1st burn on new build

[Ringer]

I have recently finished my first rf build and im ready to start a fire in it.

Is there an initial burn in process or should i just start smoking meat in it?

Im definitely going to rinse it out.

 

[jcam222]

I’d coat the inside including grates thoroughly with veggie oil and fire it up for an hour or two at 275F to 300F.

 

[civilsmoker]

Yup what jcam said.......I really like the lodge brand air compressed pure canola oil....I also really like grape seed oil for seasoning as well....I like to take it up to where the oil starts to smoke which is 350 ish for grape seed....

 

[Ringer]

Ok ill give it a try. Thanks gentlemen.

 

[BuckeyeSteve]

Can we see your new build?

 

[SmokinAl]

Sounds like the guys have you covered!
Spray it down with Pam & start a big fire in it.
I would spray the outside too!
Three to four hours at 300+ will do the job.
A big fire with a lot of smoke will coat the inside.
Al

 

[Ringer]

Thanks guys.

So spray the outside too? Even with fresh paint?

Here is the back story and pics. It isnt totally finished but it is ready to season.

My grandfather had this built about 25 years ago. It was originally just a grill. It was 3 ft wide by 6 ft long. No firebox, just a grill. After he passed away we quit using it and it began to rust away.

The first pics are of the shape it was in before the restoration/conversion.

A big thanks to Dave for figuring out the formula. I followed his specs as close as I could.

 

[BuckeyeSteve]

Great Job on the smoker!
Man, I wish I had a shop like that.

 

[Ringer]

I do too...lol

It belongs to a good friend of mine

 

[JckDanls 07]

really nice job on the conversion.. your grandfather would be proud ..

May I suggest though you lower the grate in the firebox... it should only be 2-3 inches above the floor...

 

[Ringer]

I can lower it for sure. What is the advantage of it being low?

I just put it between the upper and lower dampers because i didnt know.

 

[civilsmoker]

You want room for the flame above the grate, so lower is better. Your vents are still ok where they are. I would suggest you make an ash tray to sit under your grate it helps keep things clean.

And just oil the inside of the cooker. Don’t put too much just enough to wet the surface. You are seasoning it like a cast iron pan so oil it down then wipe as much off as you can. Ie you don’t want it dripping wet....as for the outside, as you use it and rust starts showing up just wipe those areas down with oil and they will season and that will keep it looking nice!

Ps that is a very nice smoker! Good job.

FYI, if you lower the fire box grate you can leave the shelf guides were they are, then make a grilling shelf you can slide in.....that way you can do reverse sear over the fire at the end of a long smoke....or you can grill steaks over the fire while doing a long smoke.....

 

[Ringer]

Thanks civilsmoker, great idea with the searing grate. I may cut several pieces of angle and just sit that fire grate on them.

This is probably a dumb question but how do i use the dampers? Should the top be open more than the bottom or vice versa?

 

[Hawging It]

Quality looking rig. Heck throw 4 whole HAWGs on there for the maiden voyage!

 

[civilsmoker]

Thanks civilsmoker, great idea with the searing grate. I may cut several pieces of angle and just sit that fire grate on them.

This is probably a dumb question but how do i use the dampers? Should the top be open more than the bottom or vice versa?

Yup, having a couple shelf slots will allow for different height grilling stations. Once you sear like this you will be hooked! Set the top of your fire grate just below your bottom gate opening....say 1/2 to 3/4 inch. That will leave a few inches for ashes or a 2 inch ash tray with 1 inch for air.

The dampers will take a bit of experimenting. The bottom will cause more heat to be generated cause it causes the fire to burn faster the top one will add air to the fire but it has a cooling affect to the heat circulating through the smoker. In a reverse flow smoker you want a clean burning fire so the upper ones allow you to add the oxygen needed for full combustion without raging the fire. Your middle one will be a combination deal.

Just guessing, but I suspect that having the bottom open about 1/4 with your top open about 1/3 to 1/2 will keep a very nice fire. Then use the middle to optimize the fire say 1/6-1/4. Remember it takes time for gate adjustments to happen so don’t go crazy trying to expect instant changes. Your cooker has lots of steel and volume so once you get it dialed in it should be really steady.

Start with a chimney full of charcoal, get them fully started then put a two to three 3-4 inch splits over them and get s nice hot fire....all gates open. Once the wood is going and the smoker is hot adjust the gates down to get s nice fully burning mild fire. Then add a new split or two as needed, usually every 30 to 45 min depending on the wood type.....Hope this helps....

 

[civilsmoker]

Ringer, here is an example pic for the ash tray fire grate positioning....ignore the vertical box above.

Here is how I sear over my fire....

If you add a couple of angles slots so you can adjust the selfie level it will work much better.

 

[Ringer]

Very nice. Thanks for the info. Hopefully ill get to take her on her maiden voyage tomorrow. I appreciate all of the tips.

 

[Ringer]

I went by the lodge store and grabbed 2 cans of their seasoning spray. Ill give it a shot. I k ow its just canola oil but I was close by so i just got it.

 

[civilsmoker]

The lodge stuff is pure canola oil with no other additives. It is very good stuff just think about how many lodge pans are out there seasoned with it..........as an FYI when I season a new cast iron that i have polished, so pure shiny, I use a 1/3 each blend of canola, grape seed, & flax seed oil for the initial season. I take them to 550 for two hours. Then I just use pure canola or grape seed to do follow up treatment and seasons.....

One can will be way more than enough! Remember to hold the lodge spray can upside down when using it as it is just pure oil with compressed air to dispense it. After you spray it wipe it “dry” with a bunch of paper towel or rag, then let the flames do their job.

Good luck with the initial burn....let us know how it goes!

 

[Ringer]

I just realized that in my hurried state, i put the firebox door on upside down. The top vents are supposed to be at the bottom.

Is this a catastrophic mistake?