Comparison Cooking hey man I know this video is older but I wanna see if you could give me some insight anyway. I just got a little offset smoker from Home Depot I’m tinkering around with. I ruined some ribs last night and I think it was the fluctuation of my temps throughout the whole duration. Would you recommend getting coals hot separate from my firebox. Seemed like when I add fuel to my firebox it cools down for quite awhile before it gets the fresh charcoal burning good and hot. Any input is appreciated! Keep up the good work!
@@evanpaul976 i add a handful every 15-20 minutes, that way they light up faster than dumping a lot in all at once after a couple hours. That seems to work better. Dumping a lot all at once can create a smoother affect along with the issue you are running into of temp dropping fast. I have a few videos on firebox management and adding wood throughout your cook 👍
A good rule of thumb to remember is: heat rises, cold sinks. I would drill a hole in the bottom section of the lid near the handle, and weld a nut on the outside of the hole to accept a grill thermometer. I work at a bbq joint where I use the large offset smokers with 8 thermometers. Im constantly rotating the food in different cooking zones to achieve an even cook for all the different meats. Another rule of thumb is: never cook raw meat over the more cooked meat, so as not to contaminate the cooked meat with bacteria.
The day you posted this was the day I took my first crack at smoking. Wish I would have seen this vid first. Have done a few more smokes since then, and each time had to finish it off on the propane grill because the family got tired of waiting. I'm anxious now to try it again this weekend using your tips. Thanks for putting this out there.
It’s a process for sure, also there is nothing wrong with getting 3-5 hours of smoke on the meat and then throwing it in the oven or finishing off with propane. You are only going to get so much smoke penetration! I did it in my Competition Chicken video. Join our FB group and let us know how you did this weekend!
What I do is redirect the heat so it goes bottom first then to the top second by wrapping a grill grate with foil at the point of entry and it becomes more accurate for what the type of meat I smoke. Can always learn something right, great video man!
Thank you for this I had this issue this weekend in this Texas heat. My grill thermometer was reading 250 with the sun shining on it and then dropped 75 degrees when it got in the shade. My brisket took forever to cook and now I know why.
Oh man, that’s a bummer, but we’ve all been there! Make sure to join our FB group, great resource for when those situations arise during your cook! Thank you for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
It’s very frustrating when it happens for sure. Glad this helped! Thank you for watching, commenting and subscribing! (I made a playlist for smokers 101 - beginners basics, might be helpful 👍)
This was a BIG issue on my offset Brinkman Pitmaster Deluxe. After a few cooks, I realized that the heat was basically coming into the cooking chamber and then just exiting out of the chimney. My simple fix was to internally extend the chimney down to the grate level using metal flashing. This pretty much equalized the temperature all across my cooking chamber except for the area really close to the firebox which gets really hot. I also noticed that simply closing the chimney damper some would help with this issue, but the metal flashing method always works like a charm. Offset smokers are cool, but they REALLY have to be modified if you want to use the entire cooking chamber. Can't use the area right next to the firebox because it gets WAY too hot. If you do a simple mod like I did by extending the chimney down to the grate level, you'll lose some area close to the chimney. This is why I'll probably be upgrading to a pellet smoker really soon.
I've seen that mod done a few times, makes a lot of sense to me. I'll probably fiddle with that in the next few weeks. I've found a sweet spot just off right to the middle of the grill closest to the firebox, but not right against it. Seems to be keeping my temp steady enough. Plus i typically cook one big cut at a time so i'm not all spread out. I guess if i was doing chicken quarters, i would need better consistency. Good thinking with the metal flash, thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
another great Mod for an offset is to build a baffle to put in the barrel directly above where the firebox lets the heat in. Any type steel around 1/8" or bigger will work. it just gives the heat some place to dead end as it rises into the smoker and forces it do disperse evenly around it...really helped mine to even out the temp. Also fwiw, i've owned a Traeger pellet "smoker", and it was a great grill.... but there was no comparison between it and the OK Joe in terms of flavor..had to use a smoke tube in it to even make the smoke flavor noticeable.... Still use the Traeger for burgers and whatnot, but the family specifically requests that i use the charcoal for ribs and brisket.
You can help to equalize the temperature inside the smoker on the left and right within 3-5 degrees or so with tuner plates(which are over priced and not necessary). You can use spare grill racks wrapped in aluminum foil or even cookie baking sheets cut down to fit in the smoker as tuner plates. You position them over the portion where heat and smoke enter from the fire box so that it redirects heat to the center of the smoker instead of the opening the firebox is on.
Yes tuning plats to about the middle of the grill. This will also give you better smoke distribution. Ultimately it shouldn't matter so much once you get a steady temp in your chamber and you just leave the cooking chamber closed. Most people like to look too often and it continually drops your heat, extending your cook time.
Knowing where your temps are in the smoker is one of the big keys of successful smoking. Also, the same with any of you that smoke with your Weber kettle grill, like I used to before I got my smoker. My dome temp was 50 degrees higher than the cook grate level, so I knew to compensate for that reading.
This was so helpful, I just bought a Char Griller Smokin Champ, and I’ll be using it to grill for family for the first time tomorrow. Whew, glad I watched this!
After three years of my Old Country smoker, I am now convinced I need some grate thermometers. Frustrated is not the word for what I’ve felt with some of my cooking. Thanks for the video.
Wow, good to know I was thinking of ordering an Old Country because of the thick metal, didn't think they had as much temperature issues! Glad this video could help, join our FB group to get some good insight into modifications other bbqers are doing.
The smoker is wonderful. I’m just a rookie and didn’t monitor the temperature properly. I was using the Gauge in the lid only... with the exception of the probe inside the meat.
People who own offsets lie often about their experiences. Offsets don't maintain any temperature for very long. Wind and humidity effect your cooks significantly. If you hear anyone talking about maintaining even temps from end to end for any length of time over 15 mins are likely telling you tales.
Thanks for the tips. Meadow Creek TS250 here. From years of cooking never trust mounted thermometers, love new digital thermometers - especially those with alarms. I being type A, I tend to run a grill a little hot (above 350) when many things need slow (250-350)
The great thing is you can still get really good bbq at higher temps, but ultimately, I think under 325F brings out the best bbq. Those Meadow Creeks run hot. I did the walmart vs costco brisket on the towable for that one. Pretty sure there was a 45 minute temp spike of 450 in the middle of the night on that one. Briskets still turned out tasty. Thank you for watching, commenting & subscribing.
Everyone knows the top temp gauge is always higher... heat rises. You should use digital thermometers throughout or install 2 more "good" thermometers (most come with junk), left and right just above grate level (close as possible) to manage temperature throughout grill. But here's the thing... move your heat diffuser plates to cover what's coming out of the firebox and you will have a more even temp to control throughout. Its all about where you let the heat through. Anybody that says offset smokers are a pain have no patience and no thinking process in my opinion. Dont get me wrong, Kettle grills are ok for an amateur, but the art of offset smoking takes patience and the will to "learn" knowledge of the art. Problem is, most just dont want to because it takes effort and dedication. I say this because, I've only been doing this for less than a year and I'm always learning. I havent had a problem with temps since I went to an offset. I did research and it works! Hang in there, dont give up.. the best smoked meat is possible from your hands! Happy grilling everyone!
Very Useful Video. I get my new Off Set Smoker this week, it's coming on Friday 18th. I really can't wait, as I'm a Smoker Virgin lol. I've taken your finding on board and will use the information you have provided, very wisely 👍👍👍🏴🇬🇧 Thank you.
Comparison Cooking where do you get the thermometer with the two lines for the different temperatures? That’s what I’ve been lookin for. Certain brand you recommend ?
I just got a New Braunfels smoker from my neighbor for the low, low price of free. It was sitting on the curb with a "free" sign on it. (It seems that they left suddenly and I don't know why as I've never talked to that neighbor.) It is in wonderful shape with only a very few small patches of surface rust on it (not even enough to worry about even though I already bought the rust dissolver and high-temp enamel to fix it up). It was pretty heavy to drag the 25 or 30 yards into my back yard. I'm thinking about putting a pipe on the chimney to direct it to the opposite side and putting a plate of some kind along the bottom to pass the air under to try to turn it into a reverse flow, but this is probably premature. I should probably just use the damn thing once before I start with mods. I'm also thinking about getting a Tip Top Temp regulator to put on the chimney.
The New Braunfels, depending on what year they were made, are really really well made. I think you are right, start playing with it before adding any mods. Most people thinking they need the smoking chamber just engulfed in smoke to get great bbq, that's not the case, you don't need as much smoke as you might think. Congratulations on the great pickup, happy smoking!
I just bought a Masterbuilt Gravity 1050 But I would love to get an offset smoker and I am a diehard Kingsford Fan so Its a good chance ! I joined your FB group but I am not a big face booker I always make a sheet steel or aluminum deflector over where the smoke comes in from the firebox. Its the same concept as tuning plates. Bend a 90 degree lip on it and drill 2 small holes and pop rivit it on or you could use sheetmetal screws. I would get stainless. It needs to be at least 1/3 of the way to the center then the heat will carry up to the center. If the right side is too cold cut small slits in the defector until it balances temps with the other side. This will easily get your temps much closer together. if you at least move the hottest spot to the center, then all the others will be about as close as you can achieve. (at each 4 corners of the grill)
Sadly this video wasn't available when I first started smoking and your spot on I had the same exact frustrations. Another factor to compound this issue is that most thermometers that come with inexpensive smokers not only are they not in good positions but they are horribly inaccurate. Even at great level they could be a hundred degrees off, subscribed and looking forward to more, thanks for making videos!
Sorry experience that, but it’s one of those frustrating things we all have to learn the same way! Thank your for subscribing, I just released the solution to this problem video today, or at least a cheap tinfoil modification to help get the temps closer.
I got mine and while it was my first I knew the thermometer that comes with these things is terrible. I actually ordered a different one that was more accurate. Ultimately went with a thermapro with 4 probes. I use one in the cook, and the other 3 around the meat to get a better read on temps
Nice job on the presentation. It is frustrating when the food don't cook. Early on i was curious about grate temp.so i put a temp gauge where the meat was + that made all the difference! But the gauges do get smoked up so u gotta clean them + you loose heat when u open the door.So i like the temp gauge that you use with probes + you dont loose heat. Thankyou for doin' the video.
Very good illustration of a common problem with mass produced offset smokers. It almost seems that the designers of these cookers don't have a clue about smoking meats. Another issue I see with the Kingsford demonstrated here is that the smoke stack/flew is too high up the side of the cook chamber, and the reason I suspect the running temperature reading on the hood thermometer is always higher than at the grill grate level. Since the air flow and the carry of smoke is at the highest level of the cook chamber because of the placement of the flew, the cooker struggles to get to the desired 250-300° cooking range. Moving the opening of the flew to the same level of the grates would fix this issue. Finally, a wider diameter and taller flew seems to be in order here. The small diameter restricts the flow of smoke and heat and the short length does not produce enough draw to get a good amount of heat convection from the smoke box through cooking chamber and up and out of the cooker.
Very very good and accurate insight! I was thinking of blowing out and add a bigger flue on the side. The 250-300 is so true. This has been in my head for a while, but now you've got me finally wanting to pull the trigger on trying to make this mod! Thank you for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Great video, Thanks ~~~ You can also level the temps a little better by SEALING the edges around the lids thus eliminate loosing smoke and allowing the heat to stay INSIDE the cooker....
I’m actually smoking a brisket from store... not best cut of meat but what I can get close to me. PRAISE GOD above for this video! I having been doing this since 6am it is now 4pm! I’m scared to turn grill up for fear meat willl Dry out but so frustrated! I do have what I need to check temp so I’m on it! Just UGH!!!! THANK U SOOOO MUCH! Definitely subbed!
I just bought my own first offset grill. It has a built in thermometer, but I don't pay attention to it. I was taught how to smoke meat by my Unc! I get that fire burning and monitor the internal temperature of the meat
I usually put my bigger pieces of meat closer to the flame and it usually works out well. I can get them within 30 minutes of everything being done. I usually do butts this way. Thanks for info
I now in my old age and experience use a heat gun to light my coals. Takes about 3min. I load them direct where I want them and turn on the heat gun and heat one low spot. Then use the blower on the heat gun to catch the other coals. Works every time. No gas.. no chimney. One heat gun cost less than a chimney.
I wish I would have watched this video yesterday. Just smoked ribs for the first time. Had to finish them off in the oven because they weren’t done after almost 7 hours in the smoker. Thanks for the tips 👍
Very useful demonstration. Good to get this information out there. Knowing the different zones of your cooker is a must. You explained this very well. Thanks for sharing.
For us its second nature to know this, but so many new owners have so much to worry about, with their meat, wood, why would they think the temp might be way off! Thanks for watching!
Great video and relevant to kettle barbecues as well, not just your offset smokers. Having just fallen foul of this myself, when trying to smoke some Camembert in my Weber Kettle, I've just - off of the back of this video - gone and ordered an Inkbird thermometer so I don't make that same mistake again. Thanks for the video.
My pleasure, I've been very happy with inkbird, and its so frustrating to think you are dead on a temperature and your food just doesn't turn out! Thank you for watching, commenting & subscribing!
@@ComparisonCooking You know what, I hadn't subscribed so I've rectified that now. Just starting out my barbecue journey, moving on from just grilling sausages and burgers (I'm in the UK), so videos like this are so incredibly helpful. Thanks again.
you have to drill two more holes in an offset smoker and put two more thermometers in the lid, one on each end of the smoke chamber, and you need a heat deflector right after the fire box. You can lay a metal cookie sheet at an angle over the entrance from the smoker box to the chamber but not as wide as the chamber.
I do not have a ton of temperature fluctuation on my OK Joe smokers, but I notice a TON on the kamado when I use it. Might be (partly) because I only use wood for fuel in the OKJ, and I use primarily lump charcoal in the kamado. I feel like the charcoal goes through more extreme temp swings, but also doesn’t seem to heat as “efficiently” as wood, and I experience more hot spots even on the smaller cooking surface
@@ComparisonCooking it’s not that it doesn’t hold well, it’s the variation across the grate, and that i basically have to close both vents to super skinny slits if I want to cook below 325F. I prefer it for direct grilling instead of “smoking” for this reason, and because I don’t have to worry about a sharp gust in the slotted vents flaring my temps up. and the lump charcoal combined with wood chunks does impart some smokiness to the food still. It’s awesome for slow/fast direct grilling when I reverse-sear steaks or chicken thighs, using cold/hot spots over heat shield to accomplish really nice results. I use probes and the kamado DOES hold well, but it is impacted in extreme fashions by small changes to vents or the act of opening/closing the lid to spritz or pen-probe.
I have an offset smoker where the exhaust is located at the opposite end from fire box on top. I was doing a pork butt and it would not get done. I did a temperature mapping with small type T thermocouples and found the heat traveling across the top and out the stack. I decided to extend the stack towards the bottom with heavy duty aluminum and I put a deflector at the output of the firebox. I haven’t mapped it but it now cooks. I was not firing up the firebox hot enough when first using it but how the exhaust is mounted you are fighting a leak.
Thanks Ricky, definitely the biggest frustration we see in the FB group, people want to throw their smoker away after the first attempt. Using the smoker all day long and food doesn't turn out!
Solid video - is your pit's thermometer adjustable? easy to calibrate if so, boil some water, drop 'er in and make adjustments. Your point stands though and is super valid - definitely helps to have more data points to get it nice and dialed in
Unfortunately, it’s not an adjustable. Which is probably good for me because I would find a way to screw it up, haha! Thanks for watching and the comment.
I've been grilling chicken for 50 years. I have known since the first day that you have to rotate the chicken from the hot side to the cold. I always make perfect chicken. Nothing ruins a barbecue faster than a piece of underdone chicken.
If smoking a half loaded grill, use the top rack, then rotate when needed. When cooking chicken, i always microwave it first about 5 minutes, or little longer if there is more, it doesn't cook the chicken but gets the bone hot, then season, then put on the grill. Will reduce cooking time more than you think. Been doing it that way for close to 20+ years. I also have a cast iron plate on the bottom rack for steaks, sears very well n no flame ups. Good luck. Also to help control temp try adding a hand full of chopped onions. Will also add a smoke aroma n flavor to what ever you are cooking. I use 2 to 4 onions chopped up, adding a handful 30 to 40 minutes. Store the rest for next time, as long as thet are still good. Just to try, next time you are done cooking chop up one onion and toss a handful on the fire. The aroma is amazing. Good luck, happy smoking.
Wow, I like your style, never would have thought to do that with the chicken! It makes a lot of sense. 90% of my steaks I do on cast iron, nothing beats it! Thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing!
@@ComparisonCooking you are welcome my friend. But try the onions. I did this years ago, a lot of years, and mey neighbor came out to see what I was cooking, he couldn't take the aroma any more, so I told him nothing yet just getting the fire ready. Some times just sitting around a camp fire, toss some onions on. Gets people hungry.
If I’m adding my own thermometers would you recommend 3? One on each side of handle and one center above where yours is? I recently purchased an expert grill offset smoker and it didn’t have any built in. Thanks! Great videos!
The thing to keep in mind is this is a beginner level video. With experience and time the variation in temp within 25 degrees is not that big a deal in reality. Temperature variation and temperature swings are normal and expected. Now internal temperature for things like chicken there is minimum safety temp like 175 you have to worry about. However; for pull pork and brisket temp is a guideline. Don’t go just by temperature, probe your meet for tenderness.
I ran into this issue on my first offset. I was so confused. Not as big a deal for me when I’m doing a long smoke but now if I’m not doing a long smoke, I set the coals in the main grill with just a little bit in the side box with the wood for smoking. I also purchased a couple universal thermometers, drilled couple holes. One for my offset box and one for each side at just slightly over the level of the grates. So I mean, technically I have 4 thermometers, lol
Now that's a nice setup! How hot does your offset get? I'm asked a lot about putting coals in the main chamber to help steady the temp, never it done it. Do you think its worth the extra steps? Thanks for watching and your input!
@@ComparisonCooking my situation might be different. I have a char-broil dual setup. 1 side propane, the other charcoal with an attached side fire box. My main grill has 3 grates. This means I can remove 1 and still have 2/3 of my cooking surface. That open slot makes it easier to helping keep the temp level. The problem is that every time you do it, you release the heat so it's not ideal but it helps when I have a couple things going at once. With practice I got the hang of also adapting to it. Like, putting a rack 9f ribs on the far side while I put the on the close side type of thing. As for the temp of my firebox, I try to keep it at about 350 for a main box 250. My fire box bleeds a ton of heat unfortunately. It's not a great fire box but it works all the same. I used to use a smoker I made myself much like yours years ago I made from a steel drum and parts from a recycling yard. I used it for years for competition smoking when I lived down south. I never won but I did decently from having no idea what I was doing and being entirely self taught by trial and error.
Smoking meat is a test of patience. My thoughts are that take a hunk of meat rub her down with a salt and brown sugar blend, git the grill between 275 and 300 cook it till the meat falls the bone and pull it now don't use a tender steak for this method use a shoulder chuck rib or ham, if you are cooking delicate fish do a little salt cure but before you smoke it rinse that salt off or you are gonna throw it away its easy
Very clear and useful video, depending on the thickness of the steel indeed the temperature will be closer to the lid-thermometer. Choices are: 1. to drill 2 holes and place one right and left on gridle height, 2. Use a thermometer with several probes or functions like Inkbird or Meater and rotate your meat. It took me some time to learn how to keep temperature grill temperature stabil. Nowadays I add greek or japanese charcoal sticks to my wood in order to prevent to much fluctuations during a long cook. Cooling of the steel will increase your fluctuations and hence destroy any planning you could have 😂 and increase fights with yr wife 😅. Still prefer my off-set smoker over my kamado!! Its real work but its real BBQ. Have fun!!
Awesome video..! I never liked any stock gauges as they don't last and most are inaccurate. Alway do a boil test (212) for accuracy on all pit gauges and meat probes. On cheaper offsets, I always wait about 20 mins for all the steel to heat up before reading temps. I bet adding a couple of gauges on the door at grate level would work great so you can limit the use of probes. Keep up the great work you do. Loved the video..
Thanks Joe, I was thinking of adding to the door, I don’t like burning out my probes, but it keeps me inside for longer periods instead of checking every 15 minutes I check every 45-1 hour because it’s all on my phone. I know you know this, just ease of convenience for me.
Thanks for the video. I just purchased a thermo-pro a couple weeks ago, and used it on my last venture. I have the Oklahoma Joe offset and had good results, but I had to baby it way too much IMO. I am thinking it's problem is the exit stack is too small (and so is yours) and not giving me the control of combustion I would like to have. It's stack is about 3" (I think) and I am strongly considering adding another stack of the same diameter. Watching your video, there is way too much greyish smoke exiting your smoker, again this is just my opinion, I rather see a clearer bluish smoke. I am hoping adding the extra stack will make make that easier.
Yessssssssss. Nice I'm about to do it for the first time .. so I guess I will spend the extra money. My neighbor today was doing it for the first time .. but I know he was sitting out there for a long time .. he said I dont understand it wasnt enough air flow.. but that's all I knew didnt want to mess his situation up .. but now his 250 wasnt really 250 ok ok .. nice video
Its a long learning process sometimes, and I've been there! I'm glad you were able to catch this before getting started. I'm going to do a video in the next week or two on firebox management, and using wood.
Keeping in mind a quality offset will run within a few degrees across the cooking area, except the far front and far back of the grate, where it will run hot. The biscuit test is the cheap way of finding out where your hot spots are.
I can definitely understand that frustration. Should be able to sell the OK joe for a good price, people are looking to get their hands on a smoker. I just did a Traeger Pellet vs Oklahoma Joe pellet grill series. Check it out if you haven’t to help you figure out which one is best for you 👍
Absolutely! I really wanted to do the biscuit test, but didn't think my smoker would get hot enough. Looking forward to what you have coming down the pipe!
Great illustration. While you were checking temps in different zones - it would have been neat to see what difference a heat diffuser/tuning plate thingy in the smoker would have made. Digital thermometers are the BEST. How easy to install a Tru-temp and move it down by the grill?
Its a great point, a few months later I added a baffle plate video and showed what it did to temps. A lot of people in our FB group have added grate level thermometers, they work great. th-cam.com/video/QhebSwsTsXI/w-d-xo.html
That’s some great info Kevin and you’re dead right, I never depend on the built in thermometer, always do some probes and check it all. Seriously great advice for any cooker. Awesome job brother!
For us its second nature to know this, but so many new owners have so much to worry about, with their meat, wood, why would they think the temp might be way off! Thanks for watching, appreciate the support as always🙌
So for us folks that arent ready to buy the probes, Is it safe to say a good rule of thumb is to add 25 - 50 degrees to your target temp? (using the stock thermometer)
I definitely was right there with you on that. So many other factors to worry about, i just assumed the temp was the same through out the chamber! Thanks for watching Andre!
Just an idea...It takes time for the smoke to heat up the metal in the main section. If you put some coal in the main section at the start, the difference should be smaller.
Comparison Cooking I’m a retired tool & diemaker with some lingering design and fab skills. I’ve been doing low & slow for probably 25+ years. I have a 16” x 30” offset Chuckwagon smoker, antique, burned out in some places, and no longer available, I do have a welder and I’m not afraid to use it! Probably the first **almost** important improvement I’ve done has been to add some adjustable baffles to redirect the heat and smoke to the cooler end of the cooker. The most beneficial change was to incorporate a waterpan that runs the full 30” length of the cooker, plus excess as needed, to allow for my external, water bottle. The water pan does a good job of moderating the overall temp fluctuations and help balance the left/right-cook temp. I can’t compare my style to yours since I don’t have dual level cooking grates, but, this works very well for me. As “They say”, results will vary! Good video, happy cooking.
I must say you gave very extremely good tips in today’s video for your offset smoker I would actually think what temperature the grill is saying is exactly what it should be inside throughout the entire offset smoker grill but as you explained that is not correct very interesting I guess it’s always great to have a temperature gauge that you can lay on the grill
For years this is the way I thought about it! THere were plenty of other factors to worry about, food, wood/charcoal to use. Never would have thought to worry about the temp at the grill level!
Glad it was helpful! Ive had a lot of people reach out, that they had no clue. We all start from step one. Thanks for watching and let me know if there are any other videos you would like me to try!
Excellent vid for beginners sure. I like to get adjustable pit thermometers that I can set to the grate temp, or move them to grate level on my rebuilds.
They are a must have, I went years without them because I was cheap, and I really was handicapping myself. The nice thing about the new WiFi (not their price) but the trend lines, you can see how long temps been holding. Its a really nice feature compared to my old bluetooth. It would lose connection for a second and the trend line would be gone. Thank you for watching Jet!
I would like to know what the temperature difference would be with the smoker full of food. I believe the back or the left side of the smoker would be closer to temp because the heat is being absorbed by the meat and rolling on the bottom of the meat distributing the heat differently across the smoker. What are your thoughts? I have a stand up off set smoker. I put a drizzle plate where my firebox comes into my smoker on the bottom shelf so the heat deflects evenly through the bottom of the smoker. Seems to work great.
That's actually a really good point, oh man! Now you've got my brain in a pretzel thinking about this for the weekend, hahaha. I've asked my catering friend to see if he's noticed a difference having it loaded up, I'll get back to you. I do think just having a maintained temperature for longer periods might make a difference, and more evenly bring up temp, that could also tilt the experiment to think it was the food radiating heat. Now my brain really hurts! I'll dig around, thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing!
This one has gaskets around the lid, that chamber itself just has a lot of open space, so that is going to create drafts within the Cooking chamber of different Temps. Its not that big of deal once you are aware of it, but its just being aware of it. Most people are not, so that's where they get frustrated with their equipment!
I was going to ask that same question, saw a lot of leakage around the lid opening....smoke loss=heat loss. Time, patience, a few dollars & some slight mods can make a world of difference to a beginner or novice.
I believe it’s pretty standard across all of these types of offset smokers. People are just thinking of the million other factors, food, wood, cook time. They don’t even stop to think if the temp gauge might be totally off! Thanks for watching, hope you are doing well!
Man ! Thx God, I was not going crazy .. I'm a beginner but getting better . I really do my research before I commit. Thx for the heads up .... i have my smoker i was wondering why temps r going bananas.... lol
Oh man, the struggle is real when you are getting your start. So much to know and keep track of. Feel free to Join our FB group, Kingsford Stockade 49in. Smoker and Grill. The majority of people is just starting off, great group. THanks for watching and let me know if there are any other questions you need answered!
How do a keep a steady temperature without going over or under ? I understand the side further fro the box will be lower but how do you get let’s say 250 for like 6 hours more or less
Very hard to stay at a consistent temp on a cheaper offset, and heck even some expensive ones it’s hard. If you are shooting for 250F, be prepared for the temp to swing 25F +/-. It can definitely be done, you just have to keep adding mire wood and charcoal and keeping a close eye on it. But you are better off letting your temperature move 25 up and down. You are going to stress less and enjoy the cook more, end result will still be the same great food!
hate to say it but buy a weber smokey mountain,mine will hold temp over 16 hrs easy.you just got to baby sit the heat on lots of these offsets.but that alone can also be fun with a case of your fav beverage.
Manage your fire, dont play with the intakes and have patience. You will start to see how the smoker responds. Most people over-fuel their firebox from the start and try to manipulate it way too much. Let the grill respond and pay attention.
Great video Kevin! I’ve seen some swap out the stock thermometer and get a Manlaw thermometer claiming it give a more accurate temp reading but that’s interesting that even at grate level the temp difference. What app were you using to read the temperature? Was that Inkbird?
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responded
@@ComparisonCooking I like your view to video
Comparison Cooking hey man I know this video is older but I wanna see if you could give me some insight anyway. I just got a little offset smoker from Home Depot I’m tinkering around with. I ruined some ribs last night and I think it was the fluctuation of my temps throughout the whole duration. Would you recommend getting coals hot separate from my firebox. Seemed like when I add fuel to my firebox it cools down for quite awhile before it gets the fresh charcoal burning good and hot. Any input is appreciated! Keep up the good work!
@@evanpaul976 i add a handful every 15-20 minutes, that way they light up faster than dumping a lot in all at once after a couple hours. That seems to work better. Dumping a lot all at once can create a smoother affect along with the issue you are running into of temp dropping fast. I have a few videos on firebox management and adding wood throughout your cook 👍
Comparison Cooking I watched a bunch of your other videos last night. Really helped me get a better idea. Thanks for the reply!
I keep the fire going and drink modelos chicken will take 7 modelos pork butt will take 18 modelos.
You Sir, are doing it right! I think you just came up with a great shirt by the way!
That’s funny
🤣🤣🤣
Ha!!! Great idea. I'll try it with Guinness.
Very true!
A good rule of thumb to remember is: heat rises, cold sinks. I would drill a hole in the bottom section of the lid near the handle, and weld a nut on the outside of the hole to accept a grill thermometer. I work at a bbq joint where I use the large offset smokers with 8 thermometers. Im constantly rotating the food in different cooking zones to achieve an even cook for all the different meats. Another rule of thumb is: never cook raw meat over the more cooked meat, so as not to contaminate the cooked meat with bacteria.
Those are very good rules of thumb!
@@ComparisonCooking You got 2 thumbs up from me for your knowledge. I learned a lot. Very good video.
As smoking and bbq in general is becoming a huge craze, this video is going to help tons of people
Thanks brotha! The frustration I see in out FB group is real. You would think the whole chamber would be same temp, but its very different!
@@ComparisonCooking most people that are new to the grilling game would never guess that! Those digital thermometers are essential👍
The day you posted this was the day I took my first crack at smoking. Wish I would have seen this vid first. Have done a few more smokes since then, and each time had to finish it off on the propane grill because the family got tired of waiting. I'm anxious now to try it again this weekend using your tips. Thanks for putting this out there.
It’s a process for sure, also there is nothing wrong with getting 3-5 hours of smoke on the meat and then throwing it in the oven or finishing off with propane. You are only going to get so much smoke penetration! I did it in my Competition Chicken video. Join our FB group and let us know how you did this weekend!
What I do is redirect the heat so it goes bottom first then to the top second by wrapping a grill grate with foil at the point of entry and it becomes more accurate for what the type of meat I smoke. Can always learn something right, great video man!
Wrapping a grill grate in foil is a great way to deflect and get better results!
I just bought my first offset smoker so I am a true ROOKIE I will join the Facebook page 👍🏻 and thank you for the great advice
Welcome aboard!
Thank you for this I had this issue this weekend in this Texas heat. My grill thermometer was reading 250 with the sun shining on it and then dropped 75 degrees when it got in the shade. My brisket took forever to cook and now I know why.
Oh man, that’s a bummer, but we’ve all been there! Make sure to join our FB group, great resource for when those situations arise during your cook! Thank you for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Thank you so much!!! I’m 17 hours into a supposed 225F cook on a 9.5lbs brisket!
This explains my frustration! Just bought my offset yesterday
It’s very frustrating when it happens for sure. Glad this helped! Thank you for watching, commenting and subscribing! (I made a playlist for smokers 101 - beginners basics, might be helpful 👍)
Just had my first offset smoker delivered. Really glad I watched this video before doing my first cook.
My pleasure!
You really have me thinking about purchasing a smoker with these stockade videos
every time I pass the grills at work I think today might be the day!
Hahaha, you would love it bro, your beard will be smelling like smoke for days!
I ordered yesterday a smoker so surely you already helped me!
Can't wait to have this toy..
Thanks for this video!
Glad I could help! Feel free to join our FB groups, lots of good advice as you get going. Kingsford Stockade 49in SMoker & Grill
This was a BIG issue on my offset Brinkman Pitmaster Deluxe. After a few cooks, I realized that the heat was basically coming into the cooking chamber and then just exiting out of the chimney. My simple fix was to internally extend the chimney down to the grate level using metal flashing. This pretty much equalized the temperature all across my cooking chamber except for the area really close to the firebox which gets really hot. I also noticed that simply closing the chimney damper some would help with this issue, but the metal flashing method always works like a charm.
Offset smokers are cool, but they REALLY have to be modified if you want to use the entire cooking chamber. Can't use the area right next to the firebox because it gets WAY too hot. If you do a simple mod like I did by extending the chimney down to the grate level, you'll lose some area close to the chimney. This is why I'll probably be upgrading to a pellet smoker really soon.
I've seen that mod done a few times, makes a lot of sense to me. I'll probably fiddle with that in the next few weeks. I've found a sweet spot just off right to the middle of the grill closest to the firebox, but not right against it. Seems to be keeping my temp steady enough. Plus i typically cook one big cut at a time so i'm not all spread out. I guess if i was doing chicken quarters, i would need better consistency. Good thinking with the metal flash, thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
another great Mod for an offset is to build a baffle to put in the barrel directly above where the firebox lets the heat in. Any type steel around 1/8" or bigger will work. it just gives the heat some place to dead end as it rises into the smoker and forces it do disperse evenly around it...really helped mine to even out the temp. Also fwiw, i've owned a Traeger pellet "smoker", and it was a great grill.... but there was no comparison between it and the OK Joe in terms of flavor..had to use a smoke tube in it to even make the smoke flavor noticeable.... Still use the Traeger for burgers and whatnot, but the family specifically requests that i use the charcoal for ribs and brisket.
You can help to equalize the temperature inside the smoker on the left and right within 3-5 degrees or so with tuner plates(which are over priced and not necessary). You can use spare grill racks wrapped in aluminum foil or even cookie baking sheets cut down to fit in the smoker as tuner plates. You position them over the portion where heat and smoke enter from the fire box so that it redirects heat to the center of the smoker instead of the opening the firebox is on.
Hmmmm🤔🤔 you got me thinking. I normally have plenty of room, could definitely use some aluminum on the rack! Thanks for the idea!
Comparison Cooking 👍 no problem. Sometimes you can even fit a water pan between them and the cooking grate
I might try that one !
Man if I can get a visual of what you mean I can’t picture it or exactly get what you mean
Yes tuning plats to about the middle of the grill. This will also give you better smoke distribution. Ultimately it shouldn't matter so much once you get a steady temp in your chamber and you just leave the cooking chamber closed. Most people like to look too often and it continually drops your heat, extending your cook time.
Knowing where your temps are in the smoker is one of the big keys of successful smoking. Also, the same with any of you that smoke with your Weber kettle grill, like I used to before I got my smoker. My dome temp was 50 degrees higher than the cook grate level, so I knew to compensate for that reading.
Agreed, got to know what you are working with.
This was so helpful, I just bought a Char Griller Smokin Champ, and I’ll be using it to grill for family for the first time tomorrow. Whew, glad I watched this!
Awesome, I’m so glad it helped! Please feel free to join our FB group to let us know how you made out!
What a great video. Thank you for the effort. I almost blew 70.00 worth of expensive beef ribs based on the wrong intel.
Glad it could help, we definitely don’t wanted wasted dollars!
After three years of my Old Country smoker, I am now convinced I need some grate thermometers. Frustrated is not the word for what I’ve felt with some of my cooking. Thanks for the video.
Wow, good to know I was thinking of ordering an Old Country because of the thick metal, didn't think they had as much temperature issues! Glad this video could help, join our FB group to get some good insight into modifications other bbqers are doing.
The smoker is wonderful. I’m just a rookie and didn’t monitor the temperature properly. I was using the Gauge in the lid only... with the exception of the probe inside the meat.
People who own offsets lie often about their experiences. Offsets don't maintain any temperature for very long. Wind and humidity effect your cooks significantly. If you hear anyone talking about maintaining even temps from end to end for any length of time over 15 mins are likely telling you tales.
Thanks for the tips. Meadow Creek TS250 here. From years of cooking never trust mounted thermometers, love new digital thermometers - especially those with alarms. I being type A, I tend to run a grill a little hot (above 350) when many things need slow (250-350)
The great thing is you can still get really good bbq at higher temps, but ultimately, I think under 325F brings out the best bbq. Those Meadow Creeks run hot. I did the walmart vs costco brisket on the towable for that one. Pretty sure there was a 45 minute temp spike of 450 in the middle of the night on that one. Briskets still turned out tasty. Thank you for watching, commenting & subscribing.
Everyone knows the top temp gauge is always higher... heat rises.
You should use digital thermometers throughout or install 2 more "good" thermometers (most come with junk), left and right just above grate level (close as possible) to manage temperature throughout grill. But here's the thing... move your heat diffuser plates to cover what's coming out of the firebox and you will have a more even temp to control throughout. Its all about where you let the heat through.
Anybody that says offset smokers are a pain have no patience and no thinking process in my opinion. Dont get me wrong, Kettle grills are ok for an amateur, but the art of offset smoking takes patience and the will to "learn" knowledge of the art. Problem is, most just dont want to because it takes effort and dedication.
I say this because, I've only been doing this for less than a year and I'm always learning. I havent had a problem with temps since I went to an offset. I did research and it works!
Hang in there, dont give up.. the best smoked meat is possible from your hands!
Happy grilling everyone!
Couldn’t agree more with offsets being the true art of smoking!
Very Useful Video.
I get my new Off Set Smoker this week, it's coming on Friday 18th.
I really can't wait, as I'm a Smoker Virgin lol.
I've taken your finding on board and will use the information you have provided, very wisely 👍👍👍🏴🇬🇧
Thank you.
Thank you, and good luck with the new smoker! A lot of people join our FB group for on the fly help 👍
Comparison Cooking where do you get the thermometer with the two lines for the different temperatures? That’s what I’ve been lookin for. Certain brand you recommend ?
@@randomgraham4302 any of the inkbirds do great! This one has a 30% discount if you check the box 👍 amzn.to/2SLoEKc
This is very good content. Thank you!
New offset smokers, this tool is more important than the smoker itself
Couldn't agree more!
I just got a New Braunfels smoker from my neighbor for the low, low price of free. It was sitting on the curb with a "free" sign on it. (It seems that they left suddenly and I don't know why as I've never talked to that neighbor.) It is in wonderful shape with only a very few small patches of surface rust on it (not even enough to worry about even though I already bought the rust dissolver and high-temp enamel to fix it up). It was pretty heavy to drag the 25 or 30 yards into my back yard.
I'm thinking about putting a pipe on the chimney to direct it to the opposite side and putting a plate of some kind along the bottom to pass the air under to try to turn it into a reverse flow, but this is probably premature. I should probably just use the damn thing once before I start with mods. I'm also thinking about getting a Tip Top Temp regulator to put on the chimney.
The New Braunfels, depending on what year they were made, are really really well made. I think you are right, start playing with it before adding any mods. Most people thinking they need the smoking chamber just engulfed in smoke to get great bbq, that's not the case, you don't need as much smoke as you might think.
Congratulations on the great pickup, happy smoking!
Reverse flow cookers are the best ( in my opinion) for keeping the same heat over the hole cooking area. Great video.
I completely agree with that! The last two videos I did feature a whole hog on a towable reverse flow smoker, so much fun!
I just bought a Masterbuilt Gravity 1050 But I would love to get an offset smoker and I am a diehard Kingsford Fan so Its a good chance ! I joined your FB group but I am not a big face booker I always make a sheet steel or aluminum deflector over where the smoke comes in from the firebox. Its the same concept as tuning plates. Bend a 90 degree lip on it and drill 2 small holes and pop rivit it on or you could use sheetmetal screws. I would get stainless. It needs to be at least 1/3 of the way to the center then the heat will carry up to the center. If the right side is too cold cut small slits in the defector until it balances temps with the other side. This will easily get your temps much closer together. if you at least move the hottest spot to the center, then all the others will be about as close as you can achieve. (at each 4 corners of the grill)
Haha, I got you! Thanks for joining the group and subscribing to TH-cam!
Learned this lesson smoking on my Weber kettle. Dome temp runs 50 degrees hotter than the grate. Good video!
Pretty crazy, but as soon as you learn that lesson its like, duh, how did I not know that, haha. Thank you for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Sadly this video wasn't available when I first started smoking and your spot on I had the same exact frustrations. Another factor to compound this issue is that most thermometers that come with inexpensive smokers not only are they not in good positions but they are horribly inaccurate. Even at great level they could be a hundred degrees off, subscribed and looking forward to more, thanks for making videos!
Sorry experience that, but it’s one of those frustrating things we all have to learn the same way! Thank your for subscribing, I just released the solution to this problem video today, or at least a cheap tinfoil modification to help get the temps closer.
I got mine and while it was my first I knew the thermometer that comes with these things is terrible. I actually ordered a different one that was more accurate. Ultimately went with a thermapro with 4 probes. I use one in the cook, and the other 3 around the meat to get a better read on temps
Nice job on the presentation. It is frustrating when the food don't cook. Early on i was curious about grate temp.so i put a temp gauge where the meat was + that made all the difference! But the gauges do get smoked up so u gotta clean them + you loose heat when u open the door.So i like the temp gauge that you use with probes + you dont loose heat. Thankyou for doin' the video.
Sounds like you’ve dialed it in, nice job Pete! Thanks for watching.
Very good illustration of a common problem with mass produced offset smokers. It almost seems that the designers of these cookers don't have a clue about smoking meats. Another issue I see with the Kingsford demonstrated here is that the smoke stack/flew is too high up the side of the cook chamber, and the reason I suspect the running temperature reading on the hood thermometer is always higher than at the grill grate level. Since the air flow and the carry of smoke is at the highest level of the cook chamber because of the placement of the flew, the cooker struggles to get to the desired 250-300° cooking range. Moving the opening of the flew to the same level of the grates would fix this issue. Finally, a wider diameter and taller flew seems to be in order here. The small diameter restricts the flow of smoke and heat and the short length does not produce enough draw to get a good amount of heat convection from the smoke box through cooking chamber and up and out of the cooker.
Very very good and accurate insight! I was thinking of blowing out and add a bigger flue on the side. The 250-300 is so true. This has been in my head for a while, but now you've got me finally wanting to pull the trigger on trying to make this mod! Thank you for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Great video, Thanks ~~~ You can also level the temps a little better by SEALING the edges around the lids thus eliminate loosing smoke and allowing the heat to stay INSIDE the cooker....
💯
With gasket material made for wood stoves?
Good stuff Kevin! I'm going to join the group now!
Awesome, looking forward to it!
That was a great demo. Very informative and insightful. Thans for sharing.
Thank you, appreciate the comment!
I’m actually smoking a brisket from store... not best cut of meat but what I can get close to me. PRAISE GOD above for this video! I having been doing this since 6am it is now 4pm! I’m scared to turn grill up for fear meat willl Dry out but so frustrated! I do have what I need to check temp so I’m on it! Just UGH!!!! THANK U SOOOO MUCH! Definitely subbed!
Glad I could help! Thank you for watching, commenting and subscribing!
did i miss this. I know I watched, Oh well. Watching again. and i'm down with this content. AWESOME do's and don't for the backyard Pit-Master!
I think you popped by first, but I can't remember what day it is, so who knows 😂 Thanks for stopping by again!
Nice job Kevin. always good to know that average chamber temp for sure!! That looks like a pretty nice cooker!!
Thanks Ricer, i'm having a blast with it! Wife maybe starting to get sick of all the smoked food though 😂
I just bought my own first offset grill. It has a built in thermometer, but I don't pay attention to it. I was taught how to smoke meat by my Unc! I get that fire burning and monitor the internal temperature of the meat
That’s best way to do it!
@@ComparisonCooking yeah man! Even today! I cut a pork in half and put a different rub on each half! Both were fucking orgasmic!!!!
Awesome insights on the temp zones
The frustration was real in my FB group, people wanted to return their smoker after the first use! Thanks for watching!
I usually put my bigger pieces of meat closer to the flame and it usually works out well. I can get them within 30 minutes of everything being done. I usually do butts this way. Thanks for info
Glad it helped!
I now in my old age and experience use a heat gun to light my coals. Takes about 3min. I load them direct where I want them and turn on the heat gun and heat one low spot. Then use the blower on the heat gun to catch the other coals. Works every time. No gas.. no chimney. One heat gun cost less than a chimney.
Heat gun is the way to GO!
This is exactly why i dont go off the gauge, thanks for thr vid you the man!
My pleasure! I think everyone is so pumped when they get their first smoker, they would never thing about this!
My thermometer runs low, man did I dry out my first cook
gage prewitt happens to us all!
I will definitely be putting a probe where I place my meat for now on. Thank you sir. I've struggled a few times with this issue. No more🤗
That’s great to hear! Glad I could help.
I needed this info. Thank you brother!
You bet!
I wish I would have watched this video yesterday. Just smoked ribs for the first time. Had to finish them off in the oven because they weren’t done after almost 7 hours in the smoker. Thanks for the tips 👍
Happens to us all, join in the conversation on Facebook, Kingsford Stockade 49in smoker and grill. Lots of useful tips!
Happened with my first cook two days ago...
Wish I would of watched this before my first whole brisket 😆 great video!
Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.
Very useful demonstration. Good to get this information out there. Knowing the different zones of your cooker is a must. You explained this very well. Thanks for sharing.
For us its second nature to know this, but so many new owners have so much to worry about, with their meat, wood, why would they think the temp might be way off! Thanks for watching!
Great video and relevant to kettle barbecues as well, not just your offset smokers. Having just fallen foul of this myself, when trying to smoke some Camembert in my Weber Kettle, I've just - off of the back of this video - gone and ordered an Inkbird thermometer so I don't make that same mistake again. Thanks for the video.
My pleasure, I've been very happy with inkbird, and its so frustrating to think you are dead on a temperature and your food just doesn't turn out! Thank you for watching, commenting & subscribing!
@@ComparisonCooking You know what, I hadn't subscribed so I've rectified that now. Just starting out my barbecue journey, moving on from just grilling sausages and burgers (I'm in the UK), so videos like this are so incredibly helpful. Thanks again.
Awesome demonstration for the offset opportunities and how to beat manage through them and will definitely remember this when I eventually get one.
Thanks brotha!
you have to drill two more holes in an offset smoker and put two more thermometers in the lid, one on each end of the smoke chamber, and you need a heat deflector right after the fire box. You can lay a metal cookie sheet at an angle over the entrance from the smoker box to the chamber but not as wide as the chamber.
These are all really good ideas, thank you! Appreciate you watching D. S
Great video highlighting temp management with your grill and thermometers!
Glad you liked it! 👍🙌
I do not have a ton of temperature fluctuation on my OK Joe smokers, but I notice a TON on the kamado when I use it. Might be (partly) because I only use wood for fuel in the OKJ, and I use primarily lump charcoal in the kamado. I feel like the charcoal goes through more extreme temp swings, but also doesn’t seem to heat as “efficiently” as wood, and I experience more hot spots even on the smaller cooking surface
That's surprising, I always heard once you get the kamado dialed in, it holds tems really well!
@@ComparisonCooking it’s not that it doesn’t hold well, it’s the variation across the grate, and that i basically have to close both vents to super skinny slits if I want to cook below 325F. I prefer it for direct grilling instead of “smoking” for this reason, and because I don’t have to worry about a sharp gust in the slotted vents flaring my temps up. and the lump charcoal combined with wood chunks does impart some smokiness to the food still. It’s awesome for slow/fast direct grilling when I reverse-sear steaks or chicken thighs, using cold/hot spots over heat shield to accomplish really nice results. I use probes and the kamado DOES hold well, but it is impacted in extreme fashions by small changes to vents or the act of opening/closing the lid to spritz or pen-probe.
Fix those leaks in your lid and temps will stabilize a little bit as air flow efficiency does matter. Nice video, very important point to cover!
I sealed it all up and it definitely improved, another great point that people don’t realize when they take it right out of the box.
I have an offset smoker where the exhaust is located at the opposite end from fire box on top. I was doing a pork butt and it would not get done. I did a temperature mapping with small type T thermocouples and found the heat traveling across the top and out the stack. I decided to extend the stack towards the bottom with heavy duty aluminum and I put a deflector at the output of the firebox. I haven’t mapped it but it now cooks. I was not firing up the firebox hot enough when first using it but how the exhaust is mounted you are fighting a leak.
Sounds like you are on your way to modifying that out, into a perfect smoker.
Great video brother, very informative to all the ones trying to learn 🔥🔥
Thanks Ricky, definitely the biggest frustration we see in the FB group, people want to throw their smoker away after the first attempt. Using the smoker all day long and food doesn't turn out!
Solid video - is your pit's thermometer adjustable? easy to calibrate if so, boil some water, drop 'er in and make adjustments. Your point stands though and is super valid - definitely helps to have more data points to get it nice and dialed in
Unfortunately, it’s not an adjustable. Which is probably good for me because I would find a way to screw it up, haha! Thanks for watching and the comment.
Thanks for sharing. I have a Char griller would that work on the same principle that you showed
That’s a fun smoker, how I started off also!
I've been grilling chicken for 50 years. I have known since the first day that you have to rotate the chicken from the hot side to the cold. I always make perfect chicken. Nothing ruins a barbecue faster than a piece of underdone chicken.
That is the truth!
Yeah I'm about to use mine real soon. Thanks and I joined the Facebook
Sweet, looking forward to seeing some of your cooks!
If smoking a half loaded grill, use the top rack, then rotate when needed. When cooking chicken, i always microwave it first about 5 minutes, or little longer if there is more, it doesn't cook the chicken but gets the bone hot, then season, then put on the grill. Will reduce cooking time more than you think. Been doing it that way for close to 20+ years. I also have a cast iron plate on the bottom rack for steaks, sears very well n no flame ups. Good luck. Also to help control temp try adding a hand full of chopped onions. Will also add a smoke aroma n flavor to what ever you are cooking. I use 2 to 4 onions chopped up, adding a handful 30 to 40 minutes. Store the rest for next time, as long as thet are still good. Just to try, next time you are done cooking chop up one onion and toss a handful on the fire. The aroma is amazing. Good luck, happy smoking.
Wow, I like your style, never would have thought to do that with the chicken! It makes a lot of sense. 90% of my steaks I do on cast iron, nothing beats it! Thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing!
@@ComparisonCooking you are welcome my friend. But try the onions. I did this years ago, a lot of years, and mey neighbor came out to see what I was cooking, he couldn't take the aroma any more, so I told him nothing yet just getting the fire ready. Some times just sitting around a camp fire, toss some onions on. Gets people hungry.
Definitely true here ladies and gentleman. I ruined a couple early cooks because of this early on. INVEST IN A DIGITAL METER
Couldn't be more right! Thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing!
Thanks a lot for your very informative video, keep the good content coming brother
Thank you! Appreciate the compliment and support!
If I’m adding my own thermometers would you recommend 3? One on each side of handle and one center above where yours is? I recently purchased an expert grill offset smoker and it didn’t have any built in. Thanks! Great videos!
The best place for your thermometers is grill level 👍
Just joined the group! Thank you!
Welcome to the group!
The thing to keep in mind is this is a beginner level video. With experience and time the variation in temp within 25 degrees is not that big a deal in reality. Temperature variation and temperature swings are normal and expected. Now internal temperature for things like chicken there is minimum safety temp like 175 you have to worry about. However; for pull pork and brisket temp is a guideline. Don’t go just by temperature, probe your meet for tenderness.
Completely agree, it’s not that big of a variance, but it’s amazing how many people go for low and slow and they are really at a 170-180 temp.
I ran into this issue on my first offset. I was so confused. Not as big a deal for me when I’m doing a long smoke but now if I’m not doing a long smoke, I set the coals in the main grill with just a little bit in the side box with the wood for smoking. I also purchased a couple universal thermometers, drilled couple holes. One for my offset box and one for each side at just slightly over the level of the grates. So I mean, technically I have 4 thermometers, lol
Now that's a nice setup! How hot does your offset get? I'm asked a lot about putting coals in the main chamber to help steady the temp, never it done it. Do you think its worth the extra steps? Thanks for watching and your input!
@@ComparisonCooking my situation might be different. I have a char-broil dual setup. 1 side propane, the other charcoal with an attached side fire box. My main grill has 3 grates. This means I can remove 1 and still have 2/3 of my cooking surface. That open slot makes it easier to helping keep the temp level. The problem is that every time you do it, you release the heat so it's not ideal but it helps when I have a couple things going at once.
With practice I got the hang of also adapting to it. Like, putting a rack 9f ribs on the far side while I put the on the close side type of thing.
As for the temp of my firebox, I try to keep it at about 350 for a main box 250. My fire box bleeds a ton of heat unfortunately. It's not a great fire box but it works all the same.
I used to use a smoker I made myself much like yours years ago I made from a steel drum and parts from a recycling yard. I used it for years for competition smoking when I lived down south. I never won but I did decently from having no idea what I was doing and being entirely self taught by trial and error.
Smoking meat is a test of patience. My thoughts are that take a hunk of meat rub her down with a salt and brown sugar blend, git the grill between 275 and 300 cook it till the meat falls the bone and pull it now don't use a tender steak for this method use a shoulder chuck rib or ham, if you are cooking delicate fish do a little salt cure but before you smoke it rinse that salt off or you are gonna throw it away its easy
Exactly, you have to use the right proteins its very important.
Very clear and useful video, depending on the thickness of the steel indeed the temperature will be closer to the lid-thermometer. Choices are: 1. to drill 2 holes and place one right and left on gridle height, 2. Use a thermometer with several probes or functions like Inkbird or Meater and rotate your meat.
It took me some time to learn how to keep temperature grill temperature stabil. Nowadays I add greek or japanese charcoal sticks to my wood in order to prevent to much fluctuations during a long cook. Cooling of the steel will increase your fluctuations and hence destroy any planning you could have 😂 and increase fights with yr wife 😅. Still prefer my off-set smoker over my kamado!! Its real work but its real BBQ. Have fun!!
Real work but real bbq is right! Good luck with the wife 😅😂😂
Awesome video..! I never liked any stock gauges as they don't last and most are inaccurate. Alway do a boil test (212) for accuracy on all pit gauges and meat probes. On cheaper offsets, I always wait about 20 mins for all the steel to heat up before reading temps. I bet adding a couple of gauges on the door at grate level would work great so you can limit the use of probes. Keep up the great work you do. Loved the video..
Thanks Joe, I was thinking of adding to the door, I don’t like burning out my probes, but it keeps me inside for longer periods instead of checking every 15 minutes I check every 45-1 hour because it’s all on my phone. I know you know this, just ease of convenience for me.
Thank you New Friend... I just got an off set.. This helps.. xx
Wonderful!
Thanks for the video. I just purchased a thermo-pro a couple weeks ago, and used it on my last venture. I have the Oklahoma Joe offset and had good results, but I had to baby it way too much IMO. I am thinking it's problem is the exit stack is too small (and so is yours) and not giving me the control of combustion I would like to have. It's stack is about 3" (I think) and I am strongly considering adding another stack of the same diameter. Watching your video, there is way too much greyish smoke exiting your smoker, again this is just my opinion, I rather see a clearer bluish smoke. I am hoping adding the extra stack will make make that easier.
The extra stack should do the trick. I just got the ok joe and playing around with it. It’s finicky for sure.
@@ComparisonCooking Thanks for the reply, also adding an extension to the existing stack to produce more draw.
Good information. Definitely need to seal your door, but it was a good to see someone do this to explain different Temps vs spots on the q
Yeah, I need to get some clamps and add them to the door to keep it tight. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Yessssssssss. Nice I'm about to do it for the first time .. so I guess I will spend the extra money. My neighbor today was doing it for the first time .. but I know he was sitting out there for a long time .. he said I dont understand it wasnt enough air flow.. but that's all I knew didnt want to mess his situation up .. but now his 250 wasnt really 250 ok ok .. nice video
Its a long learning process sometimes, and I've been there! I'm glad you were able to catch this before getting started. I'm going to do a video in the next week or two on firebox management, and using wood.
@@ComparisonCooking oh keeping the fire going and not going out ok ok good
Great video. I think I'm gonna do a comparison video on my UDS-XL to see what the difference is between all the levels in it.
I would love to see that video! Always curious about this things!
@@ComparisonCooking I will do it soon. Thanks for the inspiration. 👍
Keeping in mind a quality offset will run within a few degrees across the cooking area, except the far front and far back of the grate, where it will run hot. The biscuit test is the cheap way of finding out where your hot spots are.
I have a Oklahoma Joe and I am ready to get rid of it... I hate that the temps are so unequal... Ready for a Traeger or something similar..
I can definitely understand that frustration. Should be able to sell the OK joe for a good price, people are looking to get their hands on a smoker. I just did a Traeger Pellet vs Oklahoma Joe pellet grill series. Check it out if you haven’t to help you figure out which one is best for you 👍
Great information Kevin! You can apply this to other cookers as well! Nicely done as always!
Absolutely! I really wanted to do the biscuit test, but didn't think my smoker would get hot enough. Looking forward to what you have coming down the pipe!
This explains so much!
I have to get some of those thermometers.
Thanks for the video.
Glad it help! Let me know if you have any other questions?
You should link those thermometers so we know where and how to get them!!!!
Great illustration. While you were checking temps in different zones - it would have been neat to see what difference a heat diffuser/tuning plate thingy in the smoker would have made. Digital thermometers are the BEST. How easy to install a Tru-temp and move it down by the grill?
Its a great point, a few months later I added a baffle plate video and showed what it did to temps. A lot of people in our FB group have added grate level thermometers, they work great. th-cam.com/video/QhebSwsTsXI/w-d-xo.html
That’s some great info Kevin and you’re dead right, I never depend on the built in thermometer, always do some probes and check it all. Seriously great advice for any cooker. Awesome job brother!
For us its second nature to know this, but so many new owners have so much to worry about, with their meat, wood, why would they think the temp might be way off! Thanks for watching, appreciate the support as always🙌
So for us folks that arent ready to buy the probes, Is it safe to say a good rule of thumb is to add 25 - 50 degrees to your target temp? (using the stock thermometer)
Yes, and closer to the firebox will be hotter etc. if you have a second raised rack, might want to stick with that if your food fits on it.
Awesome video and information brother!!! Took me years to figure that out!!
I definitely was right there with you on that. So many other factors to worry about, i just assumed the temp was the same through out the chamber! Thanks for watching Andre!
I use heart wood without the bark, alder, maple, apple and vine maple.... Good stuff 😃
Those are all good woods there! Thanks for watch, commenting and subscribing.
Is that kingsford door really heavy enough to require a counter weight?
Nope, it’s more for look and resting the lid.
Just an idea...It takes time for the smoke to heat up the metal in the main section. If you put some coal in the main section at the start, the difference should be smaller.
That is an interesting idea, I might have to look into that! Thanks for commenting!
Comparison Cooking I’m a retired tool & diemaker with some lingering design and fab skills. I’ve been doing low & slow for probably 25+ years. I have a 16” x 30” offset Chuckwagon smoker, antique, burned out in some places, and no longer available, I do have a welder and I’m not afraid to use it! Probably the first **almost** important improvement I’ve done has been to add some adjustable baffles to redirect the heat and smoke to the cooler end of the cooker. The most beneficial change was to incorporate a waterpan that runs the full 30” length of the cooker, plus excess as needed, to allow for my external, water bottle. The water pan does a good job of moderating the overall temp fluctuations and help balance the left/right-cook temp.
I can’t compare my style to yours since I don’t have dual level cooking grates, but, this works very well for me. As “They say”, results will vary! Good video, happy cooking.
I must say you gave very extremely good tips in today’s video for your offset smoker I would actually think what temperature the grill is saying is exactly what it should be inside throughout the entire offset smoker grill but as you explained that is not correct very interesting I guess it’s always great to have a temperature gauge that you can lay on the grill
For years this is the way I thought about it! THere were plenty of other factors to worry about, food, wood/charcoal to use. Never would have thought to worry about the temp at the grill level!
Awesome tips there is a difference from air temperature vs the temperature on the grill grates.
Glad it was helpful! Ive had a lot of people reach out, that they had no clue. We all start from step one. Thanks for watching and let me know if there are any other videos you would like me to try!
@@ComparisonCooking will do 👍 you should do a whole smoked chicken on that smoker and a brisket .
HNIC Roland those videos are already done 👍 just click on the playlist for stockade at the end of this video
@@ComparisonCooking cool thanks 👍 I'll check it out
Excellent vid for beginners sure. I like to get adjustable pit thermometers that I can set to the grate temp, or move them to grate level on my rebuilds.
They are a must have, I went years without them because I was cheap, and I really was handicapping myself. The nice thing about the new WiFi (not their price) but the trend lines, you can see how long temps been holding. Its a really nice feature compared to my old bluetooth. It would lose connection for a second and the trend line would be gone. Thank you for watching Jet!
@@ComparisonCooking For sure. Keep bringing the great vids.
@@ComparisonCooking FYI, My BBQ page is @Nativemeats on Instagram. Eventually I'll set up a TH-cam. Are you on Insta?
I would like to know what the temperature difference would be with the smoker full of food. I believe the back or the left side of the smoker would be closer to temp because the heat is being absorbed by the meat and rolling on the bottom of the meat distributing the heat differently across the smoker. What are your thoughts? I have a stand up off set smoker. I put a drizzle plate where my firebox comes into my smoker on the bottom shelf so the heat deflects evenly through the bottom of the smoker. Seems to work great.
That's actually a really good point, oh man! Now you've got my brain in a pretzel thinking about this for the weekend, hahaha. I've asked my catering friend to see if he's noticed a difference having it loaded up, I'll get back to you. I do think just having a maintained temperature for longer periods might make a difference, and more evenly bring up temp, that could also tilt the experiment to think it was the food radiating heat. Now my brain really hurts! I'll dig around, thanks for watching, commenting and subscribing!
Comparison Cooking LOL it was my pleasure turning your brain into pretzel. Enjoy a cold one for me this weekend if you can. Cheers.
Good video. Never thought about the difference in temperature throughout a pit
Thank you, yeah it creeps up on everyone. You would think there should not be that much difference until your cook takes 10 hours too long!
What about a layer of lava rock in the cooking chamber? Can always use a small grate to stop rocks from falling into the firebox.
There are a few people in our FB group that use lava rock, they feel it definitely helps with heat retention. If you have them I would give it a try!
Wouldn't adding gaskets and sealant help heat lose this keeping a more balanced temp? Of the temp would be higher by the fire source
This one has gaskets around the lid, that chamber itself just has a lot of open space, so that is going to create drafts within the Cooking chamber of different Temps. Its not that big of deal once you are aware of it, but its just being aware of it. Most people are not, so that's where they get frustrated with their equipment!
I was going to ask that same question, saw a lot of leakage around the lid opening....smoke loss=heat loss.
Time, patience, a few dollars & some slight mods can make a world of difference to a beginner or novice.
what a difference! wonder why the manufacturer doesn't account for that.
I believe it’s pretty standard across all of these types of offset smokers. People are just thinking of the million other factors, food, wood, cook time. They don’t even stop to think if the temp gauge might be totally off! Thanks for watching, hope you are doing well!
Man ! Thx God, I was not going crazy .. I'm a beginner but getting better . I really do my research before I commit. Thx for the heads up .... i have my smoker i was wondering why temps r going bananas.... lol
Oh man, the struggle is real when you are getting your start. So much to know and keep track of. Feel free to Join our FB group, Kingsford Stockade 49in. Smoker and Grill. The majority of people is just starting off, great group. THanks for watching and let me know if there are any other questions you need answered!
So if the temperature is hotter on the top rack, wouldn’t it be better to put whatever meat you’re trying to smoke up there?
How do a keep a steady temperature without going over or under ? I understand the side further fro the box will be lower but how do you get let’s say 250 for like 6 hours more or less
Very hard to stay at a consistent temp on a cheaper offset, and heck even some expensive ones it’s hard. If you are shooting for 250F, be prepared for the temp to swing 25F +/-. It can definitely be done, you just have to keep adding mire wood and charcoal and keeping a close eye on it. But you are better off letting your temperature move 25 up and down. You are going to stress less and enjoy the cook more, end result will still be the same great food!
hate to say it but buy a weber smokey mountain,mine will hold temp over 16 hrs easy.you just got to baby sit the heat on lots of these offsets.but that alone can also be fun with a case of your fav beverage.
Manage your fire, dont play with the intakes and have patience. You will start to see how the smoker responds. Most people over-fuel their firebox from the start and try to manipulate it way too much. Let the grill respond and pay attention.
Great to know. We only have a small electric one. i really like this one.
I love it! I grew up on an electric one, that was great. Made the best beef jerky! Thank you for watching.
Great video man, definitely informative
Thank you, appreciate the comment.
Great video. Well done 👍🏻
Thank you! 👍 Appreciate the comment!
Great video Kevin! I’ve seen some swap out the stock thermometer and get a Manlaw thermometer claiming it give a more accurate temp reading but that’s interesting that even at grate level the temp difference. What app were you using to read the temperature? Was that Inkbird?
Yeah that was the Inkbird new WIFI thermoter, I'll always go for the WiFi going forward, so sweet!
Can you put the charcoal directly under the the meat for some extra heat?
You can, and it will help it along. I only do that for burgers and hotdogs though.
I wish I had seen this before smoking a turkey. He nailed it re: the temp difference.
Tough beat, but at least you know it now. A lot of people it takes a lot of attempts before they realize it.