just wanted to say hi, hi

[steelers]

I wanted to introduce myself, I am Chuck from Aberdeen, Md., I am retired, so I got some time on my hands, thought I would take up smoking meats, got an char-griller offset smoker, should of shopped around but this will do for the time being.  I got to seal up where the lid meets the bottom of the grill, got smoke coming out of there.  so that's about it, glad to be on here where people know what they are talking about,  got one question though:  to smoke meats for 6 or 8 hours I need more than just lump charcoal, correct?  have a great day and thanks for this site, cya 

 

[noboundaries]

Hey Chuck, welcome to SMF! Glad you are here and ready to fill your retired time with smoking meat.

I don't have an offset, but know they need additional wood splits or charcoal added at regular intervals. Someone will be along shortly who owns an offset who can better answer your question.

My Weber Smokey Mountain, aka WSM, can go 20 or more hours on a single load with the right charcoal briquettes (not Kingsford). If you enjoy charcoal, check them out if you are ever looking ready for a change.

Enjoy smoking!

Ray

 

[slipaway]

Chuck, welcome to the forum..............

You can certainly use just lump charcoal but to get smoke flavor, etc. you will need to add either some wood splits; wood chunks or wood chips. Otherwise it is juts an oven.

Chips are very small so you go through a lot of them so you should focus more on chunks or some splits.

I don't know the size of your firebox so I don't know whether splits would fit or not. Splits could give you way too big a fire if your firebox is fairly small. Controlling the heat and smoke are the 2 most important aspects to great barbecue.....................

Others will chime in with their opinions also so sit back and pick their brains.

Welcome again (even if you are a Steelers fan)

 

[steelers]

Thanks for the feedback, I got it to 260 now added more lump charcoal and I will smoke once every hour, thanks for the welcome, glad to b part of this community, GO Steelers