Anyone have luck without a baffel and/or tuning plates?
I am going to try smoking without these mods because:
1) They did not seem to work for me so good.
2) It seems like a large fire in the box, which actually heated up so hot that the steel expanded to the point that the door would not close all the way. I have massive heat in the box, and little in the chamber.
3) I reached 250 degrees near the fire box and 150 at the opposite end.
4) I tried 20ga. steel for tuning plates AND ceramic tile, and neither one worked for me.
5) I still had a massive heat inequality. And not only from end to end, but from front to back. I used a digital thermometer in the center if the first half of the smoker chamber and my dial thermometers in the chamber cover. All at grate level. the digital read 200 and the dials read 250. We are talking like 6-7 inches apart. With that much difference, I may as well lose the mods and just learn how the smoker works by itself and adjust the meat accordingly.
This is relatively new to me, and I have a Bar-B-Chef. Does anyone else NOT use internal mods with success? Thanks
Also, I have a charcoal basket, which I was told to fill all the way up and then use Minion Method to light my fire. Now all the mods make sense to me, but I must be missing something.
Is my baffel too short? Should it be heavier steel? Should the angle be different? Should I use less charcoal? Has anyone used a small fan opposite the fire to try to draw some heat down to the cooler end? I used 5 thermometers and all temps were way off. I could find one temp area I like, but what if I am cooking more than one slab of ribs, lol?
