Hi folks, just joined today. I found the forum while browsing around for ways to modify my Masterbilt offset. I call it the Good Neighbor.
It's not yet two years old and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I've been getting the hang of it and I see some drawbacks but it has huge potential.
By way of background, I've been smoking for many years, but always direct, this is my first offset.
I began smoking when camping on a friend's property; there was a legless Weber sitting in a vehicle rim like a ball in a socket (great for leveling on a slope). One day I was too cheap and lazy to drive to town for charcoal, so I gathered some windfall maple about 2 inches in diameter. I made a little fire of it and simply choked it to control it. I smoked split chicken breasts. It worked beautifully and I was hooked.
Over the years I've run a lot of grills ranging from gas or charcoal shoebox grills, a Lodge Sportsman, various Webers and a New Braunfels Big Texas. Plenty of campfires and a bit of dutch oven work as well. I love running the cast iron cookware over a fire.
This is by far the most versatile rig I've used. I normally run it as an offset, but I can cook direct, over charcoal or even make a little campfire in it and grill on one or two of the three racks.
As for modifications, it badly needs better sealing. I was looking for gasket and sealing options when I found this forum.
The first mod I've made was a fire basket. The original wire rack was already drooping from heat, and the gaps between the wires let a lot of small lump charcoal fall through. Recently I helped a friend clear out some junk including some big dog crates with heavy wire mesh doors. I can't bear to throw out anything resembling a cooking rack or grill. So, with bolt cutters, a hacksaw, vise grips and a door frame, I made this:
And added some side wires from a peony hoop, and gave it a test run:
Anyway that's it for now. Next up is to get some aluminum roof flashing for a heat deflector mod, that should be easy.
It's not yet two years old and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I've been getting the hang of it and I see some drawbacks but it has huge potential.
By way of background, I've been smoking for many years, but always direct, this is my first offset.
I began smoking when camping on a friend's property; there was a legless Weber sitting in a vehicle rim like a ball in a socket (great for leveling on a slope). One day I was too cheap and lazy to drive to town for charcoal, so I gathered some windfall maple about 2 inches in diameter. I made a little fire of it and simply choked it to control it. I smoked split chicken breasts. It worked beautifully and I was hooked.
Over the years I've run a lot of grills ranging from gas or charcoal shoebox grills, a Lodge Sportsman, various Webers and a New Braunfels Big Texas. Plenty of campfires and a bit of dutch oven work as well. I love running the cast iron cookware over a fire.
This is by far the most versatile rig I've used. I normally run it as an offset, but I can cook direct, over charcoal or even make a little campfire in it and grill on one or two of the three racks.
As for modifications, it badly needs better sealing. I was looking for gasket and sealing options when I found this forum.
The first mod I've made was a fire basket. The original wire rack was already drooping from heat, and the gaps between the wires let a lot of small lump charcoal fall through. Recently I helped a friend clear out some junk including some big dog crates with heavy wire mesh doors. I can't bear to throw out anything resembling a cooking rack or grill. So, with bolt cutters, a hacksaw, vise grips and a door frame, I made this:
And added some side wires from a peony hoop, and gave it a test run:
Anyway that's it for now. Next up is to get some aluminum roof flashing for a heat deflector mod, that should be easy.
