Burning up wood

[Dantij]

Hello all. I'm fairly new to the forum. Ive been smoking on a Lang 48 patio for a couple of months now. How much would should I expect to use per hour?
Ive been going thru 1 split every 30-40 minutes. How much of a factor does the cold weather have on wood consumption?
I'm usually cooking between 240 and 255°.

 

[motolife313]

Colder weather will most definitely take more wood just like hot weather takes less. U will know the size split after a while to keep it right about where U want it. Depends how cold also. I smoked it up in the snow many times over last winter. Depends on the wind too. Possibly almost double the amount if it really cold and windy and u got a bunch of meat on the pit. Some woods burn hotter then others aswell is a thing too take into consideration. But really it’s not super critical because it’s so easy to do after u do it enough. I’ve got 7 kinda of wood I cook with. And cherry wood doesn’t produce coals like oak or apple does.

 

[InThePittBBQ]

We run a 48 for smaller needs in our catering business, this time of year in the cold I generally use 3-4 half sticks of firewood every 45 minutes to run it when the cooker is full. I line the firebox floors on my Langs with firebrick and get rid of the grates, hot coals get shoved forward and burn fresh sticks at the rear near the door.

I keep a bin full of 16" splits cut in half to run the 48.

 

[SmokinAl]

We run a 48 for smaller needs in our catering business, this time of year in the cold I generally use 3-4 half sticks of firewood every 45 minutes to run it when the cooker is full. I line the firebox floors on my Langs with firebrick and get rid of the grates, hot coals get shoved forward and burn fresh sticks at the rear near the door.

I keep a bin full of 16" splits cut in half to run the 48.

That is very interesting, so you put the wood right on the firebricks?
Doesn't that inhibit the air flow under the wood splits?
Or is there enough air coming across the wood to keep it going?
Do you have a photo of your setup?
Al

 

[InThePittBBQ]

Yep, I burn right on the bricks and generally run the cookers 285* low side and 310* upper racks more fuel is added when the lower level temps drop below 275*.

I've been cooking on Langs for a long time, 300+ days a year when business is good. We found years ago that by lining the firebox with refractory bricks and getting rid of the grate it produces a much more even temperature in terms of high/low extremes when refueling.

When I start one, I build a fire all the way to the top and burn it down into a big pile of hot coals then load it up heavy one more time and let it rip until the smoke clears then all it all gets pushed forward towards the main cooking chamber.

Fresh splits are added at the very rear near the door, door is left ajar for a few minutes until the fresh wood has caught fire and the smoke has subsided to the point where the splits are gassing off clear emissions that are hot enough to burn on their own.

I buy steel garden hoe's and cut about half the handle off to shorten them up, that's what we use to push hot coals forward in the firebox.

Dampers open all the way for initial burns, closed to 50% while running. There's plenty of air without the grate.

 

[phathead69]

That is very interesting, so you put the wood right on the firebricks?
Doesn't that inhibit the air flow under the wood splits?
Or is there enough air coming across the wood to keep it going?
Do you have a photo of your setup?
Al

I know question wasn't directed at me but it is something I have had dealings with in my smoker. Winter time and especially with wind in cold weather I build my fire on a rack to get more air for hotter burn to keep temps up. And I do consume lot more splits. Now summer comes around back to building on the bricks. Both yield 235 245 on low side and of course I can burn hotter with dampers opened up more.