Cheap offset smoker improvements???

[FozzyBear]

Wife got me some cheap offset smoker for xmas. Anyone with something similar with ways to improve it? ive had a bullet smoker forever but always wanted an offset.. spent many years in the texas, fam in the texas and have used similar smokers in the past. cheaper ones made from drums that worked better imo.

Mine is similar to this but a lil different

mine came as separate pieces in different boxes. separate grills that can be used independently but combine to make that offset. the firebox aka a mini grill could be thrown in the trunk and taken camping/tailgating, which is cool. however i doubt i ever do that and it will forever be a firebox.

the rack on the front is the perfect size for a bottle of the beer. nice.. other than that. idk what i think about this fuck. the entire top opens rather than a solid top with a door. so smoke leaks out from underneath where the top half meets the bottom. the wheels are 1980s china shit, will have to buy a different set and upgrade those.

i did a burn out and seasoning yesterday and then cooked some chicken and wasnt impressed.. the leaks and cold zones on this suck.. need to find a way to distribute the heat better up top. def need tuning plates. any other tips/mods i can do?

 

[HeHateMe]

Wife got me some cheap offset smoker for xmas. Anyone with something similar with ways to improve it? ive had a bullet smoker forever but always wanted an offset.. spent many years in the texas, fam in the texas and have used similar smokers in the past. cheaper ones made from drums that worked better imo.

Mine is similar to this but a lil different

mine came as separate pieces in different boxes. separate grills that can be used independently but combine to make that offset. the firebox aka a mini grill could be thrown in the trunk and taken camping/tailgating, which is cool. however i doubt i ever do that and it will forever be a firebox.

the rack on the front is the perfect size for a bottle of the beer. nice.. other than that. idk what i think about this fuck. the entire top opens rather than a solid top with a door. so smoke leaks out from underneath where the top half meets the bottom. the wheels are 1980s china shit, will have to buy a different set and upgrade those.

i did a burn out and seasoning yesterday and then cooked some chicken and wasnt impressed.. the leaks and cold zones on this suck.. need to find a way to distribute the heat better up top. def need tuning plates. any other tips/mods i can do?

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Without seeing an actual picture of this thing you want to modify, to overcome flaws, I really don't think I could offer anything but speculatory suggestions with seems like a waste of time.

 

[FozzyBear]

Without seeing an actual picture of this thing you want to modify, to overcome flaws, I really don't think I could offer anything but speculatory suggestions with seems like a waste of time.

fair enough. pics wouldnt even help then huh. u would need a vid while its smoking and temps via zones, right.

I rigged up a couple of tuning plates. gonna smoke some whole birds tomorrow and see how that works. may go water pan too. probably be 5-6 smokes before i figure this set up out..

idk y they put they always put the smoke stack on top of these cheap hardware store ones.. makes the heat \ instead of - . in theory they is thinking heat will do an L

I may cut a hole in this fuck and move the stack lower on the left side above the table.. if imma do that though i might as well just cut open some drums.. ffs.

 

[HeHateMe]

fair enough. pics wouldnt even help then huh. u would need a vid while its smoking and temps via zones, right.

I rigged up a couple of tuning plates. gonna smoke some whole birds tomorrow and see how that works. may go water pan too. probably be 5-6 smokes before i figure this set up out..

idk y they put they always put the smoke stack on top of these cheap hardware store ones.. makes the heat \ instead of - . in theory they is thinking heat will do an L

I may cut a hole in this fuck and move the stack lower on the left side above the table.. if imma do that though i might as well just cut open some drums.. ffs.

You should just weld it shut

 

[FozzyBear]

You should just weld it shut

yeah, that crossed my mind. good idea. thought about welding the top and cutting a door. will see how my tuning plates work out and if that directs smoke/heat better so it not hitting the gap above the firebox. could cut trim and add around the edges too. idk, seems like a lot of work to come across ungrateful and hurt the wife feels. will just make minor changes and wear it out then build a drum one with a bigger burnbox, one day.

 

[MDB111™]

Does it function as a grill at all? If not electric or gas, spray some high temp paint in the bottom and put charcoal in the bottom. That way you have the side burner and more even charcoal heat on the bottom. Buy a cell phone operated thermometer and you're golden pony boy!

 

[FozzyBear]

Does it function as a grill at all? If not electric or gas, spray some high temp paint in the bottom and put charcoal in the bottom. That way you have the side burner and more even charcoal heat on the bottom. Buy a cell phone operated thermometer and you're golden pony boy!

makes sense logically, but defeats the offset purpose.

roasted two bird and they came out good. i hate smoking chickens cause the wife always swears its raw. im like looky here bitch, its smoked, myoglobin yadda yaddas.. if anything the shit was overcooked, cause i pulled it at 171. figuring out the rig and finishing spots. anywho, next to skeeting a load down her throat... its still the juiciest thing my wife has eaten. dumb bich ruined the dark meat by cooking it longer in the fucking microwave.. im like looksy, that shit is still pink after being nuked...

tuning plate was shit cause the heat/smoke was still escaping something fierce before hitting the tuning plate. I took them out and my Hi tech solution was to stuff aluminium foil in the gap where the lid meets the bottom in the main chamber above the firebox. stuffing this spot netted a 30-40 degree difference. fucking drastic eh

i didnt stuff the front and back of the lids nor the opposite side from the firebox. i may try the front and back next time but will leave the far side unstuffed to promote a more level side draft + angle over the food and not that complete angle to the smoke stack. may get some gasket tape or continue with the al foil.

the firebox is meh. has a quick pull out ash dumper.. would be better without that and just a door. if its not too windy next go round and if I do more birds, Ill leave that fucker out and not have a shitty tray/vent.. hole instead @ hot n fast.

 

[MDB111™]

makes sense logically, but defeats the offset purpose.

roasted two bird and they came out good. i hate smoking chickens cause the wife always swears its raw. im like looky here bitch, its smoked, myoglobin yadda yaddas.. if anything the shit was overcooked, cause i pulled it at 171. figuring out the rig and finishing spots. anywho, next to skeeting a load down her throat... its still the juiciest thing my wife has eaten. dumb bich ruined the dark meat by cooking it longer in the fucking microwave.. im like looksy, that shit is still pink after being nuked...

tuning plate was shit cause the heat/smoke was still escaping something fierce before hitting the tuning plate. I took them out and my Hi tech solution was to stuff aluminium foil in the gap where the lid meets the bottom in the main chamber above the firebox. stuffing this spot netted a 30-40 degree difference. fucking drastic eh

i didnt stuff the front and back of the lids nor the opposite side from the firebox. i may try the front and back next time but will leave the far side unstuffed to promote a more level side draft + angle over the food and not that complete angle to the smoke stack. may get some gasket tape or continue with the al foil.

the firebox is meh. has a quick pull out ash dumper.. would be better without that and just a door. if its not too windy next go round and if I do more birds, Ill leave that fucker out and not have a shitty tray/vent.. hole instead @ hot n fast.

Why are you even cooking? Make your wife do it. She bought the damn thing!

 

[Ares]

The primary "mod" I did for my offset was to wedge a baking pan in at an angle, partially covering the space between the firebox and the cooking chamber.

Basically like a 45 degree heat deflector to push it to the middle/bottom of the cooking chamber.

This causes my temps in the cooking chamber to even out dramatically.

I also bought a Fireboard with a drive fan that you place at the air intake for the firebox.

The Fireboard can track a probe in the grill and adjust the fan up or down to meet the temp you want.

Lastly, I got a charcoal box with metal pieces that allow you to "snake" the coals, so they don't all catch and burn together.

These 3 things have overcome my leaky cheap offset smoker.

1. Heat deflector
2. Fireboard
3. Charcoal box with snaking

 

[FozzyBear]

Why are you even cooking? Make your wife do it. She bought the damn thing!

cause the bich cant cook.. she can no longer just stand there and look pretty either. ive been bamboozled m8. #mansufferinginsilence

 

[MDB111™]

cause the bich cant cook.. she can no longer just stand there and look pretty either. ive been bamboozled m8. #mansufferinginsilence

Sorry. She must be good at other things. She probably cleans well?

 

[Ares]

Sorry. She must be good at other things. She probably cleans well?

Can the bitch fight a f***ing roo or nah?

 

[FozzyBear]

The primary "mod" I did for my offset was to wedge a baking pan in at an angle, partially covering the space between the firebox and the cooking chamber.

Basically like a 45 degree heat deflector to push it to the middle/bottom of the cooking chamber.

This causes my temps in the cooking chamber to even out dramatically.

I also bought a Fireboard with a drive fan that you place at the air intake for the firebox.

The Fireboard can track a probe in the grill and adjust the fan up or down to meet the temp you want.

Lastly, I got a charcoal box with metal pieces that allow you to "snake" the coals, so they don't all catch and burn together.

These 3 things have overcome my leaky cheap offset smoker.

1. Heat deflector
2. Fireboard
3. Charcoal box with snaking

my tuning plate was that 45 degree deflector, it just didnt sit flush and had heat escapes out back.

Sorry. She must be good at other things. She probably cleans well?

shes only good at making my life miserable.

 

[HeHateMe]

shes only good at making my life miserable.

You could make a thread about this with various examples, allow it to grow for a few weeks, then show it to her. It probably won't fix your smoker though.

 

[FozzyBear]

The primary "mod" I did for my offset was to wedge a baking pan in at an angle, partially covering the space between the firebox and the cooking chamber.

Basically like a 45 degree heat deflector to push it to the middle/bottom of the cooking chamber.

This causes my temps in the cooking chamber to even out dramatically.

I also bought a Fireboard with a drive fan that you place at the air intake for the firebox.

The Fireboard can track a probe in the grill and adjust the fan up or down to meet the temp you want.

Lastly, I got a charcoal box with metal pieces that allow you to "snake" the coals, so they don't all catch and burn together.

These 3 things have overcome my leaky cheap offset smoker.

1. Heat deflector
2. Fireboard
3. Charcoal box with snaking

i do a simple snake without extra gear. aka just put unburned coals next to lit ones. i guess if you were doing a long smoke and didnt want to be around this makes sense.

when i did long smokes in the bullet i might not be next to the smoker but would check it every so often. i rather not leave it completely unattended for long stretches.. its more about safety than anything though. if i lived elsewhere, aka not around ppl, I wouldnt care. if im doing a brisket i would do it during the day when i up anyway.. usually start around 12-1 pm and wrap it up around 12-1 am.. the hold it in the oven while i sleep until 10-12 am until ready to serve. its usually a 24 hour process and usually only serve for lunches .

i may need to invest in some sort of charcoal box though.. more like a grate.. so i dont have to worry about blow back and having bits of coals on the ground if I leave it wide open etc

You could make a thread about this with various examples, allow it to grow for a few weeks, then show it to her. It probably won't fix your smoker though.

and waste even more energy on her. f that.

 

[Ares]

i do a simple snake without extra gear. aka just put unburned coals next to lit ones. i guess if you were doing a long smoke and didnt want to be around this makes sense.

when i did long smokes in the bullet i might not be next to the smoker but would check it every so often. i rather not leave it completely unattended for long stretches.. its more about safety than anything though. if i lived elsewhere, aka not around ppl, I wouldnt care. if im doing a brisket i would do it during the day when i up anyway.. usually start around 12-1 pm and wrap it up around 12-1 am.. the hold it in the oven while i sleep until 10-12 am until ready to serve. its usually a 24 hour process and usually only serve for lunches .

i may need to invest in some sort of charcoal box though.. more like a grate.. so i dont have to worry about blow back and having bits of coals on the ground if I leave it wide open etc




and waste even more energy on her. f that.

If you use real hardwood charcoal like Royal Oak, you absolutely cannot snake it like briquettes in a weber grill.

You need a charcoal box and the metal pieces they offer so you can snake the coals inside the firebox.

The firebox gets much hotter than the cooking chamber, so it lights the coals much easier.

A Weber is the cooking chamber and firebox together, so the coals need only get hot enough long enough to hit 225ish.

Again if you did this with real hardwood coal, you'd find they all lit up when you walked away for 20 mins and now your cooking temp is 300+.

Lastly, there should be a removable grate at the bottom of your firebox which helps elevate the coal so air can flow underneath (Fireboard Drive), the charcoal box sits on top of this grate and the two together make it much easier to remove spent coal/ash to dump it and begin a new cooking session.

I literally did what you're thinking about, in the way you're thinking about it, and ended up where I've described.

Smoking meat on a weber grill with briquettes is not the same as a smoker with a firebox.

Weber grill at 225 <> Firebox at 500 degrees feeding a cooking chamber at 225

Good luck.

 

[FozzyBear]

If you use real hardwood charcoal like Royal Oak, you absolutely cannot snake it like briquettes in a weber grill.

You need a charcoal box and the metal pieces they offer so you can snake the coals inside the firebox.

The firebox gets much hotter than the cooking chamber, so it lights the coals much easier.

A Weber is the cooking chamber and firebox together, so the coals need only get hot enough long enough to hit 225ish.

Again if you did this with real hardwood coal, you'd find they all lit up when you walked away for 20 mins and now your cooking temp is 300+.

Lastly, there should be a removable grate at the bottom of your firebox which helps elevate the coal so air can flow underneath (Fireboard Drive), the charcoal box sits on top of this grate and the two together make it much easier to remove spent coal/ash to dump it and begin a new cooking session.

I literally did what you're thinking about, in the way you're thinking about it, and ended up where I've described.

Smoking meat on a weber grill with briquettes is not the same as a smoker with a firebox.

Weber grill at 225 <> Firebox at 500 degrees feeding a cooking chamber at 225

Good luck.

i run hardwood lump charcoal and real wood.. i transition to all wood. when i wrap, ill throw wood or chimneys of charcoal in.

im not snaking like you think. i just add some non burned against the basket edges next to the burnt chimney i have to shovel in, in a sense. i generally only do that in beginning. does it go up quick.. it can.. but it also depends on the chunk sizes. the big chunks dont all light up in 20 mins. if i would hit 300 for a few minutes idc anyway. some ebb and flow in temps are fine over 12 hours imo... its the big drops that bother me. also i dont @225 unless its half brisket.. generally 250s, but up to 275 depending on how big the brisket is.

also its not a weber, it was a custom made tank from a friend. think a drum/barrel with 3 racks, 2 doors, 4 intakes , cut fire basket and a bullet shape top with exhaust from an old cut tank.. i have a water pan and a tuning plate on the middle rack. was made from an old tank thats wider than a drum. good circumference. but its big and annoying....i try to keep the fire middle to left... meats on the top middle to right.. it works but its annoying and a lot of work.. i rotate the meat alot and have to remove the lid more than id like so temp could drop more than id like, depending on what im doing. also will remove meat to combat dirty smoke.. door on the second level takes some out but not enough.. its flawed, but was also free and now another buddys problem.

i need to make a box to fit this fire box.. the grate will go. want the firebox to act as the grate..

 

[Ares]

i run hardwood lump charcoal and real wood.. i transition to all wood. when i wrap, ill throw wood or chimneys of charcoal in.

im not snaking like you think. i just add some non burned against the basket edges next to the burnt chimney i have to shovel in, in a sense. i generally only do that in beginning. does it go up quick.. it can.. but it also depends on the chunk sizes. the big chunks dont all light up in 20 mins. if i would hit 300 for a few minutes idc anyway. some ebb and flow in temps are fine over 12 hours imo... its the big drops that bother me. also i dont @225 unless its half brisket.. generally 250s, but up to 275 depending on how big the brisket is.

also its not a weber, it was a custom made tank from a friend. think a drum/barrel with 3 racks, 2 doors, 4 intakes , cut fire basket and a bullet shape top with exhaust from an old cut tank.. i have a water pan and a tuning plate on the middle rack. was made from an old tank thats wider than a drum. good circumference. but its big and annoying....i try to keep the fire middle to left... meats on the top middle to right.. it works but its annoying and a lot of work.. i rotate the meat alot and have to remove the lid more than id like so temp could drop more than id like, depending on what im doing. also will remove meat to combat dirty smoke.. door on the second level takes some out but not enough.. its flawed, but was also free and now another buddys problem.

i need to make a box to fit this fire box.. the grate will go. want the firebox to act as the grate..

4 intakes sounds like a nightmare, the one thing you want to control is airflow.

Once you figure out a good routine that builds a hot enough fire that lasts with a steady enough airflow, you'll be fine.

I think with any smoker it just takes some practice to get a routine that works.

For me its about 3/4 of a chimney of hardwood coals that I start up, takes 20 mins to get hot enough.

Fill the cool end of the snake with cold hardwood coal.

When the chimney is just about white hot I dump it into the hot end of the snake, close the doors and open the intake/exhaust full.

I wait until it maxes out in that 240-250 range and then cut down the intake vent to about 50% and the exhaust to 50%.

Put the meat on, and then drop 4-5 wood chunks (hickory/apple) into the hot end of the firebox snake.

Close it all up and let the magic happen.

I may cut the exhaust more during this period as the wood chunks burn hotter and increase the cooking temp.

If you are negligent about coal, that hardwood helps, but be mindful not to oversmoke the meats.

 

[FozzyBear]

drilled and added 3 temp gauges towards the bottom of the lid at a good meat height.. left, right, and center. i got a single digital wired one and could have gotten a dual, but just wanted something built-in.. def helps. even after heating up the main drum the temp variance is a lot. gets closer after about the first hour but still large enough in the scheme of things. plus i open the shit a lot to spritz.. sooooo bottom temps at meat height ftw.

no gasket tape but continued with the folded aluminium strip stuffing. made a 8 hr pulled lamb shoulder. decent.. 7.5/10 went too heavy on the salt even at 2:1.. 3:1 next time..

Edit: salty cause the bisch brought me table salt when I asked her to buy kosher salt.. and I said f it, send it.

still want to make a charcoal basket...