Anybody got a modified offset smoker?

MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

I can only get about 225 to 240 degrees max out of my COS. Is this about right? I have used sealent to fill up any gaps that I could find and now i haveto crack the end door to achieve 225 or better. I thought about adding some holes in firebox for increased air intake. I thought I would ask the expertsfirst?
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killswitch505 · Posted: Aug 02 2010 Post subject:

post a few pics i would not add any holes to the FB you might try adding some pipe to stack to see if she draws a little better first
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FL_bobecu · Newbie Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 40

That's one hella sealed grill or one hella small charcoal basket.

MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

Sorry for the pics at night hope you can tell whats what in these pics. I am still new with the whole posting pics thing.

The first one is the smoke stack

This looking from the fire box to the cooking chamber you can see the 3\16" tuning plates and the ceramic briquets.

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The cooking chamber with tuning plates and water pan

Fire box with homemade basket

Overall view of smoker

What do you guys think?
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COS modified and always looking for mods to improve results!

FL_bobecu · Newbie Joined: 12 May 2010 Posts: 40

In my humble experience, 225/240 is perfect. Just curious - do you want more heat for grilling or hot smoking something?

Have you tried using lump? The lump I use, if left wide open, will reach ~1,000 degrees.

MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

I just read on here where certain people talk about higher temps. I know that it is all I can do to keep my temp at 225. My cooker seams to like 215 or so to 225. I thought I maynot have something or be doing something right.
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BBQMAN · Posted: Aug 02 2010 Post subject:

From the looks of it, your fire is being smothered........................

Prop the firebox basket up with some scrap steel to maintain an air/ash gap under it.
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OldBob · Posted: Aug 02 2010 Post subject:

BBQMAN has it right. Get your basket up higher. It looks like your draft is going over your fire instead of under and that will cool it somewhat.
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jess · Posted: Aug 02 2010 Post subject:

That looks like a New Braunfels that I use at my shop. Some mods I've made are no fire basket, I use a 13x 16 cast iron grate. This gives you about 3 1/2" under the grate. I also closed off the original top half of the opening to the cooker ( too much opening too high). I replaced my cooking grates with C.I. to retain heat better. Finally I extended the stack down to the grate level & added 24" on top for better draft. It runs great with draft 1/2 open 240 steady - add a little more wood wide open draft, 350-375 no problemo... Hope some of this helps.

MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

That all helps. I have never been able to achieve 350 or 375 in the cooking chamber. I use lump been trying different brands. I think the actual fire is getting hot but I think it is not being pulled into the cooking chamber enough. I have an adjustable vent pipe that while cooking I bring down to grate level. I am going to try to elevate my fire basket and try it without the vent pipe at grate level and see how that does?
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rush_60 · Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Troy, KS

to me it looks like your tuning plates are directing most of the heat around your cook chamber straight to the stack. How hot does it get without the tuning plates vs. how hot with?

patruns · Posted: Aug 03 2010 Post subject:

If your temps are a steady 225 - 240, is that a problem? If you need to cook higher, make your fire in the cooking chamber away from the meat. I wish I had this problem. Smile

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jess · Posted: Aug 03 2010 Post subject:

MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

I have the tuning plates in there trying to regulate heat to both sides of the cooking chamber. With this setup i currently have temps within 15� of one another. As far as the opening from the FB to cooking chamber does anyone have any pics showing this? Without any tuning the side closest to the FB is way hot. I haven't tried it with leaving only a couple. I might try that next time.
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rush_60 · Joined: 29 Jul 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Troy, KS

The problem may be that your first tuning plate (the one at the angle) is pushing the heat and smoke down below the level of your fire. so if your tuning plates are too low, your fire may be smothering itself. Raising your firebox may make it worse. You may try taking out the ceramic brickets to help increase flow underneath the plates.

I'm just going by your pictures so its hard to tell what level everything is at.

PhilipWicker · Posted: Aug 03 2010 Post subject:

Oh boy...a brinkmann snp. I have one of those and it drove me crazy. Those things are soooo leaky. Every door, crease and crevasse leaks. It was a constant loosing battle trying to maintain temps in it. I would literally have to keep a constant feed of full hot coals from my chimney to maintain 225 degrees...it was awful. Finally after about 6 cooks and a million bags of charcoal wasted, I decided to retire it. Part of the problem is the firebox. To me, it is positioned too high, plus most of your heat transfer goes right out of the firebox lid. From there you loose even more heat through the seam in between the firebox and the cooking chamber...its just bolted on. Beyond that, you'll have to deal with the 1/4 inch gaps around the door. If I were you, I'd can that thing and invest in something better.

tnbarbq · Posted: Aug 03 2010 Post subject:

Have you tried removing the ceramic briquettes? Those things have to be soaking up a lot of heat.
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MattU · Joined: 26 Jul 2010 Posts: 20 Location: Russellville, Al

I really think that my smoker is not pulling the heat through to the cooking chamber. I am going to try some things next time to see if that helps. I am getting my stuff ready to build a UDS soon. I just have a complex about not figuring out how to make stuff work right. This is basically the deal now with my COS. It is my complusive disorder I guess that is what my wife calls it anyway.
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COS modified and always looking for mods to improve results!