Offset gotta haves....

[JLeonard]

So seenred is in the process of building me a vertical offset. I was wondering with the fine group of enablers we have on here.....What are some for sure "gotta haves" to get me started in the world of stickburners? I know its gonna be a while before its ready just thinking a head.

Jim

 

[gmc2003]

Wood - a good steady supply

 

[Retired Spook]

Wood - a good steady supply

NO doubt about that! You can never have enough and the more you have, the better you will feel! Fortunately for Jim, it should be easier to find good hickory in Mississippi!

 

[02ebz06]

Log splitter and a Kindling Cracker would be good to have for getting the firewood the sizes you want.
Probably gonna need some tools to move that wood around in the smoker.
Maybe some gloves.
I used these when I had a wood-fired pizza oven --> Gloves

 

[gmc2003]

NO doubt about that! You can never have enough and the more you have, the better you will feel! Fortunately for Jim, it should be easier to find good hickory in Mississippi!

Nah, I'm not gonna go there. Too easy

Chris

 

[gmc2003]

Maybe the nearest Chinese restaurants number on speed dial. At least for the first cook or two.

Chris

 

[JLeonard]

Wood - a good steady supply

Looking at FB market place for kicks.....Lots of folks selling firewood/cooking wood in the area. Just gotta figure out what a good price is for it.

Jim

 

[culpepersmoke]

No sure how seenred builds the firebox but when I had might built I asked the to make a removable ash tray in the bottom of the firebox so I could just pull it out to empty the ashes. I’m glad I did, it makes cleaning the ashes out so easy

 

[gmc2003]

Depending on who you buy it from around here. It's anywhere from 250.00 to 400.00 for seasoned. We can still gather already felled trees on public property for free.

Chris

Edit that's for a full cord

 

[Retired Spook]

In a perfect world, the best smoke wood on God's green earth, in my humble opinion, is standing dead shag bark hickory, but any other standing dead hickory will do in a pinch.

If cut & dried is all I could get I would be grateful.

If cut green hickory was all I could get, I would be grateful, and patient...

 

[jcam222]

One I haven't seen anyone mention that I consider mandatory is a weedburner. Makes startup way easier. Kindling cracker, fireplace poker and some good welding gloves round out the essentials.

 

[02ebz06]

Looking at FB market place for kicks.....Lots of folks selling firewood/cooking wood in the area. Just gotta figure out what a good price is for it.

Jim

Also, many will try to screw and sell you less than a cord and argue like heck that it is.

 

[civilsmoker]

Like many above (and they put so well)

• Wood
• Charcoal
• Coal Starter
• lighter
• portable burner to easily and quickly start coals.
• hatchet
• poker
• 3 and 1 inch stainless scrapers
• long tongs
• assortment of sizes wire brushes
• stainless coal bucket
• dedicated welding/smoking gloves
• 9 mil nitril cleaning gloves
• "tool box", waterproof for the above
• Protein
• Speed dial # of fav take out....

 

[gmc2003]

I'll add a beer-pole to Civils list.

Chris

 

[Fueling Around]

What will be your first cook in the "beast"? Plan that meat.
I will second, third, or whatever. Wood! You need wood. No pun or innuendo intended.
Green is usually cheap to source as long as you have space to let it season.
Do you have an area for the new smoker to reside?

 

[Brokenhandle]

Beer! Or your choice of drink... it will be long days of smoking! Someone had to say it... all the other guys have ya covered on the other stuff!

Ryan

 

[Gonna Smoke]

One I haven't seen anyone mention that I consider mandatory is a weedburner. Makes startup way easier.

This was going to be addition to the list, even though I don't have one. Maybe soon, though.

As for splitting already split wood, something like this works very well and doesn't require much effort. Drill bit wood splitter...

https://www.amazon.com/Splitter-Firewood-Kindling-Removable-Splitters/dp/B08ZXWN8DV?th=1

There are many options out there...

 

[Chasdev]

Moisture meter to test wood before paying too much for green/wet wood.
The difference between cooking with splits at 15% internal moisture and splits at 30% moisture is vast and can make you a pitmaster or a dud depending.
Unseasoned wood can take years to dry to below 20% and storing wood comes with it's own set of problems, such as attracting rodents and insects.
Ask me how I know.

 

[gmc2003]

You may want to pick up a package Depends, because I'm sure you'll soil yourself when you see that baby being delivered.

Chris

 

[JLeonard]

HMMM.....Looking at this list I have a lot of this already. Although I may need to pick up a little OT for the rest of it. Thankfully I got some time before its ready for pickup!

Jim