Building and maintaining a fire to smoke food!

SoEzzy · Posted: Thu Jul 22 10 6:59 pm Post subject:

You can use a revised "minion method" and burn unlit charcoal by adding a 1/2 chimney of lit, when I use this method I add the lit near the cooking chamber end, that way it doesn't blow up, (with a heat spike), as the flames are fanned towards the cooking chamber.

Practice and learn, then repeat! Wink

_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

RollinontheRvr · Posted: Sat Oct 16 10 8:31 am Post subject:

SoTexSkinny · Newbie Joined: 26 Mar 2011 Posts: 30 Location: Helotes, TX

Most of us down here in the Hill Country are purists when it comes to the fire and use only wood and lump charcoal. I like to start the fire in my offset with a bed of lump on a very open grate (about 2"x3" grid) with a couple of splits on top. I'll let this fire go for 3-4 hours and add splits as necessary to build a nice bed of coals. Once everything has turned white and there's no hint of that charcoal smell I will add an anchor type log. They'll usually go several hours without requiring too much attention and wont flare up on you. Once you get to know your pit, your dampers and stacks can be adjusted to fit the conditions. Some people would call me me a minion, but I'd rather go old school and put the time and love into it. That's why we do it anyway right?
_________________
If yer lookin', it ain't cookin'!

SlicTrix · Posted: Fri Mar 01 13 3:59 pm Post subject:

Please delete this, it doesn't give me the option to delete

Thx

SoEzzy · Posted: Fri Mar 01 13 4:06 pm Post subject:

So did I!

Please play nice, cause the sand box isn't the only place one can get thrown out of! Wink

_________________
Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

Trickyputt · Joined: 14 Jul 2014 Posts: 11

I will start a fire with paper and some kingsford. I use a chimney full and throw it in the fb. I stuff the firebox with split wood and let it rip to warm up the cooker and season it a bit. It depends on what I am cooking, some things I crutch early, and if so I will put foiled things on at this stage, but mainly I am making lump charcoal, so getting heat in the fire is the biggest thing. When its going REALLY good I snuff it and let the wood carbonize. I dont open it, but I can watch the temps fall, and usually I will check it at 125. The wood will be black, not smokey anymore and suitable for a nice even burn. Then I start cooking. I have another place to make charcoal if I need to, but for most cooks this works fine.