Capturing Rendered fat

[BenCarlson]

My tuning plates are 3 sections of steel that I can move around. Plus the same baffle you have that's welded at firebox end. I do scrape off my tuning plates after a few smokes with the end of my grill brush.........I build my fire on the grate inside the firebox. So should you. It keeps your fire elevated above the ashes and that will burn cleaner

Interesting that you use the grate in the firebox. I think the very first thing i did was take it out. Are you using charcoal to get your coal bed established or do you build a stacked pyre every time?

 

[TNJAKE]

Interesting that you use the grate in the firebox. I think the very first thing i did was take it out. Are you using charcoal to get your coal bed established or do you build a stacked pyre every time?

I dump a chimney of lump in there to start my splits then only use wood for the remainder of my cook

 

[BenCarlson]

I dump a chimney of lump in there to start my splits then only use wood for the remainder of my cook

I do the same, but when I saw the grate I felt like too much charcoal would fall through it. I'll give it a shot next time. Ive had no issues with the fire getting enough air, but if it makes things run better Im all for it

 

[TNJAKE]

I do the same, but when I saw the grate I felt like too much charcoal would fall through it. I'll give it a shot next time. Ive had no issues with the fire getting enough air, but if it makes things run better Im all for it

Mine has 2 grates in firebox. A big one then what appears to be a piece of cooking grate over that.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I do the same, but when I saw the grate I felt like too much charcoal would fall through it. I'll give it a shot next time. Ive had no issues with the fire getting enough air, but if it makes things run better Im all for it

Mine has 2 grates in firebox. A big one then what appears to be a piece of cooking grate over that.

Same here, Jake. I see Franklin and others building the fire on the firebox surface, but with our pits having the ash dump which I have used for air flow, that would be a problem.