That is a very good technique. I use it when I need more heat to achieve a higher temperature. On low and slow briskets and pork butts I find I get too high of temperatures with the cross split technique. Yet, that technique works great for chicken and turkeys where you want a higher temperature to crisp up the skin. It will also serve you well if you are cooking briskets hot and fast.
The Workhorse does hold the heat well and I like having a longer gap between feedings. I've used other offset smokers where you can get even longer periods between feedings. Those pits have fire grates and tuning plates that allow you to use charcoal briquettes for your heat source and your wood is just for flavoring. You have to use your air butterfly to limit the air flow and slow the burn rate of your briquettes. Unfortunately, when you choke off a wood based fire, you will get a lot more dirty smoke. I hope to test a briquette based fire in the Workhorse to see how well it would do with a restricted air flow to control temp. I'll probably need a fire grate to help manage ash from the briquettes.
Pits will spike when you work the fire. That's where air flow and amounts of wood being added becomes critical. Thankfully, short spikes don't damage the cook so keeping an eye on them is critical.
Hey- Greetings again from the Outer Hebrides. I got my 1957 and finally got to do a cook on it on Saturday. I was wondering, which temp measurement you are using for your benchmark when you mention overall temperature throughout the cook? Your mounted top therm. Is running pretty similar to your internal probe grate temp., but your bottom mounted therms are running quite a bit below that. I ask because mine doesn’t have the top mounted therm, only the bottom ones (mine doesn’t have the top shelf option) and I’m finding the same thing- my internal middle grate level digitise probe is showing much hotter temp than the grate level mounted therm that comes with the unit.
I benchmark on the grate level thermometer. You are correct the top thermometer more closely approximates the grate level thermometer. This is all due to the aerodynamics of the pit. The hot gases rise just beyond the baffle and descends near the smoke collector. The grate level thermometer is at the opening of the smoke collector where the hot smoke descends. I often put a water pan over the hottest part of the air stream to break up the airflow and create turbulence inside the pit. In rocketry you want laminar flow, but in my Workhorse, I try to create turbulence to get the smoke flowing around my cooks,
@@maxqbbq Thanks for the info. So am I correct in my assessment that the workhorse installed lower level therm (which is actually at grate level) is significantly lower than what is going on inside the pit at grate level digital therm? I think if I went by the lower level installed analogue therm I would bethinking I was having difficulting getting up to my desired temp, wherease the digital therm at grate level is showing the chamber right on target. Just want to make sure I'm not confused and the digital them on the grate is correct.
These videos are great!
Glad you like them!
Great video, i try and utilize the curve of the FB and place splits opposite direction, ehich allows that air gap at the bottom.
That is a very good technique. I use it when I need more heat to achieve a higher temperature. On low and slow briskets and pork butts I find I get too high of temperatures with the cross split technique. Yet, that technique works great for chicken and turkeys where you want a higher temperature to crisp up the skin. It will also serve you well if you are cooking briskets hot and fast.
Love these videos and it seems you’re really learning your pit. 45-60 min between splits. That’s an efficient smoker.
The Workhorse does hold the heat well and I like having a longer gap between feedings. I've used other offset smokers where you can get even longer periods between feedings. Those pits have fire grates and tuning plates that allow you to use charcoal briquettes for your heat source and your wood is just for flavoring. You have to use your air butterfly to limit the air flow and slow the burn rate of your briquettes. Unfortunately, when you choke off a wood based fire, you will get a lot more dirty smoke. I hope to test a briquette based fire in the Workhorse to see how well it would do with a restricted air flow to control temp. I'll probably need a fire grate to help manage ash from the briquettes.
383 degrees?
Pits will spike when you work the fire. That's where air flow and amounts of wood being added becomes critical. Thankfully, short spikes don't damage the cook so keeping an eye on them is critical.
Hey- Greetings again from the Outer Hebrides. I got my 1957 and finally got to do a cook on it on Saturday. I was wondering, which temp measurement you are using for your benchmark when you mention overall temperature throughout the cook? Your mounted top therm. Is running pretty similar to your internal probe grate temp., but your bottom mounted therms are running quite a bit below that. I ask because mine doesn’t have the top mounted therm, only the bottom ones (mine doesn’t have the top shelf option) and I’m finding the same thing- my internal middle grate level digitise probe is showing much hotter temp than the grate level mounted therm that comes with the unit.
I benchmark on the grate level thermometer. You are correct the top thermometer more closely approximates the grate level thermometer. This is all due to the aerodynamics of the pit. The hot gases rise just beyond the baffle and descends near the smoke collector. The grate level thermometer is at the opening of the smoke collector where the hot smoke descends. I often put a water pan over the hottest part of the air stream to break up the airflow and create turbulence inside the pit. In rocketry you want laminar flow, but in my Workhorse, I try to create turbulence to get the smoke flowing around my cooks,
@@maxqbbq Thanks for the info. So am I correct in my assessment that the workhorse installed lower level therm (which is actually at grate level) is significantly lower than what is going on inside the pit at grate level digital therm? I think if I went by the lower level installed analogue therm I would bethinking I was having difficulting getting up to my desired temp, wherease the digital therm at grate level is showing the chamber right on target. Just want to make sure I'm not confused and the digital them on the grate is correct.