1st Cook on new Bell Fab

[Creosote]

Quick question to all, just picked up my Bell Fab stick burner and am dying to try it out. I am a newbie and need advice on wind conditions and smoking. I'm in East Texas and it's spring so that means wind. We have been in wind advisories the last couple of days (winds gusting to 30 - 35) and the 10 day forecast is for winds to be 20 mph + each day. Being new to this should I attempt to christen the smoker or hold off until our winds die down a bit. Just hate to ruin a good piece of meat. Did happen onto a good buy yesterday with butts on sale for $1.27 a lb. and bought two of them. Should I or shouldn't I go for it in these conditions?

 

[bauchjw]

I vote waiting for them to die down. As much as I want to see you fire that up, safety and struggle may be best to wait!

 

[Cataholic]

Quick question to all, just picked up my Bell Fab stick burner and am dying to try it out. I am a newbie and need advice on wind conditions and smoking. I'm in East Texas and it's spring so that means wind. We have been in wind advisories the last couple of days (winds gusting to 30 - 35) and the 10 day forecast is for winds to be 20 mph + each day. Being new to this should I attempt to christen the smoker or hold off until our winds die down a bit. Just hate to ruin a good piece of meat. Did happen onto a good buy yesterday with butts on sale for $1.27 a lb. and bought two of them. Should I or shouldn't I go for it in these conditions?

Was wondering if you did your first cook yet. I did mine Sunday and had a hard time keeping it in the 250-275 range. I'm sure I was using to much wood. Next time, less wood should help. This thing holds heat extremely well.

 

[Displaced Texan]

Was wondering if you did your first cook yet. I did mine Sunday and had a hard time keeping it in the 250-275 range. I'm sure I was using to much wood. Next time, less wood should help. This thing holds heat extremely well.

Yes, I am splitting my wood way down now. This should give you a good idea:

Now, this will sound like blasphemy to many, but Craig told me, and I have done this, that you can and should use the smoke stack to help regulate temps if they spike. It does not choke the fire as bad as people will say and create nasty smoke.

That said, in light winds, using a combination of less wood spilt down smaller and the side butterfly valve and ash dump will maintain 250°-275° no problem. They don't need much adjusting and as you get used to the pit, you will anticipate the temp changes and adjust accordingly.

 

[Cataholic]

Yes, I am splitting my wood way down now. This should give you a good idea:

View attachment 638830

Now, this will sound like blasphemy to many, but Craig told me, and I have done this, that you can and should use the smoke stack to help regulate temps if they spike. It does not choke the fire as bad as people will say and create nasty smoke.

That said, in light winds, using a combination of less wood spilt down smaller and the side butterfly valve and ash dump will maintain 250°-275° no problem. They don't need much adjusting and as you get used to the pit, you will anticipate the temp changes and adjust accordingly.

Thanks for your input. I think a couple more smoked and I'll get it down. I definitely know I don't need as much wood as my old cheap as old country Pecos

 

[Displaced Texan]

Thanks for your input. I think a couple more smoked and I'll get it down. I definitely know I don't need as much wood as my old cheap as old country Pecos

Yes, like you said, these things are beasts. 3/8" thick steel makes for one bog convection oven. Use lots of wood to get the initial fire and coal bed going then it won't take as much as you are used to.

Feel free to ask away if you have questions. TNJAKE and I as well as the BellFab misfits can help out.

 

[Cataholic]

Yes, like you said, these things are beasts. 3/8" thick steel makes for one bog convection oven. Use lots of wood to get the initial fire and coal bed going then it won't take as much as you are used to.

Feel free to ask away if you have questions. TNJAKE and I as well as the BellFab misfits can help out.

I wonder if one of my problems was I did my seasoning in the morning, sprayed with canola oil and ran it 400 - 450. For around 4 hours. Decided not to shut it down and start over on cheap chicken legs. Put all 4 probes on my inkbird during seasoning to get an idea of temp in the pit. Put water pan in front of firebox, and this seemed to be the best as I wrote down every temperature moving small water everywhere in the pit. I wonder if getting the pit that hot before cooking had something to do with the temp. Your thought?

 

[Creosote]

Was wondering if you did your first cook yet. I did mine Sunday and had a hard time keeping it in the 250-275 range. I'm sure I was using to much wood. Next time, less wood should help. This thing holds heat extremely well.

I have had a hard time keeping the temps down also. I haven't gotten to really use it the way I want with the dang temps in Texas this summer. We have been at 100 plus for the last three weeks and before that the high 90's from June on. It is just way to hot for my age to be around a log burner. Our forecast for the next 10 to 15 days is 100 plus with the heat index being 110. After looking at other posts here I may be using too large of pieces of wood. I have cooked several pork loins wrapped in bacon and they have come out so juicy, tender and fantastic but the bacon has so much smoke on it you can't eat it. Don't know if that's normal or not.

 

[Cataholic]

I have had a hard time keeping the temps down also. I haven't gotten to really use it the way I want with the dang temps in Texas this summer. We have been at 100 plus for the last three weeks and before that the high 90's from June on. It is just way to hot for my age to be around a log burner. Our forecast for the next 10 to 15 days is 100 plus with the heat index being 110. After looking at other posts here I may be using too large of pieces of wood. I have cooked several pork loins wrapped in bacon and they have come out so juicy, tender and fantastic but the bacon has so much smoke on it you can't eat it. Don't know if that's normal or not.

Probably matters what kind of wood you are using. Here in Kansas I use a fruit wood and mulberry. I'll try less wood this weekend hopefully and let you know. I'll throw on a bacon wrapped meatloaf and let Yu know how the bacon turns out with a milder wood.

 

[Creosote]

Probably matters what kind of wood you are using. Here in Kansas I use a fruit wood and mulberry. I'll try less wood this weekend hopefully and let you know. I'll throw on a bacon wrapped meatloaf and let Yu know how the bacon turns out with a milder wood.

I am using post/white oak but plan on going to mainly pecan when the weather cools down and I can fire the baby up. Be interested in how the bacon comes out on your meatloaf. I have the same bell fab as Displaced Texan has.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I wonder if one of my problems was I did my seasoning in the morning, sprayed with canola oil and ran it 400 - 450. For around 4 hours. Decided not to shut it down and start over on cheap chicken legs. Put all 4 probes on my inkbird during seasoning to get an idea of temp in the pit. Put water pan in front of firebox, and this seemed to be the best as I wrote down every temperature moving small water everywhere in the pit. I wonder if getting the pit that hot before cooking had something to do with the temp. Your thought?

I suppose that could be. I seasoned mine several days or more prior to cooking anything inside.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I would think any oak varies would not be burning at a high enough temp to cause the pit to run hot. Yes, I think slammer splits and just crack open the butterfly valve and ash dump. And, you can close off the exhaust a bit as well and still run a good clean fire.

 

[Cataholic]

I would think any oak varies would not be burning at a high enough temp to cause the pit to run hot. Yes, I think slammer splits and just crack open the butterfly valve and ash dump. And, you can close off the exhaust a bit as well and still run a good clean fire.

I have a wood burning stove in my house and use some oak. It has a very high heat value. Not sure what kind of oak it is.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I have read on here and other places that oak burns "cooler" than hickory. Mesquite burns really hot as well from what I have read.

That said, it is hard to imagine the type of wood causing you to have a hard time holding temps. Plenty of people use all sorts of wood in all sorts of offsets with no issues. More about learning this pit, figuring your split sizes, etc. IMO

 

[Cataholic]

I have read on here and other places that oak burns "cooler" than hickory. Mesquite burns really hot as well from what I have read.

That said, it is hard to imagine the type of wood causing you to have a hard time holding temps. Plenty of people use all sorts of wood in all sorts of offsets with no issues. More about learning this pit, figuring your split sizes, etc. IMO

I agree with you, I'm gonna use smaller splits this weekend and keep playing with the dampers.

 

[DougE]

I have read on here and other places that oak burns "cooler" than hickory. Mesquite burns really hot as well from what I have read.

I'll just drop this here .....

Million BTU's per Cord

Live Oak ............... 36.6

Oregon White Oak ....... 28.0

Northern Red Oak ....... 24.0

Post Oak ............... 23.7

White Oak .............. 24.0

Apple .................. 25.8

Sugar Maple ............ 24.0

Cherry ................. 20.0

Alder .................. 17.5

Shagbark Hickory ....... 27.7

Bitternut Hickory ...... 26.5

Pecan .................. 21.1

Mesquite ............... 25.5

Bradford Pear .......... 21.6

Peach .................. 21.9

Plum ................... 21.1

 

[Displaced Texan]

I'll just drop this here .....

Million BTU's per Cord

Live Oak ............... 36.6

Oregon White Oak ....... 28.0

Northern Red Oak ....... 24.0

Post Oak ............... 23.7

White Oak .............. 24.0

Apple .................. 25.8

Sugar Maple ............ 24.0

Cherry ................. 20.0

Alder .................. 17.5

Shagbark Hickory ....... 27.7

Bitternut Hickory ...... 26.5

Pecan .................. 21.1

Mesquite ............... 25.5

Bradford Pear .......... 21.6

Peach .................. 21.9

Plum ................... 21.1

Interesting. Opposite of what I have seen.

 

[DougE]

Interesting. Opposite of what I have seen.

This was compiled from firewood applications. What didn't occur to me until just now is that the lower BTU woods may actually burn hotter, but for a shorter period of time.

 

[Cataholic]

This was compiled from firewood applications. What didn't occur to me until just now is that the lower BTU woods may actually burn hotter, but for a shorter period of time.

Thank you. I have looked at a site similar to what you posted. That is one of the reasons I don't use much oak in my stove and absolutely no hedge. I cut all my wood for the stove and smoker for the last 30 years. I have only been smoking on an offset for 2 years. I gotta believe the type of wood you use affects the temperature in the pit as I can see it in the kind of wood I burn in my stove. Sorry this is long but it is fun talking to other smokers.

 

[DougE]

Black locust was mostly what I burnt when I heated with wood. Great heat output, burns long, splits easy. I was an arborist by trade, so wood was there for the taking. The other guys at work who heated with wood would fight over the oak, and I'd let them have it.