Here it is at 8:45, and sitting at 182. Stalled for over 2 hours. I fired up the smoker at 9 AM and you could smell the primer I put on last night, so I burned it hot for 2 hours. The primer definitely cured. This thing burns so much different than it did before the major overhaul. Before it was all I could do to keep the temps up, now I have to throttle it down. Sealing up the little leaks from last burn has made a hell of a difference. Making the coal basket has helped a lot also. I have some ash under it, about 2 inches, but since I made the basket sit higher, plenty of air flow.
I don't think I would have had that much ash, but I was trying to use up a bag of lump I got at Sam's club, that that was a 40 pound bag, with maybe 10 pounds of lump and 30 pounds of crumbs. The crumbs almost smothered themselves out. Had to keep shaking and stirring the basket and adding wood chunks after I added a chimney that crap. I bought a bag several months ago when they started carrying it. Frontier brand. It was a good lump. Bought it a second time and a lot of crumbs. Bought it a third time and mostly crumbs.Made a mad dash to Price Chopper for some Royal Oak and they didn't have any, so I got Best Choice lump. I read some where that it is made by Royal Oak. Really impressed with it. Burns hot, good sized pieces. Only problem is 10lbs is the biggest they had. Lights up real easy.
Enough ranting, I'll show pics of this smoke so far. Well hold on a minute, it 9:30 now, had a lot of interruptions from wife since I started this post, and it looks like another stall, still at 182. Okay some pics.
Butt in the smoker.
Some shots of smoker.
In case you are wondering about original smoke stack, I debated on taking it off, but glad I left it. Makes getting up to temp faster and when the temps have spiked, makes a great bleed off.
5 hours in.
Some onions out of the garden. Love smoked onions, makes them sweet and tender.
8 hours in when it stalled again. Looking good.
That's it for now. Will post when it is done.
I don't think I would have had that much ash, but I was trying to use up a bag of lump I got at Sam's club, that that was a 40 pound bag, with maybe 10 pounds of lump and 30 pounds of crumbs. The crumbs almost smothered themselves out. Had to keep shaking and stirring the basket and adding wood chunks after I added a chimney that crap. I bought a bag several months ago when they started carrying it. Frontier brand. It was a good lump. Bought it a second time and a lot of crumbs. Bought it a third time and mostly crumbs.Made a mad dash to Price Chopper for some Royal Oak and they didn't have any, so I got Best Choice lump. I read some where that it is made by Royal Oak. Really impressed with it. Burns hot, good sized pieces. Only problem is 10lbs is the biggest they had. Lights up real easy.
Enough ranting, I'll show pics of this smoke so far. Well hold on a minute, it 9:30 now, had a lot of interruptions from wife since I started this post, and it looks like another stall, still at 182. Okay some pics.
Butt in the smoker.
Some shots of smoker.
In case you are wondering about original smoke stack, I debated on taking it off, but glad I left it. Makes getting up to temp faster and when the temps have spiked, makes a great bleed off.
5 hours in.
Some onions out of the garden. Love smoked onions, makes them sweet and tender.
8 hours in when it stalled again. Looking good.
That's it for now. Will post when it is done.