Temperature control for my Oklahoma Joe Longhorn
- Thread starter new2okiejoe
- Start date
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susieqz
Smoking Fanatic
ha! now i get it. thanks for the lesson guys. i wondered why most folks here smoke hotter than i thot best.
if i had to add fuel every hour, i'd do that too.
maybe pellet smokers aren't all bad. i'm cookinga ham overnight. i'll have to feed every 2 1/2 hours, which is doable.
every hour wouldn't be.
if i had to add fuel every hour, i'd do that too.
maybe pellet smokers aren't all bad. i'm cookinga ham overnight. i'll have to feed every 2 1/2 hours, which is doable.
every hour wouldn't be.
monows
Newbie
- Nov 28, 2014
- 7
- 10
I have the oklahoma joes highlander which is a little smaller than the longhorn but not that much. I had a similar problem until I switched to the larger wood logs rather than chunks. Now im having to close dampners to lower the the heat instead of struggling to have enough heat. After using logs I will not use charcoal also soak the wood overnight your going to add to your fire.
fla-q
Newbie
kvl505
Newbie
- Mar 9, 2015
- 5
- 10
There is a lot of good info on this site. I am trying out my new OK Joe Highlander. It seems with mods on the OK Joe's Highlander most everyone curtails the heat from the FB to SC. When I tried that, it choked the fire and kept the temp too low. I only blocked it half way, with metal angled away like most photos. I took it out and the fire was fine and could be fairly easily controlled from the intake. I'll work on that more. As of now I do not intend to use the whole smoke chamber. Is it necessary? Any insight would be helpful.
The bigger problem to me seems everyone lowering the exhaust vent. I did that and for the first time and it over blackened my ribs, which is a first for me. If there is smoke in the chamber, it seems to me it would then build up and leave bad smoke from the chamber falling on the meat with the exhaust lowered. This would be opposed to smoke simply flowing over the meat and out. Or does lowering the vent supposed to draw smoke away? Or is this just for temp control? I got 2 different answers on another thread. It's super easy either removing or lowering the additional vent. So which way works best is fine by me.
The bigger problem to me seems everyone lowering the exhaust vent. I did that and for the first time and it over blackened my ribs, which is a first for me. If there is smoke in the chamber, it seems to me it would then build up and leave bad smoke from the chamber falling on the meat with the exhaust lowered. This would be opposed to smoke simply flowing over the meat and out. Or does lowering the vent supposed to draw smoke away? Or is this just for temp control? I got 2 different answers on another thread. It's super easy either removing or lowering the additional vent. So which way works best is fine by me.
whiskeyboyz
Fire Starter
I have never ever adjusted the exhaust stack. Leave it open all the way, its only purpose is to keep the rain out. offsets are like car engines they have to breathe to flow right. blocking off some heat and smoke allows you to regulate the chamber heat.
- Jan 6, 2011
- 26,255
- 4,705
I am an RF stick burner but a couple of things ; First the damper on the stack should be wide open while smoking as previously said it keeps the rain and bugs out when not in use. I would NOT lower the stack to the grate level, as you said it doesn't work. The way a stack works at the grate level is an end mount stack with a plenum and that is usually attached either at the TOP grate level or midway between the top and bottom grate.
Gary
Gary
fla-q
Newbie
Don't think of it as a smoke chamber. It's a cooking chamber. You're cooking with fire, not smoke. The smoke is a by product of the fire. Try to keep the smoke to a minimum by having a clean burning fire. That will give you the THIN blue smoke. Just mind your temps . Happy cooking.
Last edited:
Think of it like learning how to drive a stick instead of an automatic.. :)
Thanks everyone for the information. It was useful. I am now running a clean fire. Like others have clearly pointed out, it just takes a little time to get an idea with slight adjustments with your particular smoker. I think that is called patience.
Once you master damper control, your OKJ will serve you well for years to come.
Smoke On!
valleypoboy
Smoke Blower
- Apr 2, 2015
- 97
- 12
Big thanks to everyone in here for the shared improvements to this smoker. I used "food grade" orange RTV between the upper and lower of the fire box, between the fire box and the cooking chamber and also in the tube of the exhaust port. As others have done, I picked up a grate of expanded steel from my local big home improvement store. I had to walk the store 3 times before asking someone where they were located :/. Instead of using smaller sections, I got one big 24" x 24" piece then center marked it to 12" x 11", cut off the waste and folded up the sides, simple but effective:
For the smoke stack, I thought a 4 sided box would work better and take up less space in the cooking chamber. I measured and cut some thin steel: 9" tall, 3" wide, and 3" deep and took it over to a friends house to weld it. When I explained what I was doing, he outdid me. 10 minutes later he had cut a single piece of thicker steel and we were on his brake press folding it into this:
I'm considering adding a solid steel lip on my charcoal basket.
As a side note, this OJ Highland smoker was on clearance at Walmart for $199 marked down from $288. I looked at it every other day for about 2 weeks and the day I finally pulled the trigger it had dropped down to $150.
For the smoke stack, I thought a 4 sided box would work better and take up less space in the cooking chamber. I measured and cut some thin steel: 9" tall, 3" wide, and 3" deep and took it over to a friends house to weld it. When I explained what I was doing, he outdid me. 10 minutes later he had cut a single piece of thicker steel and we were on his brake press folding it into this:
I'm considering adding a solid steel lip on my charcoal basket.
As a side note, this OJ Highland smoker was on clearance at Walmart for $199 marked down from $288. I looked at it every other day for about 2 weeks and the day I finally pulled the trigger it had dropped down to $150.
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adamstonad
Newbie
I always recommend a BBQ guru to guys smoking with an Okie Joe. Mine has a 10 CFM fan and with all my mods, and giving time to come to temp, I can leave it for up to 5 hours without adding fuel or checking the firebox.
adamstonad
Newbie
valleypoboy
Smoke Blower
- Apr 2, 2015
- 97
- 12
Thanks for the advice, I'm going to try a few more cooks with the mods I have now. I still plan on closing up the hole between the fire and cook chamber a little and sealing the top doors. I also like the idea of the baffled charcoal basket I saw somewhere, so I may build one of those.
If you close up the FB/CC opening..... that will just keep heat in the FB and overheat it... and reduce the heat in the CC.... AND burn up more fuel.....
valleypoboy
Smoke Blower
- Apr 2, 2015
- 97
- 12
[quote name="DaveOmak"]If you close up the FB/CC opening..... that will just keep heat in the FB and overheat it... and reduce the heat in the CC.... AND burn up more fuel.....[/quote]
I think I see what you're saying, if the hole is too small it reduces heat and I waste fuel. From my reading on this smoker, the opinions are that the FB/CC opening is too large and should be closed up a little bit though. I intended to block off the top 1.5" to 2" of the hole with a plate of steel. Right now I have a 6" plate on about a 45* angle going down to a foil covered brick. The brick was just to raise the plate enough to get a decent angle so I wasn't choking the FB/CC opening. I've also read a lot about using a thermal barrier like a large plate coming down on an angle from the hole to force the incoming to spread through the CC better. Maybe I'm over thinking this too much and creating my own problems. I'll try removing my makeshift thermal barrier and see how it performs.
I think I see what you're saying, if the hole is too small it reduces heat and I waste fuel. From my reading on this smoker, the opinions are that the FB/CC opening is too large and should be closed up a little bit though. I intended to block off the top 1.5" to 2" of the hole with a plate of steel. Right now I have a 6" plate on about a 45* angle going down to a foil covered brick. The brick was just to raise the plate enough to get a decent angle so I wasn't choking the FB/CC opening. I've also read a lot about using a thermal barrier like a large plate coming down on an angle from the hole to force the incoming to spread through the CC better. Maybe I'm over thinking this too much and creating my own problems. I'll try removing my makeshift thermal barrier and see how it performs.
valleypoboy
Smoke Blower
- Apr 2, 2015
- 97
- 12
For those with a highland, not the longhorn I found that 18" is too long to use as a heat diffuser. I cut about 2" off an 18"x12" sheet steel and it fits perfect, sits right against the walls of the barrel around 3" below the cooking surface. My sheet was thin enough I could still bend it, so i gave it a little bend on the end near the FB so it sticks just over the top of the opening. It's still a work in progress, it has no holes and it's only 12" long.
rhaugle
Smoke Blower
- Apr 10, 2015
- 113
- 16
Im working on getting my Highland set up, can you post of picture of your baffle? How do you like the square smoke stack/box extension?
whiskeyboyz
Fire Starter
[ATTACHMENT=2489]MisterBaffler4.pdf (1,296k. pdf file)[/ATTACHMENT]
Offset smokers are much like a car engine. They have to breathe. Always] leave the stack fully open for exhaust and adjust the temp by opening the intake damper. Use 100% lump charcoal, it burns hotter and produces less ash. Also raise the charcoal grid up in the firebox. Just things I have learned.
Also check out Mr. Baffler at www.kickassbbqsouth.com. Proven to deflect heat and smoke into the cooking chamber and even out temps.
[ATTACHMENT=2490]MisterBaffler3.pdf (760k. pdf file)[/ATTACHMENT
Offset smokers are much like a car engine. They have to breathe. Always] leave the stack fully open for exhaust and adjust the temp by opening the intake damper. Use 100% lump charcoal, it burns hotter and produces less ash. Also raise the charcoal grid up in the firebox. Just things I have learned.
Also check out Mr. Baffler at www.kickassbbqsouth.com. Proven to deflect heat and smoke into the cooking chamber and even out temps.
[ATTACHMENT=2490]MisterBaffler3.pdf (760k. pdf file)[/ATTACHMENT
Last edited:
valleypoboy
Smoke Blower
- Apr 2, 2015
- 97
- 12
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