fair comment based on the one of the clips I showed but what I didn’t mention is I was moving the fire around in different spots and looking at the data trying to get more temp to the back of the cook chamber which worked its way up to 100f cooler
Could have used a baffle plate and you want low temp coals and no flame. There should be a consistent smolder on the coals and the wood. Better to use .25 inch thick would chips if not using a burner/wood box. And the coals should be off the falling ashes.
Others I see have mentioned a baffle plate and getting the stack down to grate level. Also look at a cheap 18" exhaust pipe extension to make the draw better, it just friction fits over the existing stack and removes as easily. Not sure what it may be in Canada, but in the states the O'Reilly's auto, the part number is 548628. Autozone verison part number is 17628
Once you get used to fresh cracked pepper it's impossible to tolerate the pre ground stuff. No volatiles, it's awful. Same goes for home roasted, fresh ground coffee.
I used an inexpensive offset for a number of years. I got real tired of having to constantly monitor my fire and dealing with the temperature swings. I caught an AKORN Kamado on sale for just over $200. My life is much easier now.
i think you're on the money, there is a point where an offset makes sense and a spot where it doesn't. At 30 gallons, the effort, the quality and quantity don't make the same sense they do at a larger scale
I've a highland, but I would rather hot and fast, for ribs. You don't seem to have enough fuel in that box to maintain or tinker with any consistent heat.
I think the Oklahoma Joe is more suited for charcoal and wood chunks I have done ribs brisket this way turned out good, don't think u need that water pan,
I have a Lang reverse offset, so my experience compared to this is not fair, BUT, I also have a Char Griller COS (and have used a COS a number of times), so have lots of experience and learned a lot from that before upgrading. That being said, I'm not sure why the soot/ash taste and issue occured. I produced very good ribs (not as good as I can now) with my COS and don't remember soot/ash taste or issue. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments below recommending a baffle plate. I added one to my Char Griller COS and it made a HUGE difference in the heat dispersion (I did the biscuit test and put a video on TH-cam showing how drastically it improved heat dispersion). I wouldn't blame Oklahoma Joe in particular as I think that smoker is pretty solid for what it is. I would blame the limitations that that style or design (especially without mods to improve) produces. Also, I got the Meater probes (thanks for your video) and am on the fence as to how I think they perform. They do show difference in temps (I like how you used them in this video) but knowing your grill has hot spots and getting an ash/soot flavor are not connected, in my opinion. Thanks for the video, you do a great job.
User error...period. As someone who's been smoking for "15 years" as you say you've been, I find it hilarious you blame the result on your "cheap smoker". Franklin has videos of him cooking ribs and brisket on an even "cheaper" backyard smoker and his products came out fantastic according to his guests eating. Every comment below is accurate, no baffle plate, no basket or grate installed to keep the charcoal and wood off the floor of the fire chamber. Many mistakes here from a seasoned pro such as yourself. I use an Oklahoma Joe smoker as well, I have won several small local comps with Ribs and brisket. Its not the smoker bud...user error.
I agree on the grate, etc. I dont have this exact smoker. I have a chargriller pro I think it is. I e cooked everything on it in quantity and even sold it to neighbors. I catered a graduation party for a neighbor once too. I put way too many shoulders in there at once, lol, they were almost touching but it all came out great. Everyone loved it. The problem to me is everyone seems to want to cook the same way in every cooker. Whatever they learn on and get used to they want to use in every other cooker. That’s why straightflow offset guys often try a reverse flow and say it doesn’t work. Same here. He’s figured out what he likes in a higher end box and expects it to be exactly the same in a cos. You need to adjust technique as you change cookers. Won’t work the same in a Kamado either.
I have cook ribs in the cheapest Walmart off set smoker and never came out with ribs tasting like he’s describing
Fax
Been using an Oklahoma Joe smoker offset for 6 years. Various wood types. Beef, pork, chicken, venison, and wild game birds. All turned out fantastic, sometimes after a little tweaking as usual for an offset. Do your homework video boy.
I totally agree. People think the more expensive it is the better food it makes. These people don't know how to smoke meat. They know how to turn their pellet smoker on and set the temp and timer lol.
Its never about the pit. Its always about the Pit Master!
BINGO!
Agreed! Some of the best burnt ends and brisket I've ever had came off a Char-Griller
Open up your vent half way. Do not build your fire on the bottom of the firebox. As a matter of fact, OKJ recommends using a grate inside the firebox. Using the grate provided with the OKJ, insert one of them in the box in to elevate your fire. I use the grates with a firebox basket on top. That way my fire is higher and I can scoop out the ashes during the cook to make the fire burn longer and more efficiently. Also, I have good luck with smaller water pans, loaf size, at the rear near the stack and the front near the fire box opening. The one you use is too big for the grate area. Also, I find that I don not have to rotate the ribs. I cook at 225-250 for 3 hours, wrap for 2 hours, unwrap for one hour then check with my probe for tenderness. Being black with soot is not something I have never experienced. I have good clean smoke through out my cooks. I am fairly your fire location and a two smaller water pans will yield you much better results..happy smoking!! :)
Thanks Charles. The next one is with mods and some of these changes and it went much better
@@SmokingDadBBQ Great! I appreciate your candor and responses in kind. I enjoy your blog!
@@SmokingDadBBQ I am interested in seeing your next OKJ cook, with the mods. Maybe I could use the mods as well, although happy with mine for now..
What mods? I’ve owned a kamado joe classic 3 for 2 years and love it. But I’m wanting to get an offset along side it but videos like this turn me off. Also, any particular offset you recommend??
I don’t mind paying up as long as it’s good (I didn’t mind at all paying for the KJ cuz it rocks).
First off, great video as usual.
I have the bigger version of the highland (the long horn reverse flow), and find these 5 things help keep a clean fire for me:
1. use a charcoal box a large square box that holds charcoal/wood, Oklahoma joe sells one
2. put that box on a grate, the grate should be perpendicular for maximum lift and airflow under the box
3. start the smoker with a chimney full of charcoal (I use lump charcoal)
4. use a combination of wood splits and charcoal, I can only run "wood only" for a few hours before it doesn't provide enough charcoal to keep a clean fire, meaning every 1.5-2.5hrs I add a few handfuls of lump charcoal.
5. open the damper door slide, it usually provides enough air, if its choked I open the door up.
The long horn reverse flow really helps keep the heat even, about a 20degree difference in the main cooking zones, 1/3 of the grate is in the "no cook zone" its too hot by the firebox. I hope that helps anyone starting out with a cheaper offset, and keep up the great videos!
Thanks for sharing your details for everyone in a similar boat.
I am intentionally avoiding the charcoal route because I have lots of grills that use charcoal for heat and wood for flavour and wanted to see if with ~15 years of live fire experience I could overcome common issues on a stock grill... predictable, but no. I ran that fire as well as you can and the issues are still there
Attempt 2 (next video in a few weeks) I am still stubborn on giving into charcoal and conventional wisdom... instead I tried to recreate the Go Prometheus kit costing $250 (goprometheus.com/product/okj-highland/) for under $50 which I did.
The next cook with all the mods is way better, but it still lacking in comparison to my premium offset (we are comparing $400 CAD to $5000 CAD) which I can appreciate is crazy in its own right. What might be a more interesting head to head is the KJ since it seems we will have to come to some level of heat and flavour being too different components
I have been using the Oklahoma Joe Highlands since 2017. Never had a bad cook. I use charcoal as the primary heat and wood chunks for the smoke. I can regulate how smoky the cook is easier that way. I also only open the door on the fire box to clean it, the damper that I see you never opened is how I regulate airflow. Temp with the chimney. Also looking at the price you paid blew my mind. Your half off price was almost twice what I paid for mine.
It’s Canadian dollars vs usd. That’s like 280 USD I think
Things are just more expensive here in Canada 🤷
This ^
You gotta use charcoal as the main source of heat in a cheap offset
The retail price is currently $449 in USA. Summer of 2020 it was $349 but you could get them cheaper than that if you find them on sale or on clearance. I agree - mine cooks great and I love it although I have done quite a few mods.
@@markennes5208 I have modified mine as well.
Your honesty is what makes your channel so great. Here is my method, here is my tool, here are the results. Then you follow up with changes to make the original tool/method better, so we can all benefit. Are the more expensive tools better? Sometimes, but not always, like you show! Keep up the great work. I love my BJ series 1, but I’m trying to convince my dad to get a stick burner on a trailer so he can BBQ at the church and my house too! Your videos are right on point
I feel I have fallen for marketing and spent more than I need to only to find out I got hoodwinked later on when a tool costing half as much can do just as good of a job.
I like testing these assumptions vs. just taking them at face value. I will come back in a week or two armed with my mods to give this a more fair chance
Hi James. Thanks so much for the great content.
I'm a recent user of the Oklahoma Joe Highland smoker - I bought it last June, and used it through October (since Ottawa weather doesn't make for pleasant BBQing, I'm on hiatus 'till April).
I've gotten good results so far - I've never experienced the ashy tastes you describe. Perhaps the ashy taste is due to the smoker not being seasoned enough. The manual (page 3) suggests spraying with vegetable oil, then the seasoning process "should be sustained for at least two hours, the longer the better." Perhaps leftover manufacturing powders caused the ashy taste.
I experienced the same difficulties as you in managing temperatures and evenness, but I when I installed the stack extension, the problems became much easier to avoid. I'm planning on having a smoke collector installed this coming summer, because (as you pointed out), the placement of the stack is sub-optimal.
I'm using 8" sticks, but it looks to me like your 6" sticks would be much better.
Thanks again for the great content and the experienced tips and techniques,
Josh
Leave the door open in the offsite side will help tremendously..!
have you considered onion for your basic rub? ive always found that to go well on a lot along with salt pepper garlic
James your a TH-cam Rockstar . Love the videos. I have a Highland reverse flow. I tried using the reverse feature but felt it didn't provide enough air flow . I do not like the chimneys position when its in the reverse flow configuration. I usually just run it as a typical offset. I too have issues with temp swings. I make my splits the same size as you mention. I use charcoal as my base then add wood as the temp just starts to drop. I usually add a handful of charcoal when I add the new splits too. Preheating splits always helps. I am thinking of extending the chimney and even going as far as welding a larger chimney diameter and height but placing it closer to the grate. Did you say you used an elbow to get the flue closer? Did that help? Any thought s are appreciated. Thanks,
Hi James great effort looks like some good suggestions bellow to help improve things thanks for sharing Cheers
Thanks for sharing. It is good to see that even someone whit years of experiance can have a failed or disapointing cook. It happens but whe can learn from this. Great work 😀
None of us are immune to the occasional flop lol
Another great video James. I was excited when I saw you had the OKJ Highland. This was the 2nd smoker that I bought out of the 4 that I now own (my only offset). I've often wondered if upgrading to a more expensive offset would improve the outcome of the cooks. So I am looking forward to some follow up videos with this smoker to see if you are able to improve your results and if an upgrade is worthwhile. Keep up the great work 👍
Thanks, since these were recorded a short while back I can already tell you it gets better from here after we do some mods .... but, best effort and mods its not going to match my offset. I no longer think its possible to get identical parity on a 30g offset to a larger one burning more wood more cleanly
I have the exact same offset smoker and I made some mods at assembly and over time:
- added a second temp gauge
- added the horizontal heat deflector baffle plate with various sized holes thar runs around 3/4 the length for more even heat distribution
- added an aluminum elbow on inside of smoke exit pointing down to force more smoke/heat to lower grate before exiting
- added the felt gasket material around main door
- used firebox black gasket adhesive around fire box
- added smoker door locking latches
- have the 2 level expansion rack system for large cooks
- have the grill smoker jacket to wrap when temps get low, wet, and/or windy in cold weather
- use charcoal/wood basket (I shake to drop ash to bottom) More air flow, easier to maintain temp with easy clean ash removal under the basket
- have a fireplace ash bucket with ash rake (under a minute to clean out extra ash to improve air flow)
- seasoned the grill with test fire (oiled the outside to season like a cast iron pan)
- I have a 2-speed Ryobi P3320 fan (can use battery of power cord). Helps add extra air when needed to keep the temp more consistent for a clean burn.
Always have an issue with the fire burning off the paint above the fire box. After every cook, I use wire brush attachment on my cordless drill to remove the paint flakes. Spray black rust-oleum high heat ultra for grills to protect the exposed metal.
I would say the charcoal/wood basket is the most important piece I would recommend and couldn't do without. The basket make fire management and temp control so much easier. Never had an issue with sooty meats with this smoker.
Jesus, dude! Where's YOUR channel?!? I would watch that! Get on it! ❤ 🔥🥩🍗🍖
Do you have links for all of these parts you mention?
Just spend the money on a better smoker?
@@PlanktoniusRex Why? I have a better smoker that works perfectly. Why buy an more expensive house when you just need to remodel the kitchen to fit your needs. Spending around a $100 for the perfect smoker for my needs sounds like a winner to me.
My first offset was a Horizon that was about the same size. I found a water pan really messed with the airflow and caused a significant hot spot right in the middle of the grate.
I added a full mod kit to my Oklahoma Joe. Seals, baffle kit with custom water
Pan etc. the baffle helped stabilize the heat difference. Been cooking wonderful tasting and smoky bbq ever since.
Good stuff! I did similar mods after with gaskets, intake, extension and semi insulated Fb and it worked much better. Think that comes out in a week or two
Did he cook the paint? Since the fire was on the very bottom, did that get into the food?
Did you season the grill before cooking on it?
I had one for years. Did the same with charcoal and wood chunks. Always had great results!!!!!
Ohhh also…. I put a grill grate on the bottom of the fire box and used a charcoal basket. So the fire was raised and contained. It helped so much
Thanks
I have my Oklahoma joe for about 3 months now I use the box for the wood and haven’t had that ash build up your talking about. Every time you open that lid on the fire box the ash starts to swirl. Am I’m curious how the firebox held up to the fire being on the floor of the firebox. Great video enjoying the perspectives
Exactly what I was wondering, could you start with charcoal then add chunks
these vids are great - good to see the challenges
Thanks
Great video! I have the Oklahoma joe and extended the smoke stack, added a elbow vent, and have a baffle. I’ve always wondered how much better a more expensive offset would be or if having a quarter inch steel and bigger firebox will allow me to not keep feeding the highland wood every 15-20 mins. Looking forward to more comparisons.
Thanks Dan. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
Crazy question but did you preseason your smoker first before the cook ? The top of your door on inside looked brand new and not seasoned. Coulda been adding the soot? Just a thought. I have the mini Oklahoma joes and I love it. A bit small for racks n others but I manage to make it all work.
i should have mentioned that in the video but yes i did, i burned it out first, then did my biscuit test in the first video then did some oil. its still a new pit / first layer of seasoning after only 3-4 fires before these ribs went on but it smelled good and wasn't smoking like the first fire so i don't think it was anything inside the smoker causing the smell vs stagnant smoke not venting out quick enough
I figured there would be a temp difference from each side of the pit but didn't realize it would be that much! The smokestack location for the OKJ was one the main reasons why I stayed away from that brand of smoker and I'm glad I did! I'm sure there are work arounds, but they are other brands of smokers with less work around issues at the same price range; not to mention better quality built too (Old Country BBQ pits). Great informative video!
I like the old country but it wasn't on sale so I went with OKJ. I also have seen this kit costing $250 targeting budget friendly smokers and the highland is part of the smokers supported by the kit - goprometheus.com/product/okj-highland/
So in my next video I recreate this kit but for under $50 as spending as much on kit as the grill seems nuts to me and give this cook another go with the mods installed
@@SmokingDadBBQ Looking forward to it James!
Question: I see you mentioned the soot on the probes as a bad thing. I looked at s bunch of your other videos and see thst your probes usually come out clean.
When I'm smoking, my probes ALWAYS come out with soot. I typically have my smoke coming out clearblue or light white. Am I using too much wood maybe?
I picked up the charcoal basket they sell works very very well with split as needed for extra smoke but the basket imo must have runs long with no swings in temp
Great vid
I have this same smoker and it's been great. I normally have a bigger bed of charcoal and then add one or two small splits every 45 mins or so. I normally keep the door open to have maximum airflow and then close it as needed. I also have the Oklahoma Joe charcoal box and its lifted a little to increase airflow.
Good stuff! My mods i did after this have made a world of difference. I took a page from my pizza oven for the firebox, changed the chimney and a few other things and i am now getting 1-3f temp ranges front to back
@@SmokingDadBBQ awesome, glad to hear that.
That was my biggest gripe about the Highland when I had one, the fire tends to work against you at times when trying to maintain it. There is very little wiggle room to even step away from it for a moment. The tuning plate from bbqsmokermods helps regulate the temp across the chamber but keeping that fire lit optimally will always be a bit of a challenge with the coalbed diminishing so rapidly due to thin construction.
I would love to see a video of you picking up your new Carlisle Gen 2 (which I’m almost certain will happen after this series) and perhaps a tour of Smoke North if they’re up for it!
These videos are a little behind and i am trying to get them out as quick as possible. I have ordered and paid for a gen 2 since, hoping to get it soon
Awesome!
Could it be from left over manufacturing residues/oils? Like how they suggest a few small fires in a wood stove first or an outdoor burn to cure paint, etc.?
I did a burn out before doing the cook, forgot to mention that
If you add a metal dryer elbow to your vent stack pointing down towards the grate you will get better results. I I also sealed my firebox with black food grade rtv seal. There's tons of videos of how to mod Oklahoma Joes even up to adding a diffuser plate kit which helps distribute the heat for a more even cook.I take my lower grates that it comes with wrap them in foil and you can put them in at a angle by the fire box which helps keep the heat towards the bottom of the grill. You also need to season your grill on your first burn in after you burn everything off you want to coat the inside of your grill with oil and let it burn in for hrs so it's seasoned like a cast iron skillet. I have a Oklahoma Joe and I've done lots of competition type recipes on it and got amazing results out of my Oklahoma Joe. I have never had a dirty smoker Ash taste.
thanks for video.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50.
I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
@@SmokingDadBBQ Cool. Again I loved your video. The tunning plate is probably the best mod anyone can do but it's expensive so like I said the smaller grates it comes with wrapped in foil really worked for me also putting my water pan below the ribs helps too. Thanks for responding to me and for putting out good videos.
Don’t use a water pan at all. The humidity you’re creating traps and mixes with the smoke, which then cakes onto your food. Spritz generously every 30-45 mins using 50/50 water/acv and that’s more than enough moisture.
Hey James, I remember a while back in the comments you were talking about how you’re experimenting with this thermapen alternative. I see you’re using it again in this video, what are your thoughts on it compared to the thermapen? Thanks!
I need to do a boiling water test. In ribs I was seeing a 1f difference between the two but not sure if it’s a difference in the spot or the probes
I wouldn’t say it’s better / more accurate but I think everything I’ve done so far it’s been as good and less money so for a good value I am giving it a thumbs up
Takin' one for the team. Thanks as always James.
You bet
Did you do a burn out/season the grill before your first cook? Your grill looks very clean on the inside ??
yes but just one coat, since that i moved the air intake down and extended the stack to improve draw and its been a champ ever since
I wonder if a 90 degree elbow at the smokestack inside the chamber would help. I think that would force the air and smoke down and create better circulation inside the smoke chamber.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50.
I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
You have to start with charcoal. You have to put the charcoal on top of the charcoal grate allowing air to get underneath. That's why they give you a charcoal grate. You need the charcoal to keep a stable temp in the cook chamber. Wood goes on top of the grate, one or perhaps two small splits at a time. . You cannot cook with this smoker with straight wood splits and no charcoal. You need a much larger offset smoker to do that. I've had my Highlander for almost three years now and it cooks great (although I've done quite a few mods)!
I would think you could if you let the wood go to coals first.
@@drinkoldcoke They don't last long enough - you need charcoal
Thanks for the positive information. I just bought a Highland, and I don't have the money or the desire to pay $4K for a smoker.
I have the same O Joes smoker and never get that taste. I use regular briquette charcoal with hickory chips, smoke 2 hours at 250, and wrap for 2 hours, Perfect. It really is a pretty good smoker for the money
I saw this comment on another channel:
A large water pan (at least a gallon) placed on the grate against the fire box in the cooking chamber acts as a buffer, keeping the temperature more stable. The more you can fill the firebox outlet with the pan, the more air must be directed around and across the water, stabilizing the incoming heat. Because water boils at 212 °F, the resulting air temperatures stabilize as smoke passes across the water pan. My Char-Griller offset hole is about the size of a football. Having a large mass of heated water to warm the air back up helps the temperature in the cooking chamber return to normal faster after the lid is opened. I've used this method a lot and have always recommended it to friends who use offset smokers, and they're always amazed the first time they try it. The larger the pan, obviously, the longer you can burn before having to refill it.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50. I also did what you said here and moved the water pan down below the grid against the firebox so it acts like a baffle to direct flow air up and over
I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
I have had a Highlander fot three years now and never had an issue with it and that might be because i used a grate in yhe firebox since day 1.
I use lump charcoal to get it to the right temperature then one stick of wood every 30 minutes. It's almost like clockwork the way I cook with it.
Did you do an initial burn? Like to burn off any oils or paints??
yes i forgot to mention that but it was burnt out before cooking
James, I’m loving the head to head and comparison videos you’re doing. Is there any chance you could ever try a Weber Summit Kamado? I’d really like to see the difference in cooks between that and the Kamado Joe as well as if it’s possible to replicate the Kamado Joe experience on the Summit by using KJ accessories.
I am working on that
Use my char griller 1200 xd grand champ frequently..works well for me..great content
The temperature swing is why I use a vertical smoker. While I cannot smoke a packer brisket due to size it works superbly with smaller cuts and does allow for a full rack of ribs. Since I am an amateur smoker I always have that soot like substance on my meater probe. I always thought that was the way it was supposed to be. I guess I learned something.
a wood fire will make the probe darker than charcoal, but this was stagnant / stall smoke / ashy tasting so not what we want
Did you season the bbq first? Did you do a hot burn first?
Ya forgot to mention in the video
I use a reverse flow Highland. I think this really evens out the temperature in the cook chamber. The only mod I've done is extend the smoke stack. I do use the basket that came with the unit.
mine didn't come with the basket, my mods were to relocate the intake to even out temps (now 1-3f across the cooking area), extend the stack, make a semi insulated firebox, seal up the smoke leaks etc. Redo of the ribs post mods in a week or two
I've got a reverse flow too. Got the baffle plates for it as well. Never had an inedible cook.
I had a guy to add a smoke collector to my Oklahoma Joe. It changed my flow dramatically. I also brought my stack down to grate level. I was also able to use larger splits.
Thanks Tarus. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back. Was also able to use half splits vs. 1/4
I saw the full video now, and what a flashback for me! Maybe you can try the following that works on my Oklamoma joe (full size with the smoke room). 1. put some kind of grill rack in the fire box under the wood. You get better air flow that way in the fire box, and combustion will be easier and faster. (remove ashes under the rack from time to time). 2. Every time you add wood, leave the lid open for some time so bad smoke can escape eventhough heat will still be pulled into the grill box. Once the smoke is clean, close it again. 3. I also have a plate with holes in the grill box under the grill. The holes become larger in the direction of the chimnee. This will also capture (for a part) the ashes from the wood at the bottom of the grillbox. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Thanks Mark. I stuck being stubborn on the next attempt but I semi insulated the firebox, changed the draw and the airflow pattern and got much better results after $50 at Home Depot
I have had this same smoker for over 6 years and I make a lot of ribs. I have never had that problem of taste. Now I do have a problem that after about 2 hours it is very hard to maintain 275-300 temp settings without constantly feeding the smoker every half hour. Sometimes I put a piece of metal in the firebox lid for more air. I just wish I could afford something like your other on. Also you can get some baffle plates to almost make it like a reverse flow.
Did you season it?
Did you use lighter fluid?
Did you add unlighted briquettes?
What kind of wood did you used if any?
Do you have any idea how to use the dampers?
There is no way you can know where the sweet spot is since you’ve never used it.
Did you do any modifications to the smoker such as
Seal the fire box
Seal the lid with oven rated gasket
That should be enough to start with
Great video, I had a cheap NexGrill offset from Home Depot and same thing, fire management was a nightmare and the food had the ashy taste. Sold it a couple months after purchase as it never got used.
I am going to try and throw the book of mods at it … but this was jarring. Not even close to how real offset ribs should taste
@@SmokingDadBBQ no kidding. I was getting better results from the pellet grill. Sold the cheap offset and bought a kamado cooker. Best. Decision. Ever.
@@Kyle-nj1gz agree. For people that have this I want to try and make it as good as possible. But for people who don’t…. This does not taste like how bbq should taste, and to your point for less effort and more space pellets, kamados etc make better food stock. 30 gallons is just too small to unlock the full benefits of an offset at its best
Great video. I like it that you made the first video cook without any mods, so anyone getting this knows what they are getting in to. I would have thought that your strategy of using small sticks of wood would have produced much better results considering the tiny size of the firebox, obviously that was not enough. Watching your videos, you place great emphasis on smoke quality, and rightfully so. I have been to busy bbq restaurants that serve some great meat, but with heavy dirty smoke. Considering the undersized firebox, I believe you need to make some compromises.
My guess is that the logs that you got are of decent moisture content which you need to produce great aroma when using in a larger smoker. For the OJ, I suggest experimenting with kiln dried
wood, with moisture content of 8% or less. That will not give you the best smoke aromatics as you can get by using logs with higher moisture level in your Carlisle, but it will help minimize the sooth flavor. I also suggest adding grates under the charcoal bed to get better air flow and to protect the thin wall of the firebox. There are those who give up using wood in OJ's, they rely on charcoal alone instead. I think the compromise is to have a heavy bed of charcoal with the addition of kiln dry log.
Thanks, I don't like to mod something until i feel like I have a really clear picture of what I want to fix. After these tests the fix list is (1) smoke leaks that pull smoke away from passing over the food (2) insufficient draw to pull smoke up and out (3) draw location, arch the smoke back down over the food to create a rainbow and (4) semi insulated firebox to keep a small fire burning clean.
My mods video comes out next, the firebox stock IR temp was something like 150f on the outside... with the semi insulated firebox I built for $25 the IR gun read 850+ even two hours after i stopped adding wood which made a massive difference.
I am biased... but if you want to run charcoal and or wood so dried it has no flavour than whats the point of going with an offset? I thought my strategy and the fire I maintained here would have been better that it was but I will redo with mods in hand.
Wood is a natural product, so just like on any other grill i try to eliminate as many variables as possible. I buy Furtado farms (sorry Canada only for all reading - dicksonbbq.com/collections/charcoal-wood/products/cookwood-oak-logs) which are naturally seasoned for over a year and have a low enough moisture content for good combustion without robbing the wood of all its flavour
@@SmokingDadBBQ I completely agree, why the pain of using an offset smoker if robbing away a good smoke flavor. One might as well cook on a pellet smoker. Your mods seem very intetresting and promising. I am already excited to see the outcome result. Don't tell me yet, I am guessing you would be using bricks in order to insulate inside the firebox.
Did you season the smoker before the first cook?
I did, forgot to mention in the video
Hi there... I had one of those (the original ones were the "Smoke Hollow" brand). Oklahoma Joe are Identical smokers. Believe it or not, that was a step up for me from the Home Depot brands (e.g., Char Broil) I was used to. I used the 'ol Smoke Hollow for several years until the fire box started coming apart at the seams. The MANY gaps had to be re-welded and I even welded the side door shut because of warpage and air gaps. I used a charcoal/wood chunks basket and as Brian mentioned, baffles were needed. I've now moved up to a Lone Start Grillz offset (and insulated vertical) and the quality difference is amazing.
thats a nice looking pit (Lone Star)... my mods cook thats coming out soon goes much better but i am no longer optimistic I can make it taste as good pound for pound as a premium pit.
I have a Highland. It was frustrating until I installed a baffle plate. It really evened out the temps. I've battled soot, but only when using dense woods like oak. When I use a light wood like cherry, there's no soot. Either way, like you discovered, I must use small splits. I guess the problem with the Highland is, it's just a cheap, inefficient smoker, which makes it very finicky. When you get it dialed in, it cooks great... but it's always a fight. The advantage? If you can cook on a Highland, you can cook on anything!
Did you clean and season your smoker?
I think that’s your problem
Put your water pan below your grates up against the fire
Well, they can't all be zingers. Interesting test, it really shows that you get what you pay for. Curious to see the next chapter!
Thanks Tom. Got some mods ready to try and fix the issues. They cost $50 so it’s still staying in the affordable smoker territory
@@SmokingDadBBQ go on TH-cam and research Lonestar Grills; especially their offset smokers.
@@1230mkelly I have seen their new one. My avg video makes about $50 so I can buy this, do a bunch of videos and sell it for maybe a $100-$200 loss which I made up on the ads
That gets a lot harder to do on pits in the $3k range
You'll need a baffle plate James.
Install the plate leaving about a 1 inch gap with the fire box. By doing this you'll allow a certain amount of smoke to flow over the food while evening out the heat.
Also use a much smaller water pan so you can move the food your cooking closer to the middle of the grill.
Thanks Brian, I added a 3" elbow and got temps within 1-3f front and back of the grill so I think that issue is solved. Mods video comes in a week or two
I also moved the water pan below the grid so it acts more like the direct flow baffle on my/your smoke north pit directing air up and over in a similar rainbow pattern... again at 1f difference i am happy with that.
total cost was about $50, did a semi insulated firebox, stack extension, gasket for leaks and the intake. hoping i am not spoiling too much here lol but it was night and day better than this cook.... but still a long way off what i get on my Carlisle.
I am doing a modded offset vs. KJ as this will be close... the small offset can fit three racks, i can do 6 in the KJ in less time/effort. i don't think a 30g offset can match the flavour based on the amount of wood burning and passing over the food, BUT we can do much better than what was achieved in this cook
@@SmokingDadBBQ Wow, sounds like you took care of a pile of problems.
I think you're going to make people who own this brand of smoker very happy with your out come.
@@briandaffern5108 thanks, when we got married i remember the feeling of saving a year or more for something I wanted that cost the same as this pit so a premium priced pit is out of the question for many.
For people who have one i want to help get the absolute most out of it, and for people with budget space to see if you can get the results we want for less money. I confident on the first goal, these videos need to catch up but with more under the belt it’s not going to achieve parity with my Carlisle
True, at the same time a Carlisle will not produce the same results as a 1000 gallon pit.
Showing people how to get good bbq from a box store offset is a noble bbq cause. @SmokingDadBBQ
@@briandaffern5108 Sarah will kill me if I buy one of those to find out 😂
Definitely a draw issue too. A lot of people with a COS mod the inlet to the chimney using an aluminum dryer vent inside the lid attached to the chimney and the other end just above the level of the grate.
Thanks Jeff. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
A stack extension is a must , and tuning plates are a good thing for the oklahoma Joe also.
Thanks Bill. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
James. I wonder if you were to move the stack from the top of the drum down to just above the cooking grate. I would think that you would also need to extend the exhaust stack by the same amount as you lower the exhaust port. This should cause the smoke to travel parallel to the cooking grates.I'm also concerned that you taste ash. Could wood ash in addition to smoke from the combusted splits be drawing through the drum and falling onto the ribs? Perhaps the age old proverb "you get what you pay for" is at play here!
Good plan, I thought the same so the mod video when it comes out has relocated the draw, extended the stack, sealed the leaks and added a semi insulated firebox
Sounds like the velocity of your fire might be too fast. You may just have to make an even less aggressive fire, still clean, just less aggressive. Baskets often help with this for smaller smokers.
i just got one has defector plates and charcoal box i use 80% charcoal and the rest wood splits
i only have 8 degree difference between ends and ribs taste great
I always use the small grates in a V shape in the fire box. One on the bottom horizontal so i can pull ash below it and the other two in a V shape so the wood is some what self feeding and better airflow. So I can have a big enough fire and not get too hot I keep the firebox lid cracked by wedging a split chunk between the firebox lid to mix cooler air and allow some heat and smoke out through the firebox lid. If i need to control temp i use the stack damper to draw more or less heat from the fire box. (½-¾ open for mine) Side note I use the reverse flow highland, so I don't have the same temp difference in the cooking chamber and my air flow might not behave the same as yours. My temp difference left to right at the grate is still about 25 degrees.
great, thanks for the tips
Did you do a burn off after you assembled it.
I did. I am really happy with how it did after $50 in mods. It’s comparable to my expensive offer taste wise now. Only difference is fire management slightly more involved
Would you go for a OJ highland smoker or spend a little more and get the Old Country G2? I want to get a new backyard offset.
I love how you laughed it off even while inside you were like 🤮
Nice, thanks for the post. Next, make beef ribs on it please
Sounds good!
Wow - where did you purchase those ribs? The ones I buy are never that thick
Costco
You should be using the charcoal grate which would allow your burnt ash to drop down below the burning coals.
Build the fire closer to the door, get an 18" extension exhaust pipe from autozone and place the water pan touching the chamber wall next to the fire pit. Damper on the stack 1/3 and firebox 1/8 with the amount of woof you use, world of a difference. Splits I use on this method are 12", angle them.
Thanks Chris. Got the mods coming soon. Did the extension, gasket, intake relocate and a semi insulated firebox
It’s probably the paint… run it as hot as you can to intentionally burn paint off the hot spots, then season it with oil and try again…
I did a few break in burns at high temps until there was no more bad smells / smoke but maybe that was an issue. I have a redo coming with some mods that cost less than $50
I have exactly the same pit. They smoke real good. You are the problem, my friend.
I have never used an offset smoker, but am currently reading Franklin Barbecue's book. If you haven't read it, it is worth it if you are getting into offset smokers. He talks about how to modify the cheaper offset smokers. The other thing is he does not like kiln dried wood. He actually prefers a little moisture in the wood. The amount you had to play with that fire is too much. You should be able to fill the fire box up more and control the temp with the damper on the chimney like you would on the Joe. I think the firebox being opened every 15 minutes contributed to the issue.
Owned a Highland never had bad food off of it! Got tired of doing mods to get it to work with me and found out every offset has its issues. I have gone a different direction with having a reverse flow cabinet made but gotta say. I miss using my Highland. My cabinet smoker runs itself and is kinda boring!!
the way I get clean blue smoke is preheat splits in my grill @ 300 degrees , then placing one split on coal bed leaving door open until ignition ...Ive also use smaller splits and not large chunks of wood...I also think thicker pit metal like 1/4" and slightly bigger cook chamber makes the process slightly easier as pit temperature swings are slower to change
I agree the larger offsets i have (60, 85 and 110) are easier to maintain temps and good smoke
Ribs looked great and meaty, yikes on the cook result tho, looking forward to the next test..
Thanks Ian. Yes Costco doesn’t cut corners on their rib portions lol
One thing for sure. These okj highlands work best with mini splits. I would say about 2x8 inch long logs work for me
100%. Pains me as a dude to say the expression size matters …. But in this context it absolutely does 😂
I've had my Highland for over 3 years and I never had anything come out sooty...EXCEPT when using Birch wood. I've been able to get even temps from side to side by using some baffle plates I had made up (they're about 4"x16") and after playing around with the position and gaps between the plates, my temps are at most 10 F from side to side.
the mods video comes out next, I added the elbow and saw temps within 1-3f front and back so that fixed that issue. I added a 16" pipe extension, gasket material to fix leaks as well as built a semi insulated firebox all for under $50.
I wanted to do this first to know what i wanted to change, the changes made a massive difference. that video comes out in a week or two from memory.
@@SmokingDadBBQ I've done the stack extension as well and found it helpful in stabilizing my temps. I look forward to seeing your semi-insulated firebox...might be my next mod!
Try using baffle plates and move the stack to the other side so that you have a reverse flow smoker
I have used a friends that did that. Personal preference is I don’t like reverse flow until much larger sized pits. I think improving the direct flow, stack size, draw location, smoke leaks and firebox will help significantly
I’ve made delicious food on my OKC Highlander constantly , you need to up your game,
i love where this left off with $50 in mods that came after this... but having several offsets i know the difference of stall / stagnant smoke vs. what offset ribs should taste like. a few home depot mods later this cooks like pits costing 10x more
This is why the Masterbuilt was invented!!!
True about the wood
Big temp difference. I'm sure you will figure it out. Hopefully soon before you ruin a bunch of food hah. Prob will only take a few cooks though! 🍻
Cheers Jake
I never had that iusse with ash with my OKJ. But, I use Wood and natural Lump coals together.
Thanks Roger. my mod video is coming out next. I did the relocate intake, extend the chimney, close off leaks and semi insulated the firebox for under $50 .... it ran in the next rib test 1-3f different front to back
I know that will work, BUT i wanted to try and get it to run like an offset with wood only. the mods help fix that
A good size wood split all the way to the right will act as a nice baffle as well in a pinch
very true, i opted to move the water pan down a level and push it against the firebox making it a baffle for more up and over airflow
You should check into the Go Prometheus kit for the highland. Fat Stack smokers makes these kits to help run small smokers more efficiently. Low cost per value in my opinion.
I have seen it, my mods video comes next and I recreate that $250 kit for about $50. Much better than this cook ... opps spoiler alert
James, you get what you pay for is how we say it in Canada. It probably a silly question but James have you done a burn out , I am wondering if it's a dry industrial oil fragments you are tasting.
I did. First few fires were with no food, had it up to nearly 500 on the break in until there wasn’t smoke or bad smells before I did the biscuit test
@@SmokingDadBBQ I kind of knew the answer before I even asked. Very interesting videos. Thank you for sharing!!! 🤝💪🍻
I have never had a problem with my Oklahoma Joe new smoker like you used or my old 1/4” original Oklahoma Joe smoker. Not sure what went wrong for you.
I made a few tweaks for under $50 and it now tastes the same as offsets costing thousands more. The smoke was stagnant so dropping the stack, extending it and a few fire bricks it worked way better
Nothing wrong with the okie. I few mods and they are golden. A higher price smoker doesn't make you any better food. It might hold temp better, but that's about it.
Instead of a big little fire, make a medium medium fire. Big fires release particulates faster than a fire thats more controlled. If that makes sense.
You set this up for failure by building the fire in the right back corner on the firebox. Your fire should be as close to the door as possible in this small of a firebox as it keeps the flames out of the chamber and gives more area for air flow.
Fair comment based on the one of the clips I showed but what I didn’t mention is I was moving the fire around in different spots and looking at the data trying to get more temp to the back of the cook chamber which worked its way up to 100f cooler
I’ve never used a Oklahoma Joe, but it looks like you put your coal bed way too close to the throat of the firebox and cook chamber.
Could have used a baffle plate and you want low temp coals and no flame. There should be a consistent smolder on the coals and the wood. Better to use .25 inch thick would chips if not using a burner/wood box. And the coals should be off the falling ashes.
Others I see have mentioned a baffle plate and getting the stack down to grate level. Also look at a cheap 18" exhaust pipe extension to make the draw better, it just friction fits over the existing stack and removes as easily. Not sure what it may be in Canada, but in the states the O'Reilly's auto, the part number is 548628.
Autozone verison part number is 17628
Oh, and raise that fire up either using the grates or the grates and a basket together.
My next video is the mods and a redo, did gaskets, draw intake, extension and semi insulated the firebox and it went much much better
@@SmokingDadBBQ Awesome, can't wait to see.
Once you get used to fresh cracked pepper it's impossible to tolerate the pre ground stuff. No volatiles, it's awful. Same goes for home roasted, fresh ground coffee.
I used an inexpensive offset for a number of years. I got real tired of having to constantly monitor my fire and dealing with the temperature swings. I caught an AKORN Kamado on sale for just over $200. My life is much easier now.
i think you're on the money, there is a point where an offset makes sense and a spot where it doesn't. At 30 gallons, the effort, the quality and quantity don't make the same sense they do at a larger scale
@@SmokingDadBBQ The rewards just are not worth all the time effort and work.
I've a highland, but I would rather hot and fast, for ribs. You don't seem to have enough fuel in that box to maintain or tinker with any consistent heat.
As you mentioned in the unboxing video. I'd move the stack lower.
100%. I wanted to get a baseline stock first but in the mods that’s the first thing that changed. It now runs within 1-3f front to back
@@SmokingDadBBQ can't wait to see the difference.
I think the Oklahoma Joe is more suited for charcoal and wood chunks I have done ribs brisket this way turned out good, don't think u need that water pan,
safe to say he's not a fan of the Highland model?
I have a Lang reverse offset, so my experience compared to this is not fair, BUT, I also have a Char Griller COS (and have used a COS a number of times), so have lots of experience and learned a lot from that before upgrading. That being said, I'm not sure why the soot/ash taste and issue occured. I produced very good ribs (not as good as I can now) with my COS and don't remember soot/ash taste or issue. I agree wholeheartedly with the comments below recommending a baffle plate. I added one to my Char Griller COS and it made a HUGE difference in the heat dispersion (I did the biscuit test and put a video on TH-cam showing how drastically it improved heat dispersion). I wouldn't blame Oklahoma Joe in particular as I think that smoker is pretty solid for what it is. I would blame the limitations that that style or design (especially without mods to improve) produces. Also, I got the Meater probes (thanks for your video) and am on the fence as to how I think they perform. They do show difference in temps (I like how you used them in this video) but knowing your grill has hot spots and getting an ash/soot flavor are not connected, in my opinion. Thanks for the video, you do a great job.