Can You Have Too Many Coals?

[Its_Raw]

While cooking yesterday, I kept the temp in the cooking chamber between 250 and 265. After cooking for about 4-hours, I noticed that the coal bed had grown quite large. Is this normal?

 

[JLeonard]

Your on a offset right? I would think that as you sticks burn down it would add to your coal bed. But i'm a noob to the offset thing....I'll let others weigh in and learn from their responses also.

Jim

 

[Its_Raw]

Yes, it is an offset.

 

[texomakid]

You know, based on what I've learned to this point (and that's not much) as long as you can control your cooker temps with the air flow I don't think that's a problem. On the offset I used to have I would have like to of had a fire box that was twice as big so I didn't have to feed it so often. Air flow is important as well and some suggest to dampen at the fire box and not the flume. Hey it's actually a good question but I'd think of too many coals like too much cheese ... never

 

[civilsmoker]

There is only too many if its too hot from my perspective..... Also size of the coal bed doesn't equal btu quantity of the bed itself either. If you ran a nice TBS at 250 to 265 for hours then it's a "nailed it" moment.....Oh and the healthy coal bed is likely the reason......

However, if you get TOOO MANYYYY coals you can start to oxygen starve the bed and can degrade the clean heat they offer.

 

[Its_Raw]

I run the stack wide open and for 99.9% of the cook yesterday I left the firebox side door open all the way. Only closed it a bit a couple of times when the cooking chamber temp started to climb a bit too much.

 

[civilsmoker]

I run the stack wide open and for 99.9% of the cook yesterday I left the firebox side door open all the way. Only closed it a bit a couple of times when the cooking chamber temp started to climb a bit too much.

you can run it that way, however, you are not using the FB efficiently, ie if your offset doesn't have inlet vents then the door should be "cracked" but not wide open for the majority of the cook. You will use less wood that way.....

 

[JLinza]

However, if you get TOOO MANYYYY coals you can start to oxygen starve the bed and can degrade the clean heat they offer.

I Agree with civilsmoker, if you have to many that aren't burning hot enough, it can cause dirty smoke, but sounds like you had it handled. Then just finding your balance for intake and exhaust.

 

[flexstar]

While cooking yesterday, I kept the temp in the cooking chamber between 250 and 265. After cooking for about 4-hours, I noticed that the coal bed had grown quite large. Is this normal?

That's the name of the game with an offset...... keep the coal bed active. When you loose your coal bed the cook is over.