I am new to offsets. I built a fire with 3 half chimneys of Kamodo Joe lump charcoal. The species of wood is unknown, but supposed to be South American clean burning. Couldn't get my smoker up to 250 degrees. Added in a half chimney of Royal Oak oak based lump charcoal and got a raise to almost 300 degrees. Added my pieces of dried oak and was able to easily get to the 325 away from firebox with Thermoworks probes. After that just managed the fire with adding wood. Without this video, I would not have learned that the charcoal is just a jumpstart for a coal bed and not of much value otherwise in my smoker. Thanks!
@@HanksTrueBBQ thanks for your answer. I live in Dalarna and we have a lot of “björk”. Is that any good for smoking? Also looking with great interest at your smokers. Awesome job, one of the best smokers I have seen in Sweden!
I've tried charcoal and get mixed results. Lump charcoal just doesn't get hot enough. Compressed charcoal (like thaan or prime 6) almost works, but the temperature is still a little on the low side (250°F) even with a lot of charcoal, so it's not very economical. I use a hacked-together offset with a 20 gauge 20" x 30" barrel chamber, a 12 gauge 12" x 24" vertical barrel fire box (yes, its very odd), and a 6" x 36" chimney flue. 3 hardwood splits that are 10" or so long will keep the smoker solidly in the 275°F range even when it 10°F outside.
My offset smoker is about 550lbs and 1/4 " steel,. I ordered it with a propane log lighter and I use that alone to get it up to temp then I turn it off and add charcoal and some wood to continue the cook, otherwise I would use a whole 20lb bag of charcoal just to get to temp. thanks for the video.
I tend to start my smoker with a chimney of briquettes to get it somewhere near temperature then start adding splits. I find it runs best if I add a few briquettes every few hours as well as splits. I do have a fire basket in my firebox though. It's a home built smoker, the cooking chamber is 3mm steel, 1m long by 0.5m diameter. The firebox is a 45 cm box made of 6mm steel.
Hank's True BBQ I use 1/4 basket of Kingsford charcoal to get my mini splits going in my Old Country Wrangler. Need a stock pile of kindling to go all the way like you do😊👍. Never adding charcoal during the smoking session
Hi Hank You need to insulate your firebox. You can do it with firebrick if its food safe. It needs to go all the way around )360 degrees) or put a sleeve around your firebox and put high temp insulation in the gap. It wouldnt hurt to put a blanket over the lid of the cooking area.
You should consider setting up a brick offset smoker/bbq pit if you're working in those temperatures. You have to prime the thing by burning wood to bring it up to temp, but it holds heat better and you don't have to watch it as closely.
This is nice to know.. There is a lot of metal to heat up but seems like adding a few sticks helps alot. What was the termp outside when you did this? Have a nice weekend! Kjetil
I didn't think the charcoal wasn't going to cut it. Too bad. But I also get the whole experience of tending to the BBQ. But I'm not that into BBQ that I want to set an alarm clock to get out of bed in the middle of the night. Maybe for a next smoker project, make an insulated version, just like the Weber Summit. Shouldn't be too hard for a man with your skills.
Well, I just wanted to say thanks again for giving me the idea for the video! I totally get not staying up all night. For those days I just plug in the Fireboard + fan into either my kettle or big green egg and let it do it’s job 👌
@@dave2158 I have grates, and those are included when I sell my offset smokers. But I prefer running it like this, allows me to build a bed of glowing embers better. There’s no shortage of air in this setup.
i enjoyed the video, i use oak & maple natural wood in my grill. i take the lid off my 22 inch webber and remove the cooking grate, then take small twigs that fall into my yard from my big oak tree and start a small fire on the bottom grate of my webber. once it gets going good i add some bigger pieces of oak & fill my grill about 1/2 full and let it burn with the lid off until i am left with red hot coals then it's time to put the lid back on and start cooking. i guess the only advantage i could see to using lump charcoal over wood is you get red hot coals quicker. i have tried briquette charcoal but can never get that high heat temp with it. i may be missing something here or just not doing something right because everyone else uses some form of charcoal in there grill while i always use wood. my house sits on 10 acre plot full of old oak, maple, and pine trees and i have a few pecan trees in my front yard so i always have plenty of hard wood to use. and yes i even burn the pine trees but only in my outside open fire pit , never for cooking. let me tell you you will never make that mistake twice!
I am new to offsets. I built a fire with 3 half chimneys of Kamodo Joe lump charcoal. The species of wood is unknown, but supposed to be South American clean burning. Couldn't get my smoker up to 250 degrees. Added in a half chimney of Royal Oak oak based lump charcoal and got a raise to almost 300 degrees. Added my pieces of dried oak and was able to easily get to the 325 away from firebox with Thermoworks probes. After that just managed the fire with adding wood. Without this video, I would not have learned that the charcoal is just a jumpstart for a coal bed and not of much value otherwise in my smoker. Thanks!
Thanks Robert, great to hear!
Nice video! Just a question, living myself in Sweden too, what would be the most suitable/common wood you can get here in Sweden?
Thanks! We have oak, alder, beech and of course apple. Depending on where in Sweden you live, some of them are more common than others.
@@HanksTrueBBQ thanks for your answer. I live in Dalarna and we have a lot of “björk”. Is that any good for smoking? Also looking with great interest at your smokers. Awesome job, one of the best smokers I have seen in Sweden!
I've tried charcoal and get mixed results. Lump charcoal just doesn't get hot enough. Compressed charcoal (like thaan or prime 6) almost works, but the temperature is still a little on the low side (250°F) even with a lot of charcoal, so it's not very economical. I use a hacked-together offset with a 20 gauge 20" x 30" barrel chamber, a 12 gauge 12" x 24" vertical barrel fire box (yes, its very odd), and a 6" x 36" chimney flue. 3 hardwood splits that are 10" or so long will keep the smoker solidly in the 275°F range even when it 10°F outside.
What are those three planks you are pouring the coals on?
Those are not planks, they are fire proof bricks (6 in total) that I have lined the bottom of the fire box with. Increases thermal mass.
My offset smoker is about 550lbs and 1/4 " steel,. I ordered it with a propane log lighter and I use that alone to get it up to temp then I turn it off and add charcoal and some wood to continue the cook, otherwise I would use a whole 20lb bag of charcoal just to get to temp. thanks for the video.
Where did you get your smoker from I would like to see how they set that up. Yes once the metal is warm it shouldn't use to much charcoal
firebricks?? i heard about those.. how do they help with temp?? how long do they take to heat up?
They can be bought at hardware stores. They don’t take long to heat up, but add thermal mass.
@@HanksTrueBBQ can i use the red bricks from lowes as a substitute??
@@92greenebeen yes you can, but they won’t last as long, they’ll crack from the heat after a while. But give it a try.
Nice Job!! THANKS from USA😊👍
I tend to start my smoker with a chimney of briquettes to get it somewhere near temperature then start adding splits. I find it runs best if I add a few briquettes every few hours as well as splits. I do have a fire basket in my firebox though. It's a home built smoker, the cooking chamber is 3mm steel, 1m long by 0.5m diameter. The firebox is a 45 cm box made of 6mm steel.
Thanks for letting me know. Adding both splits and briquettes sounds like a good plan, that gives you both smoke and heat, at the right temperature.
Hank's True BBQ I use 1/4 basket of Kingsford charcoal to get my mini splits going in my Old Country Wrangler. Need a stock pile of kindling to go all the way like you do😊👍. Never adding charcoal during the smoking session
@@2005Pilot Sounds good 👌
Hi Hank You need to insulate your firebox. You can do it with firebrick if its food safe. It needs to go all the way around )360 degrees) or put a sleeve around your firebox and put high temp insulation in the gap. It wouldnt hurt to put a blanket over the lid of the cooking area.
You should consider setting up a brick offset smoker/bbq pit if you're working in those temperatures. You have to prime the thing by burning wood to bring it up to temp, but it holds heat better and you don't have to watch it as closely.
Are you a controls engineer? I don’t know many folks that know what a PID controller is
I am an electrical engineer, and yes, I’ve studied PID regulation 😄
@@HanksTrueBBQ I knew it, me too man. I feel heard lol
This is nice to know..
There is a lot of metal to heat up but seems like adding a few sticks helps alot.
What was the termp outside when you did this?
Have a nice weekend!
Kjetil
It was -3 deg C that day. Yes, those sticks make all the difference 👍
Thanks. Just doing this experiment when I realised TH-cam could answer my question faster 😅
Do you have a link to your chimney starter?
Unfortunately not, I found it in a local store here in Sweden. But it’s called “air booster bbq jet”, try searching for it online.
Use briquettes, I use them all the time in my offset set them up similar to snake method
I didn't think the charcoal wasn't going to cut it. Too bad.
But I also get the whole experience of tending to the BBQ. But I'm not that into BBQ that I want to set an alarm clock to get out of bed in the middle of the night.
Maybe for a next smoker project, make an insulated version, just like the Weber Summit.
Shouldn't be too hard for a man with your skills.
Well, I just wanted to say thanks again for giving me the idea for the video! I totally get not staying up all night. For those days I just plug in the Fireboard + fan into either my kettle or big green egg and let it do it’s job 👌
No thank you for taking the time for making the video!
You need a grate for the coals to sit on that supplies air underneath the coals. Put wood on top there after and all your problems will be solved.
@@dave2158 I have grates, and those are included when I sell my offset smokers. But I prefer running it like this, allows me to build a bed of glowing embers better. There’s no shortage of air in this setup.
Anyone know I can buy the bbq jet
Your fire needs to be elevated on a rack, for air to flow under to feed the fire.
i enjoyed the video, i use oak & maple natural wood in my grill. i take the lid off my 22 inch webber and remove the cooking grate, then take small twigs that fall into my yard from my big oak tree and start a small fire on the bottom grate of my webber. once it gets going good i add some bigger pieces of oak & fill my grill about 1/2 full and let it burn with the lid off until i am left with red hot coals then it's time to put the lid back on and start cooking. i guess the only advantage i could see to using lump charcoal over wood is you get red hot coals quicker. i have tried briquette charcoal but can never get that high heat temp with it. i may be missing something here or just not doing something right because everyone else uses some form of charcoal in there grill while i always use wood. my house sits on 10 acre plot full of old oak, maple, and pine trees and i have a few pecan trees in my front yard so i always have plenty of hard wood to use. and yes i even burn the pine trees but only in my outside open fire pit , never for cooking. let me tell you you will never make that mistake twice!
Yes, we’ll pine is not for cooking as you’ve discovered 😄
What happened when you cooked with pine?
@@DefSquadFan You get a black sappy residue all over the meat that tastes bad. Never try it!
Weber
Real men smoke with propane.