Vick, sorry missed your comment. The offsets are not made for using pellets. If you had pellets and wanted to use them for smoke flavor, get a bed of charcoal going and then put some of your pellets in a pocket of aluminum foil and poke some holes in it and lay it next to the coals. It will smolder and produce some smoke for your meat. Hope this helps.
George LaBarge that’s was great information, great content, I was actually using the information while watching you video and it worked as you said, super 👍🏼! Thank you
I'm no newbieie to smoking meat. I am also no newbie to fire and smoke management - I'm a retired wildland firefighter - on the job for 38 years. But I'm a newbie to the offset smoker. You have provided some really great basic information here and I think you are spot on. Much appreciated.
hey george, well done, for this type of smoking, very informative. i’m a professional pit master and i picked up a tip that i will use from now on. some of these comments are downright rude and ignorant, but a stand up guy like you most likely doesn’t care; just wanted to say so. cheers and good luck!
Thanks George. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I got my offset. The fire and smoke maintenance is actually kinda fun, considering the reward. But I found myself chasing the temp range and smoke consistency all over the place until I started using this method. I was waiting way too long to add new splits.
Glad to see someone point out what proper "smoke " is. In my rookie days I messed up a small fortune in meats. And you have people actually soaking wood chips or chunks..tossing that on their fire for "smoke flavor" now? Good grief.. that is insane.. but promoted by many. What you get there is creosote flavor. Food should not taste like a telephone pole!! With proper combustion... like you show.. white wispy to no visible smoke is the way to go. Heck.... some of my best cooks have come from using just a good quality lump charcoal... less worries about smoldering wood in the firebox. Good food is all about fire management, as you point out. LOL I wish I had access to this kind of information back when I started... I bet my wife does too.
Just got my smoker and viewed several videos. By far, yours is the best. I will, thanks to you, be the famous chef of the family. Thanks for a job well done.
That's great Bobby, thanks for the kind words. That was my hope when making the video that it would help create some new backyard pitmasters. Good luck!
This is the most complete explanation on how to bbq. Thanks!!! I had to learn from watching multiple videos on how to bbq. Then trial and error for the last five years. You should do a updated version with any methods you did not mention in this video. Such as (I figured out that getting the wood and charcoal hot before putting it in the fire box will cut down on billows of smoke) and ( to let the grill get to the temp and smoke you want before even placing any food in the grill is best) and ( check the weather because temperature conditions effect your grill such as wind, rain, and heat being the least). Oh yeah; opening the grill causes billows of smoke that will settle down after a while of the door is closed and if it doesn’t to try your stirring the coals method ( in a good smoker 3-5 minutes in a not so great smoker 20-30 minutes) Bravo!!! I know I’m late to the party but this video was not in the algorithm favor 10 years ago. LOL keep up the good work.
I've been using my Weber kettle for my smokes but it's time to step my game up. I got an offset smoker I haven't used in years. Never really learned how to use it correctly. I've got a better understanding of how to maintain my temp now thanks to you. Can't wait to get started. Thank you!
Thank you so much George! I am literally working on a brisket right now and I had to catch my fire back up after 200 degrees. I wished I saw this video prior to to. Help us beginner smokers.
This is great info. Thank you! My husband just bought an off set smoker and is trying to smoke a turkey right now. He is getting so frustrated because the smoke is coming out EVERYWHERE and he can't maintain temp. So I decided to do a you tube search. This is going to help out so much. Turkey is getting smoke, but will have to finish it in the oven. This is his first attempt, and you just saved him from stroking out!.. LOL.. Thank you for taking the time to post this video! (smoker was already assembled when he purchased it). One more thing... I saw a video where they added a 3" elbow to inside to the smoke stack, to help keep smoke and heat in. Thanks again!
Glad the video helps out. Sounds like you have a smoker from one of the big box stores. It will most likely need some modifications to perform properly. I've got a video on smoker modifications that will help your husband's smoker work better, check it out on my channel.
Hi George. Thank you!! This was by far the best video I have seen on managing the fire in my offset. I have an Oklahoma Joe's Highland, and the food comes out really good. But, I usually have trouble managing temp and also using the right size wood. I just ran a test run yesterday with no meat to see how it worked and it was spectacular. The temperature got up to about 330, highest I have been able to get it, and the temperature held so much longer as well. So much so, I had a hard time getting the temp down, even with closing the vents. I think I'm going to use a bit less charcoal to start to not get it so hot when I cook this weekend, I think I may have used too much. Anyway, just want to thank. I subscribed to your channel, I love what you do. God bless you, thanks again!
I've been having the same issue adding too much charcoal to begin with. Even just starting with half lit and half unlit charcoal, it seems like the unlit charcoal lights pretty quickly anyway and still gets too hot.
I have found that I don’t open the exhaust wide open because I really like the smoke flavor as well but I really like your pointers on controlling the heat. I just put this style pit and I’m learning as I go but have had some tremendous successes thus far. Thank you
Thank you George, I just bought a similar offset smoker and my first couple of cooks had mixed results. Watching your video showed me where I was going wrong with the fire management .
I think that your videos on this subject are the best for a number of reasons but the main reason is that you list everything you use and where to get it Thank you for all you do George
I’m a total newbie and your video helped me tremendously! I cooked a couple of expensive steaks, which turned out fine, but today I cooked chuck steak and it came out even better! I had very little puffy smoke! The temperature showed pretty high but one thing at a time. I will start working on mods now. (Another great video!). THANK YOU!
George you're are amazing! I have BBQ'N wrong for so many years. I have learned so much from your videos lately. I thank you sir. Happy Holidays & Happy Smoking!
Enjoyed the video sir, just took delivery of the exact same version of this offset three weeks ago, had no idea how to use it other than starting a fire at one end! It came with no instructions or assistance from the sellers this video was a life saver. Smoking in Great Britain is not that common. Hell, lets face it, the Brits idea of a BBQ is a burnt sausage, burger and over or undercooked chicken, so any and all help found is worth more than you would know. The biggest problem is that everything you may need equipment wise is only available via Amazon in the US which is both inconvenient and bloody expensive! But I'm learning how to work around things and becoming fairly handy at BBQ DIY. Keep up with the videos sir most helpful, most helpful indeed.🧐
Well done George and thank you. I haven't moved past the old Weber charcoal kettle yet. I've been a member of an Aussie BBQ Facebook group for a while and their ideas are great for people who know what they are doing. I only have a vague idea of what to do but your video answered all my beginner's questions in 15 minutes.
Gonna try out your tips tomorrow. ...my cooking isn't bad, people eat it when they come over. ..lol...anything to improve my food and me as a future pit master is greatly appreciated. ..thanks again. .
Great Video!When I add a split and it starts smoldering, I will use a grate tool or fire poker to prop the firebox door open just a few inches until it catches, helps to maintain my temps. My smoker is all 1/4” steel so my temps hold pretty steady. I also use lump charcoal to start with as it burns hotter, longer and cleaner. Nothing wrong with using bricketts, I used them for years, but I only use lump to start my stick burner. Great mods on the pit by the way.
I have watched many videos and nobody has broke-it-down like you have! I needed to know exactly everything you have explained. Do you add lit or unlit coals during the process, or just wood?
Hi Cory, sorry I missed your comment. Myself, I usually just cook with wood because I have my own supply of wood. If cooking with charcoal, you can do either. I've added unlit charcoal before next to the burning coals and then let it light them slowly. I've added lit coals before when my coal bed got too low and I was loosing temperature. Lit coals will kick the temps back up.
Hey George, I've had my offset (Texas Original made in Houston) for 10 months. I've gone through all of this early on trying to learn my pit and the do's and don'ts. Your video on fire management is the exact thing I've learned watching hundreds of videos. You did a great job explaining the process. All of my meat was tasting smokey even while following all the right procedures. So, I decided to replace the 3 inch exhaust pipe with a 6 inch stainless steel pipe. My retired uncle was a steep fab and prof welder and did the work. Now, I have much better air flow, can get higher temps and keep them, and move out stale smoke. One qtr sawn stick will maintain 275 for an hour and my meat is much better tasting. Thanks, I enjoyed your video. I'll sub your channel while here. I would appreciate you stopping by my channel and checking it out. See ya-Phil in Florence (SC)
Thanks Phil. Glad you enjoyed the video. That sounds like a nice improvement you made to your pit. My pit won't perform like that with 1 piece of wood, but I do have a cheap smoker. Someday I'll upgrade. BTW... I'll make a trip over to your channel and check it out.
Phil, I saw your smoker and your mod. It should help. They key is SMALL, clean burning fire. I saw you are using kiln dried wood. That should make it even easier. Keep in mind that kiln dried will burn faster and some of the flavor will be lost (probably not a bad thing if doing say a turkey). But you will get more consistency.
Good video George, I start a fire in a fire pit and transfer already hot wood to the firebox, yes you do have to be careful doing this but it usually cuts down any smoldering...
Came across your "tips" just in time, am building one of these, and realized I need to make my chimney bigger,, was at first thinking equal air in and out, but can see clearly, the advantage of throttling the oxygen is the way to go.., thank you !
I have the exact same smoker but got destroyed by the Dericho. I found that when doing long smokes the first 3 hrs was was a fire that burned the longest before I had to add more wood and then crack the ash tray open for the next hrs while adding wood more often. If I dumped the ashes from the tray I would get better fire control. I was going to do a final mod on it by having a deeper ash tray because it seemed that the air was blocked with location of air intake vent. If I can find another trailmaster, I plan to make that mod and since I I have the tuning plates and chimney mods already, I can be back up and smoking in short order. I smoke in the wind, cold and light rain and use a Harbor freight welding blanket (20.00)
Thanks for the informative video George. It's summer here in Australia and this has been a good intro for me to now venture into offset smoker cooking.
Very informative video George...Straight and to the point and I think everyone can learn something from this video no matter their level of experience! Well done sir
Hey just wanted to say nice video it’s straight forward easy to understand and makes total since, I will be referring back to you videos from time to time .good job
This is a huge help. I'm cooking a 11.5 brisket for the first time in my stick burner. Mind you I been playing with fire since I was kid.. but to keep the smoke down was my only issue.. thanks again..
I am just about start into the offset BBQ world and maintaining blue smoke while adding new wood was confusing to me. This explains how to do it perfectly, thanks a million for the video
I just bought my Stick Burner though I have been smoking using other grill types for years I will try these tips as this is our first real pit smoker. Thank you for taking the time to show others how you manage your smoke and temp.
Hey there from Houston Tx . Stumbled upon this video and just want to thank you ! I’ve watched a bunch of different videos on this topic and you gave some tips the other videos didn’t have . Keep on keepin on George !
Thanks for the video. Tried my first smoking and it wasn't perfect but edible. You helped me see where i went wrong. Not enough air, waited to long before adding wood, didnt let it catch on fire first. Ha about everything it seems!
Great video George. Fire management is the number one concern in stick burners. This really cleared up how to get rid of the thick white smoke that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth for days! Be safe my friend!
Thanks for the comment. Your absolutely correct, the key with stick burners is getting a clean burning fire for the best tasting meat. Glad the video was a help!
Good info. I had problems with the white smoke overpowering my meat. I understand now to use seasoned wood and let wood catch fire before closing the box. Good info
I never knew having an offset smoker took so much attention. I guess that's what separates the best from the rest! Thanks for the video George i am new to offset smoking and will definitely be pulling up a chair and a beer for my first official offset smoke! Thanks for the tips!
Your welcome Michael. Depending on what kind of offset you have, will depend on how much attention you have to give it. If you have a cheaper version like mine, you might have to watch it a little more. Also, if you do have a cheaper smoker, go check out my video on the 6 best offset smoker mods and they will help you out so you can relax a little more. Remember, sitting back playing with the fire and relaxing is the best part of cooking on an offset. There is more of a sense of accomplishment cooking with fire. Finally, don't think you have to hold temperatures dead on, your temperatures can fluctuate +/- 25 degrees and it doesn't matter, your cooking to internal temp and tenderness! So sit back, relax, and enjoy a cold one 😉
This is a brilliant video George. I just purchased what is essentially the same unit and am 3 days into it and learning. I really appreciate your well laid out advice. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback. The key thing is to get in there and practice on it. After a few times using it, you start to get the hang of cooking on it. Good luck!
You did a great job of breaking it all down George. Some good tips on the smoke color and how to keep it in the right cooking mode with temp control. Also I got some great tips from you earlier this year on food plots too. My oats, sargum and turnips did great. My clover was a complete bust early spring. Don't know what I did wrong. Am still learning on the early spring plots. Any tips would be greatly appreciated for the spring clover plots. Thanks again for this great video.
I just used my smoker for the first time yesterday and wish I had watched your video before I did. This is the best video for smoke and fire control I have seen. I made all the mistakes possible and all my meat (very expensive) came out awful. Couldn't even eat the chicken, taste like a house that burn't down smell. I almost said forget it, but after watching your video I will keep on truck'in! Thank You!
Hi George- thanx for this video on smoker and fire management. Your attention to details has answered some questions for me. Soon I will have my first offset, and I know I will succeed now, thanks to this video. Great job!
Good , George, nicely explained, especially the last part where you mentioned the cleaning which is the utmost important part of cooking, Thanks Sandy N
Maintaining temps at 300 is easy. I need help maintaining them around 225/250. When I let them go around the 225 and add wood it’s hard to get that split going.
I'm guessing you have a smaller cooker. If you need to get lower temps, build smaller fire and you may need to use smaller size splits. You will just have to experiment until you get a feel for what your cooker needs. Before your next cook give yourself an extra hour or so and try adjusting the size of the fire to find your sweet spot before you add the meat. Good luck.
Awesome video, probably one question I have is around cooking times for different kinds of Meats. How long does it take to cook and how can you know if it’s cooked properly. Many thanks.
It's almost impossible to give cook times with BBQ. Too many variables. Pork butt and brisket usually cook to about 200deg internal temp, and just add important tenderness. Ribs cook to tenderness. Chicken cooks to internal temp of 165 in breast 175 or so in thigh. After you learn your cooker you might be able to estimate time a little bit better.
Thanks for the video and information. It was very informative for me. I bought my first Offset smoker this past weekend and used it Sunday. I was slacking in proper funtion of it so I cooked some good Smokey burgers and my chicken never got done right haha. I watched a video where a guy soaked his wood chips first and then put them on the hot coals. Do you recommend that?
And subscribed, brilliant video mate. Clear, concise and very well filmed, you're a natural at instructional videos. Thank very much for doing this from a Kiwi in Australia.
First off, you have a gorgeous home and property. And secondly, you did a fantastic job with the video. I definitely learned a few things that I'll be using very soon. Thanks man. You seem like a genuinely good person and wish you the best. Thanks again.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you appreciate the video. I made it to help out new pitmasters. Best part is that parts of this have helped some intermediate bbq'ers as well.
Great question! That is what you would do provided that you already had your vents fully open. If your vents are partially closed, I would open first, let temp stabilize, then add more fuel when it starts to drop. Good luck!
Thanx for the video learned a lot I'm gonna smoke a pork but for the first time on my new offset smoker tomorrow and your advice will help thank you and subscribed
Travis Miller Thanks. That's s great choice for your first cook. Pork butts are forgiving, you don't need perfection, just cook to internal temp of around 200, put it in a dry cooler for an hour or two to rest. Good luck!
@@georgelabarge4985 I have heard that after the first few hours the addition of smoke diminishes the additive effect of smoke. So that the heat is needed.
Great video George. I have a question. If were to lay lava rocks at ehe bottom of the burner, then add coals and fire wood on top, would that help maintain the temperature in the smoker?
George, Just a couple tips. 1. Your Brinkmann does not have a firebox side door. That is a significant issue. You should not lift the lid of the firebox as it causes extreme temp fluctuations. Since you have no side door, you need to do your wood additions quickly. If you had a high end smoker like a Yoder or a Texas Originals it would maintain the heat a little better because they use 1/4 in structural steel throughout the entire smoker. But even with them, its not good to open the firebox lid. 2. Briquettes cause higher amounts of Ash that will fall below your grate and that will cause airflow problems. In offset fireboxes, there is not much of space under the grate. Where as a grill has much more space under the grate and charcoal ash is not much an issue. When you have no air flow, obviously your fire does not burn well. If you are going to use something besides wood, I would suggest Lump Coal. Lump has much less ash. 3. You have a smoker, you should smoke. You definitely want that smoke on the meat. The bitterness will come if you over smoke the meat for too long with a high heat. If you lower your temperature you can smoke for long stretches of times. It is true that meat can only take so much smoke, and at that point you can wrap it in foil to continue cooking. Do not be scared of the smoke. This is not a grill. 4. You should season your smoker. 5. You should also get the smoker lit up an hour before you plan to put the meat on. This will get your temp stable. You do not want to put your meat on a smoker with the temp going up and down. Ideally you want to have your smoker stable before you intrude the meat. This is a good time to take your meat out and let it come to room temp before you introduce it to the smoker.
Pretty good and informative comment.. But you must admit that putting your food when there is pitch black smoke is not recommended either am i wrong? There are many videos that show that black smoke is just not right for the taste of food.
George LaBarge i'm thinking about getting a smoker but i have a question its just me and my wife most of the time so a smoker seems to be a lot of work just for a couple of hamburgers or a couple pieces of chicken what do you do for something small like hamburgers
Hi Ed, It depends on what you want. If you want smoked meat flavor cooked indirect low & slow, get a smoker. This would be for pulled pork, smoked chicken, ribs, or beef brisket. You don't want a smoker for burgers. For that you just want a grill, either charcoal or propane. I have both, a smoker and a grill. If you don't want real low & slow BBQ, you don't need a smoker, just get a grill. If you want something where you could do both, get a charcoal grill, like a Weber kettle. You can use this a Weber kettle to cook indirect and add wood chunks for smoke flavor. Hope this helps.
Great basics video! I’ve been struggling with the temp later in cooks and couldn’t figure out what the issue was. Just kept burning more fuel but losing temp. Thanks for the info! Big help!
I know this is an old video and I hope you still monitor it, but I have a question about your thermometer that your using. Is it just a meat thermometer or is it a different kind and where do you place it in the cook box? On top of the rack with the meat or on the bottom of the cook box? Right now I have a meat thermometer but not sure if that’s what people use. Thanks so much for the great video!
Thanks for the question, I do still occasionally monitor my comments. That is a BBQ thermometer. That particular probe is placed on the food grate, they can be held off the grate with a clip or you can take a small chunk of wood with a hole to place the probe to hold it off the grate slightly. This is just to monitor the cooking chamber temperature. These thermometers also have meat probes that you can place into the meat. You could get by if your cooker has a thermometer for the cooking chamber (it will probably be off a little but close) and use you meat probe into the meat your cooking
Did you add your own clamps or did it cone with smoker? I'm thinking of adding clamps and gasket. My old country pit leaks a lot from the main cooking chamber.
I got what you need, if your thinking about modifying/improving your pit. Check out my Best Offset Smoker Modifications video here: th-cam.com/video/1dnnyyg6Sqg/w-d-xo.html I have links in the description for buying the stuff on Amazon. Full disclosure, I do get a small commission but doesn't cost you anything extra. Good luck!
Please leave me some comments on your thoughts on this video and if you have any questions. I'm interested in what others do on their offset smokers.
George LaBarge how do I use pellets..I have dynaglo offset and hickory chunks and of course charcoal.. Vick Marie
Flowerpower213@sbcglobal.net
Vick, sorry missed your comment. The offsets are not made for using pellets. If you had pellets and wanted to use them for smoke flavor, get a bed of charcoal going and then put some of your pellets in a pocket of aluminum foil and poke some holes in it and lay it next to the coals. It will smolder and produce some smoke for your meat. Hope this helps.
If I remember correctly, I cooked 2 whole chickens for this video.
George LaBarge that’s was great information, great content, I was actually using the information while watching you video and it worked as you said, super 👍🏼! Thank you
I’m brand new to smoking, just bought my first grill with an offset smoker, thanks for starting me off right!
I'm no newbieie to smoking meat. I am also no newbie to fire and smoke management - I'm a retired wildland firefighter - on the job for 38 years. But I'm a newbie to the offset smoker. You have provided some really great basic information here and I think you are spot on. Much appreciated.
hey george, well done, for this type of smoking, very informative. i’m a professional pit master and i picked up a tip that i will use from now on. some of these comments are downright rude and ignorant, but a stand up guy like you most likely doesn’t care; just wanted to say so. cheers and good luck!
Thanks, nice to know you got a tip out of this. I knew going in that I would need thick skin for some of the comments.
I agree.
Thanks George. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I got my offset. The fire and smoke maintenance is actually kinda fun, considering the reward. But I found myself chasing the temp range and smoke consistency all over the place until I started using this method. I was waiting way too long to add new splits.
Glad to see someone point out what proper "smoke " is. In my rookie days I messed up a small fortune in meats. And you have people actually soaking wood chips or chunks..tossing that on their fire for "smoke flavor" now? Good grief.. that is insane.. but promoted by many. What you get there is creosote flavor. Food should not taste like a telephone pole!! With proper combustion... like you show.. white wispy to no visible smoke is the way to go. Heck.... some of my best cooks have come from using just a good quality lump charcoal... less worries about smoldering wood in the firebox. Good food is all about fire management, as you point out. LOL I wish I had access to this kind of information back when I started... I bet my wife does too.
Just got my smoker and viewed several videos. By far, yours is the best. I will, thanks to you, be the famous chef of the family. Thanks for a job well done.
That's great Bobby, thanks for the kind words. That was my hope when making the video that it would help create some new backyard pitmasters. Good luck!
This is the most complete explanation on how to bbq. Thanks!!! I had to learn from watching multiple videos on how to bbq. Then trial and error for the last five years. You should do a updated version with any methods you did not mention in this video. Such as (I figured out that getting the wood and charcoal hot before putting it in the fire box will cut down on billows of smoke) and ( to let the grill get to the temp and smoke you want before even placing any food in the grill is best) and ( check the weather because temperature conditions effect your grill such as wind, rain, and heat being the least). Oh yeah; opening the grill causes billows of smoke that will settle down after a while of the door is closed and if it doesn’t to try your stirring the coals method ( in a good smoker 3-5 minutes in a not so great smoker 20-30 minutes) Bravo!!! I know I’m late to the party but this video was not in the algorithm favor 10 years ago. LOL keep up the good work.
I've been using my Weber kettle for my smokes but it's time to step my game up. I got an offset smoker I haven't used in years. Never really learned how to use it correctly. I've got a better understanding of how to maintain my temp now thanks to you. Can't wait to get started. Thank you!
Thank you so much George! I am literally working on a brisket right now and I had to catch my fire back up after 200 degrees.
I wished I saw this video prior to to. Help us beginner smokers.
This is great info. Thank you! My husband just bought an off set smoker and is trying to smoke a turkey right now. He is getting so frustrated because the smoke is coming out EVERYWHERE and he can't maintain temp. So I decided to do a you tube search. This is going to help out so much. Turkey is getting smoke, but will have to finish it in the oven. This is his first attempt, and you just saved him from stroking out!.. LOL.. Thank you for taking the time to post this video! (smoker was already assembled when he purchased it). One more thing... I saw a video where they added a 3" elbow to inside to the smoke stack, to help keep smoke and heat in. Thanks again!
Glad the video helps out. Sounds like you have a smoker from one of the big box stores. It will most likely need some modifications to perform properly. I've got a video on smoker modifications that will help your husband's smoker work better, check it out on my channel.
Finally a great video on temp control. I've been struggling with my stick burner. Thank you sir well done
Hi George. Thank you!! This was by far the best video I have seen on managing the fire in my offset. I have an Oklahoma Joe's Highland, and the food comes out really good. But, I usually have trouble managing temp and also using the right size wood. I just ran a test run yesterday with no meat to see how it worked and it was spectacular. The temperature got up to about 330, highest I have been able to get it, and the temperature held so much longer as well. So much so, I had a hard time getting the temp down, even with closing the vents. I think I'm going to use a bit less charcoal to start to not get it so hot when I cook this weekend, I think I may have used too much. Anyway, just want to thank. I subscribed to your channel, I love what you do. God bless you, thanks again!
I've been having the same issue adding too much charcoal to begin with. Even just starting with half lit and half unlit charcoal, it seems like the unlit charcoal lights pretty quickly anyway and still gets too hot.
Hello, I'm from Argentina and recently I'm starting with this style of cooking, thank you very much for your contributions!
I have found that I don’t open the exhaust wide open because I really like the smoke flavor as well but I really like your pointers on controlling the heat. I just put this style pit and I’m learning as I go but have had some tremendous successes thus far. Thank you
Thanks Jeff. If you like the smoke flavor on your meat, I think this is the best way to go with an offset.
This is one of the best videos on fire management for an off set. Thank you
Thank you George, I just bought a similar offset smoker and my first couple of cooks had mixed results. Watching your video showed me where I was going wrong with the fire management .
Glad the video helped Michael. Just keep with it, you will learn something every time you cook, and the food will get better every time also.
I think that your videos on this subject are the best for a number of reasons but the main reason is that you list everything you use and where to get it Thank you for all you do George
I’m a total newbie and your video helped me tremendously! I cooked a couple of expensive steaks, which turned out fine, but today I cooked chuck steak and it came out even better! I had very little puffy smoke! The temperature showed pretty high but one thing at a time. I will start working on mods now. (Another great video!). THANK YOU!
George you're are amazing! I have BBQ'N wrong for so many years. I have learned so much from your videos lately. I thank you sir. Happy Holidays & Happy Smoking!
Just started this, and you've explained this all better than anyone thus far. Thank you
Enjoyed the video sir, just took delivery of the exact same version of this offset three weeks ago, had no idea how to use it other than starting a fire at one end! It came with no instructions or assistance from the sellers this video was a life saver. Smoking in Great Britain is not that common. Hell, lets face it, the Brits idea of a BBQ is a burnt sausage, burger and over or undercooked chicken, so any and all help found is worth more than you would know. The biggest problem is that everything you may need equipment wise is only available via Amazon in the US which is both inconvenient and bloody expensive! But I'm learning how to work around things and becoming fairly handy at BBQ DIY. Keep up with the videos sir most helpful, most helpful indeed.🧐
Fought my temperature for 3 hours on Labor Day!! Very informative video. Thanks. I'm gonna do a redo cook this weekend. Gonna use your tips!!
Thank you George, just was gifted a smoker before deployment and looking forward to using it and your video provided great content. 🤙🏽
Got an offset smoker last Christmas it’s a bit of a challenge transitioning from a direct heat grill. This video was very helpful!!!
Well done George and thank you. I haven't moved past the old Weber charcoal kettle yet. I've been a member of an Aussie BBQ Facebook group for a while and their ideas are great for people who know what they are doing. I only have a vague idea of what to do but your video answered all my beginner's questions in 15 minutes.
Gonna try out your tips tomorrow. ...my cooking isn't bad, people eat it when they come over. ..lol...anything to improve my food and me as a future pit master is greatly appreciated. ..thanks again. .
Great Video!When I add a split and it starts smoldering, I will use a grate tool or fire poker to prop the firebox door open just a few inches until it catches, helps to maintain my temps. My smoker is all 1/4” steel so my temps hold pretty steady. I also use lump charcoal to start with as it burns hotter, longer and cleaner. Nothing wrong with using bricketts, I used them for years, but I only use lump to start my stick burner. Great mods on the pit by the way.
I have watched many videos and nobody has broke-it-down like you have! I needed to know exactly everything you have explained. Do you add lit or unlit coals during the process, or just wood?
Hi Cory, sorry I missed your comment. Myself, I usually just cook with wood because I have my own supply of wood. If cooking with charcoal, you can do either. I've added unlit charcoal before next to the burning coals and then let it light them slowly. I've added lit coals before when my coal bed got too low and I was loosing temperature. Lit coals will kick the temps back up.
Hey George, I've had my offset (Texas Original made in Houston) for 10 months. I've gone through all of this early on trying to learn my pit and the do's and don'ts. Your video on fire management is the exact thing I've learned watching hundreds of videos. You did a great job explaining the process. All of my meat was tasting smokey even while following all the right procedures. So, I decided to replace the 3 inch exhaust pipe with a 6 inch stainless steel pipe. My retired uncle was a steep fab and prof welder and did the work. Now, I have much better air flow, can get higher temps and keep them, and move out stale smoke. One qtr sawn stick will maintain 275 for an hour and my meat is much better tasting. Thanks, I enjoyed your video. I'll sub your channel while here. I would appreciate you stopping by my channel and checking it out. See ya-Phil in Florence (SC)
Thanks Phil. Glad you enjoyed the video. That sounds like a nice improvement you made to your pit. My pit won't perform like that with 1 piece of wood, but I do have a cheap smoker. Someday I'll upgrade.
BTW... I'll make a trip over to your channel and check it out.
Phil, I saw your smoker and your mod. It should help. They key is SMALL, clean burning fire. I saw you are using kiln dried wood. That should make it even easier. Keep in mind that kiln dried will burn faster and some of the flavor will be lost (probably not a bad thing if doing say a turkey). But you will get more consistency.
Thank you for your great video. We bought a smoker awhile back and just looked at the box it was in.....but now I is going to cook! Thank you so much.
Thank you George. Taught me how to use my new smoker in time for Thanksgiving
Good video George, I start a fire in a fire pit and transfer already hot wood to the firebox, yes you do have to be careful doing this but it usually cuts down any smoldering...
Came across your "tips" just in time, am building one of these, and realized I need to make my chimney bigger,, was at first thinking equal air in and out, but can see clearly, the advantage of throttling the oxygen is the way to go.., thank you !
Thank you, very informative. I’m in uk and just brought my first smoker and struggled at first. I’ll defo be using these tips going forward.
I have the exact same smoker but got destroyed by the Dericho. I found that when doing long smokes the first 3 hrs was was a fire that burned the longest before I had to add more wood and then crack the ash tray open for the next hrs while adding wood more often. If I dumped the ashes from the tray I would get better fire control. I was going to do a final mod on it by having a deeper ash tray because it seemed that the air was blocked with location of air intake vent. If I can find another trailmaster, I plan to make that mod and since I I have the tuning plates and chimney mods already, I can be back up and smoking in short order. I smoke in the wind, cold and light rain and use a Harbor freight welding blanket (20.00)
Thanks for the informative video George. It's summer here in Australia and this has been a good intro for me to now venture into offset smoker cooking.
Very informative video George...Straight and to the point and I think everyone can learn something from this video no matter their level of experience! Well done sir
Thanks George. I just bought a used offset. Great information.
Fantastic video . Super informative. It answered some of the questions I've been asking myself. Thanks George!
Awesome video. Just bought my first smoker and was looking for a video to teach me the essentials and you did just that. Thanks!!
Hey just wanted to say nice video it’s straight forward easy to understand and makes total since, I will be referring back to you videos from time to time .good job
This is a huge help. I'm cooking a 11.5 brisket for the first time in my stick burner. Mind you I been playing with fire since I was kid.. but to keep the smoke down was my only issue.. thanks again..
That's great Juan, glad to help out. Good luck with that brisket. One of my favorite things to cook!
I am just about start into the offset BBQ world and maintaining blue smoke while adding new wood was confusing to me. This explains how to do it perfectly, thanks a million for the video
I just bought my Stick Burner though I have been smoking using other grill types for years I will try these tips as this is our first real pit smoker. Thank you for taking the time to show others how you manage your smoke and temp.
Hey there from Houston Tx . Stumbled upon this video and just want to thank you ! I’ve watched a bunch of different videos on this topic and you gave some tips the other videos didn’t have . Keep on keepin on George !
Have almost pulled the triggered on a offset, enjoyed your video, good info. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks for your time and knowledge, I've been smoking for a long time but learned something new appreciate ya buddy
This was the best video I've seen on here you really explain all about the smoker .thanks
Thanks for the comment Martin. I hope the tips helped you out!
Thank you so much, really helpful information
Excellent video! You taught me I’m not using nearly enough wood or high enough temp for chicken! Thank you sir
Good info. Thank you, sir. Just used some of your tips to make some Easter Day Chickens and Brisket on my new offset. My family thanks you.
Hey George I'm doing offset for the first time and struggling a bit with fire management but this video has been super helpful!
Thanks for the video. Tried my first smoking and it wasn't perfect but edible. You helped me see where i went wrong. Not enough air, waited to long before adding wood, didnt let it catch on fire first. Ha about everything it seems!
Great video George. Fire management is the number one concern in stick burners. This really cleared up how to get rid of the thick white smoke that leaves a bitter taste in your mouth for days! Be safe my friend!
Thanks for the comment. Your absolutely correct, the key with stick burners is getting a clean burning fire for the best tasting meat. Glad the video was a help!
I learned a lot! Those are the little (big) details that make the difference. Thanks! 😀
Good info. I had problems with the white smoke overpowering my meat. I understand now to use seasoned wood and let wood catch fire before closing the box. Good info
Great breakdown about fire management, i looked lots of videos but they didn’t explained it well. Good job George thanks a lot
Thanks! Like so many others have pointed out, this video is really helpful.
I never knew having an offset smoker took so much attention. I guess that's what separates the best from the rest! Thanks for the video George i am new to offset smoking and will definitely be pulling up a chair and a beer for my first official offset smoke! Thanks for the tips!
Your welcome Michael. Depending on what kind of offset you have, will depend on how much attention you have to give it. If you have a cheaper version like mine, you might have to watch it a little more. Also, if you do have a cheaper smoker, go check out my video on the 6 best offset smoker mods and they will help you out so you can relax a little more.
Remember, sitting back playing with the fire and relaxing is the best part of cooking on an offset. There is more of a sense of accomplishment cooking with fire. Finally, don't think you have to hold temperatures dead on, your temperatures can fluctuate +/- 25 degrees and it doesn't matter, your cooking to internal temp and tenderness! So sit back, relax, and enjoy a cold one 😉
George LaBarge thanks George i will definitely take a look at your other vids! Thanks for the info!
This is a brilliant video George. I just purchased what is essentially the same unit and am 3 days into it and learning. I really appreciate your well laid out advice. Thanks
Thanks for the feedback. The key thing is to get in there and practice on it. After a few times using it, you start to get the hang of cooking on it. Good luck!
Great video George, very informative. I'm looking at a Yoder Wichita for my first stick burner, and your video was very helpful.
You did a great job of breaking it all down George. Some good tips on the smoke color and how to keep it in the right cooking mode with temp control. Also I got some great tips from you earlier this year on food plots too. My oats, sargum and turnips did great. My clover was a complete bust early spring. Don't know what I did wrong. Am still learning on the early spring plots. Any tips would be greatly appreciated for the spring clover plots. Thanks again for this great video.
Legend has it George is still putting wood into the firebox
where else would you put it
I just used my smoker for the first time yesterday and wish I had watched your video before I did. This is the best video for smoke and fire control I have seen. I made all the mistakes possible and all my meat (very expensive) came out awful. Couldn't even eat the chicken, taste like a house that burn't down smell. I almost said forget it, but after watching your video I will keep on truck'in! Thank You!
Hi George- thanx for this video on smoker and fire management. Your attention to details has answered some questions for me. Soon I will have my first offset, and I know I will succeed now, thanks to this video. Great job!
Very informative, some great tips there. Nice to have things broken down simply. Keep up the good work old boy
Thanks for the comment, appreciate it!
You gave me every single piece of information I needed to run my new offset effectively! Thank you very much for making this video!!
Thanks, glad it helped out!
the best video on youtube by far for learning this style of cooking! Thank you for your knowledge!
Thanks so much! This was really clear! I am about to start smoking and you cleared up a lot of questions I had!
Ok,,I like your grill and I wonder if your fire box come in square??
Thanks for the video! I've done a couple of smokes and getting ready to do another one. You gave me a lot of great tips I'm going to use!
Great video, thanks so much for going through all these steps and sharing your knowledge!
Good , George, nicely explained, especially the last part where you mentioned the cleaning which is the utmost important part of cooking, Thanks
Sandy N
Maintaining temps at 300 is easy. I need help maintaining them around 225/250. When I let them go around the 225 and add wood it’s hard to get that split going.
I'm guessing you have a smaller cooker. If you need to get lower temps, build smaller fire and you may need to use smaller size splits. You will just have to experiment until you get a feel for what your cooker needs. Before your next cook give yourself an extra hour or so and try adjusting the size of the fire to find your sweet spot before you add the meat. Good luck.
Great video, George. Very informative and easily understood. You even had a recap at the end. As a professional instructor, I dig it!
Thanks Jonathan! Appreciate the comment and feedback.
Awesome video, probably one question I have is around cooking times for different kinds of Meats. How long does it take to cook and how can you know if it’s cooked properly. Many thanks.
It's almost impossible to give cook times with BBQ. Too many variables. Pork butt and brisket usually cook to about 200deg internal temp, and just add important tenderness. Ribs cook to tenderness. Chicken cooks to internal temp of 165 in breast 175 or so in thigh. After you learn your cooker you might be able to estimate time a little bit better.
What type of gasket did you use to seal up your firebox and cooking lids?
Never mind, found your other video. Thanks, I enjoy your videos.
This guy is so classic. Good video.
Thanks for the video and information. It was very informative for me.
I bought my first Offset smoker this past weekend and used it Sunday.
I was slacking in proper funtion of it so I cooked some good Smokey burgers and my chicken never got done right haha.
I watched a video where a guy soaked his wood chips first and then put them on the hot coals. Do you recommend that?
And subscribed, brilliant video mate. Clear, concise and very well filmed, you're a natural at instructional videos. Thank very much for doing this from a Kiwi in Australia.
You're welcome! Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy to see this video is getting more run now and helping more people.
This is the exact video I was looking for. Thank you.
Does the thickness off the steel of the smoker matter?
Great video. Picked up several tips which will help me in my next smoke.
I have watched many videos. I wish I had seen this 3 weeks ago. I had a tough time managing my fire. I now feel like I am ready.
First off, you have a gorgeous home and property. And secondly, you did a fantastic job with the video. I definitely learned a few things that I'll be using very soon. Thanks man. You seem like a genuinely good person and wish you the best. Thanks again.
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you appreciate the video. I made it to help out new pitmasters. Best part is that parts of this have helped some intermediate bbq'ers as well.
Good video. Can't you just add more charcoal when the temperature drops?
Great question! That is what you would do provided that you already had your vents fully open. If your vents are partially closed, I would open first, let temp stabilize, then add more fuel when it starts to drop. Good luck!
@@georgelabarge4985 Thanks George! I just bought a Oklahoma Joe's Highlander smoker. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I do my first smoke.
Thanx for the video learned a lot I'm gonna smoke a pork but for the first time on my new offset smoker tomorrow and your advice will help thank you and subscribed
Travis Miller Thanks. That's s great choice for your first cook. Pork butts are forgiving, you don't need perfection, just cook to internal temp of around 200, put it in a dry cooler for an hour or two to rest. Good luck!
George LaBarge and Travis, I also use my oven, turned off of course, to hold my meat for the cool down. Thanks and good luck.
Do you ever add briquette coals as you go besides the wood?
Yes, I have done that it works. You won't get quite the flavor from charcoal, but it will work to keep the temperatures up.
@@georgelabarge4985 I have heard that after the first few hours the addition of smoke diminishes the additive effect of smoke. So that the heat is needed.
Great video George. I have a question. If were to lay lava rocks at ehe bottom of the burner, then add coals and fire wood on top, would that help maintain the temperature in the smoker?
No, you need airflow and a steady supply of wood for fuel to maintain temperature, thicker steel smokers will hold heat longer
George, Just a couple tips.
1. Your Brinkmann does not have a firebox side door. That is a significant issue. You should not lift the lid of the firebox as it causes extreme temp fluctuations. Since you have no side door, you need to do your wood additions quickly. If you had a high end smoker like a Yoder or a Texas Originals it would maintain the heat a little better because they use 1/4 in structural steel throughout the entire smoker. But even with them, its not good to open the firebox lid.
2. Briquettes cause higher amounts of Ash that will fall below your grate and that will cause airflow problems. In offset fireboxes, there is not much of space under the grate. Where as a grill has much more space under the grate and charcoal ash is not much an issue. When you have no air flow, obviously your fire does not burn well. If you are going to use something besides wood, I would suggest Lump Coal. Lump has much less ash.
3. You have a smoker, you should smoke. You definitely want that smoke on the meat. The bitterness will come if you over smoke the meat for too long with a high heat. If you lower your temperature you can smoke for long stretches of times. It is true that meat can only take so much smoke, and at that point you can wrap it in foil to continue cooking. Do not be scared of the smoke. This is not a grill.
4. You should season your smoker.
5. You should also get the smoker lit up an hour before you plan to put the meat on. This will get your temp stable. You do not want to put your meat on a smoker with the temp going up and down. Ideally you want to have your smoker stable before you intrude the meat. This is a good time to take your meat out and let it come to room temp before you introduce it to the smoker.
Thanks for the tips! These are good tips that should help others watching this video.
Pretty good and informative comment.. But you must admit that putting your food when there is pitch black smoke is not recommended either am i wrong? There are many videos that show that black smoke is just not right for the taste of food.
Excellent video I have learned so much. This is my first smoker and I am sure your advice is going to make for some great meals
Thanks! Glad it has helped you out. You will be cooking great food in no time.
George LaBarge i'm thinking about getting a smoker but i have a question its just me and my wife most of the time so a smoker seems to be a lot of work just for a couple of hamburgers or a couple pieces of chicken what do you do for something small like hamburgers
Hi Ed, It depends on what you want. If you want smoked meat flavor cooked indirect low & slow, get a smoker. This would be for pulled pork, smoked chicken, ribs, or beef brisket. You don't want a smoker for burgers. For that you just want a grill, either charcoal or propane. I have both, a smoker and a grill. If you don't want real low & slow BBQ, you don't need a smoker, just get a grill. If you want something where you could do both, get a charcoal grill, like a Weber kettle. You can use this a Weber kettle to cook indirect and add wood chunks for smoke flavor. Hope this helps.
Hey George. What are those clips you used to secure the lid? I just got a smoker and I'd love to install some on mine.
Thanks! I just acquired an offset smoker and really need it this instruction.
I love using applewood. Consistent heat is critical. Get that smoke just right. Good video.
Definitely dig the basket setup you've got going in that box!
Great basics video! I’ve been struggling with the temp later in cooks and couldn’t figure out what the issue was. Just kept burning more fuel but losing temp. Thanks for the info! Big help!
I know this is an old video and I hope you still monitor it, but I have a question about your thermometer that your using. Is it just a meat thermometer or is it a different kind and where do you place it in the cook box? On top of the rack with the meat or on the bottom of the cook box? Right now I have a meat thermometer but not sure if that’s what people use. Thanks so much for the great video!
Thanks for the question, I do still occasionally monitor my comments. That is a BBQ thermometer. That particular probe is placed on the food grate, they can be held off the grate with a clip or you can take a small chunk of wood with a hole to place the probe to hold it off the grate slightly. This is just to monitor the cooking chamber temperature. These thermometers also have meat probes that you can place into the meat. You could get by if your cooker has a thermometer for the cooking chamber (it will probably be off a little but close) and use you meat probe into the meat your cooking
This was a big help. Thank you.
Did you add your own clamps or did it cone with smoker? I'm thinking of adding clamps and gasket. My old country pit leaks a lot from the main cooking chamber.
I got what you need, if your thinking about modifying/improving your pit. Check out my Best Offset Smoker Modifications video here: th-cam.com/video/1dnnyyg6Sqg/w-d-xo.html I have links in the description for buying the stuff on Amazon. Full disclosure, I do get a small commission but doesn't cost you anything extra. Good luck!