Bubba Grills T3 Steam

easygreenus · Joined: 28 Oct 2015 Posts: 3

Hi,

I am very experienced at eating BBQ, but a complete novice at creating my own. I recently went to a BBQ Competition (to eat), and was lucky enough to win a Bubba Grills T3 Steam in a raffle.

We did our first cook last weekend and the results were GREAT! Did Boston Butts and Chicken with very very simple rubs and brines.

I do have a couple of questions:

1) At the start of the cook the smoker went quickly to 300 degrees. I closed the air inputs (chimney wide open), and brought the smoking chamber down to 225. Burning hickory logs 13 inches in length, and split finely. After 12 hours of smoking I was struggling to keep the temps above 200 with air vents full open. Had a really good bed of embers after 12 hours.

Lonnie Smith, the manufacturer of the T3, calls the chamber where the wood burns a T-Square firebox. I will try to attach an image.

Can't figure out how to insert or attach an image. Take a look at the following link. The steel chamber at the bottom that looks like a cross section of a barn is the T-Square firebox. Its removable. Also, there is an optional charcoal made available for it.

http://bubbagrills.net/wp-content/uploads/photo-gallery/T3%20Steam/thumb/IMG_1899.JPG

Anyone have an idea of what was going wrong? Should I shovel the bed of coals out as it gets too deep?

2) I live in the north. I can understand that when it gets cold out, you probably can't burn enough wood in the smoker to get the temps to 225. What's the lowest outside temperature that I can safely smoke meats, especially the longer smokes like briskets and Boston Butts.

3) Where can I get a cover for my smoker. I doubt there is one I can get off-the-shelf, so it would have to be custom.

I bought 16 pounds of brisket, 16 pounds of Boston Butts, 24 pounds of ribs, and 12 pounds of chicken to smoke this weekend so I can close up the smoker for the winter, so I need answers to at least the first two questions quickly.

Thanks,

Easygreenus

SoEzzy · Posted: Oct 29 2015 Post subject: Re: Bubba Grills T3 Steam

easygreenus · Joined: 28 Oct 2015 Posts: 3

The T-Square firebox is solid steel with some cutouts in
the angled sections on the left and right and the back
is solid.

Pete Mazz · Posted: Oct 29 2015 Post subject:

I've bought covers from these folks. They're not cheap but the covers last for many years.

http://www.the-cover-store.com/
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SoEzzy · Posted: Oct 30 2015 Post subject:

I specifically mean the bottom of the charcoal box, on the image I can't tell if it's open for air flow or solid metal.
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easygreenus · Joined: 28 Oct 2015 Posts: 3

There is an optional charcoal box available. I don't have it.
I'm burning sticks of split Hickory.

The removeable firebox which Lonnie called a T-Square
is solid. Its face is open, and the angled segments have
cutouts for the smoke to rise and maybe air to get in.

The fire cabinet if I can call it that, has circular airvents
on the left and right plus another square one directly
under the Firebox. The firebox sits maybe in inch to
and inch and a half above the actual bottom of the
smoker.

SoEzzy · Posted: Oct 30 2015 Post subject:

That's your problem then.

You need to have air flow from underneath the coals, up through the fuelload.

Get some lift, either with a grate on a few bricks, or a grate made out of expanded metal.

Give yourself at least 1.5" better 2 - 2.5" of free space underneath, if you make it out of #9 expanded metal, you will have plenty of air flow.

What is happening at the moment is that you get a build up of ash that surrounds the coals, and smothers the fire.

Having the holes and air flow, you will loose some coals, (very few in the scheme of things), if the ash builds up o the bottom of the grate, then you just scrape them out of the way.
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I still work here!

Maniac · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 02 Oct 2010 Posts: 2433 Location: Pa

easygreenus congrats on a great looking prize as SoEzzy said air flow under the fire will help your slide out fire box looks like it could use a round bar grate...or try bigger splits and a flat bar rake to move the ash to the side when she starts to choke...ps you should not have to put that smoker away till it gets really cold out side Wink

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