Maze Jumping Help

[petehalsted]

I got my missing deflector for my American Barbecue Systems All-Star and have used it a few times now. Overall I love it and am able to get 6-7 hours out of a full load of charcoal and am able to keep temps right around 235.

But I have some trouble with it wanting to jump to the second side. I spoke to Mark (the owner of ABS) he suggested covering the 2nd half with foil for the first couple of hours, which helps, or rather mask the problem, but doesn't alleviate it.

Here is a shot of the firebox loaded. It's 8 inches wide, 24 inches long, and about 6 inches tall. I haven't measured the diverter plate. But its around 1" wide. I get (2) 3 1/2 channels.


And here is a shot of me covering the 2nd half with foil. Ignore the apple chunk.


And here is a photo showing the issue.


You will notice around the 4th and 5th briquette over has lit, it is always in this area that it lights. Keeping the foil on keeps it smothered so that it doesn't get fully involved, but it definitely still lights and smolders in that area.

I thought maybe my grate was warped or something and it was jumping under the diverter and lighting from the bottom, but my last smoke I paid close attention and used foil to kind of make a gasket at the bottom, and I could tell it was actually those 2 briquettes at the top that were lit, not the ones under them.

And I know its not sparks achieving it as I made sure the foil on top was nicely sealed with this last smoke. So my only theory left is for what ever reason, that spot in the diverter is just getting hot enough to light the 2nd row.

BTW, I use about lit briquettes to start it, which means that is right across from about at the end of the lit briquette when starting up, and also where I bury my first chunk of wood. So that is likely where the hotest fire is as the vents are still opened up getting the smoker to temp for 10-15 minutes after dumping the lit coals in.

So thoughts on how to solve? I am thinking that insulating the gap in the insulator might be the answer. Would using the hi-temp rockwool installation that guys use in their insulated smokers work, or would I need to seal it up for that? Added advantage would be the gap is irritatingly just the right size to allow briquettes to fall in the gap when loading it, and a PITA to fish them out. Or am I going the wrong direction and the air flow between the diverter gap is needed?

Mark's other suggestion was to not load the 2nd side until the 1st side has made it to the turn, but that kind of seems to be defeating the whole point of having a maze and not having to open the firebox and futz with stuff for 6 hours.

 

[tropics]

Pete I would try lighting the other side first to see if it still happens.
Richie

 

[chopsaw]

Pete I would try lighting the other side first to see if it still happens.
Richie

That's a good idea.
Will a peice of ceramic tile fit in the gap and still let the lid close ?

 

[Xendau]

I am having a similar issue with my minion bars. So for now I stopped using them. I have been leery about using them again. As I had to take the basket out and dump all contents on my concrete, load up another basket, and start over.

I noticed on youtube, a guy using my method placed his lit end closest to the CC, where I placed mine closest to the intake.

I need to try again...

 

[petehalsted]

I hadn't tried lighting the other end, Mark had told me to start with the side closest to the cook chamber, but it would be much easier to actually dump the lit briquettes in the side that is giving me trouble because the other side is slight under the lid and a bit of a pain to dump a chimney into.

I have a piece of slate that would fit in the gap, I guess I could give that a try as well.

The closes to firebox or intake doesn't really apply to the All-Star, my firebox is the full width of the cook chamber, and there are vents on both sides. Mark also said it was best to use both vents, instead of just on, unless its really windy and blowing straight in one of the vents or something. When its humming along both intake vents are open about 3/16 of an inch.

Luckily for me it is not a disaster even if both sides end up fully lit, the full width damper between the fire box and the cook chamber lets me still control the heat that makes it into the CC and keep in from going to high. Just waste charcoal.

 

[gmc2003]

It looks like you have some type of hot spot on that maze since you said it always occurs in that one section. I would try not filling the maze with coals that far down the until the burning portion on the other side has gone beyond it.

Chris