First Smoke using an Offset. Spare Ribs.

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xray

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Mar 11, 2015
4,747
3,268
Northeast PA
Hey all,

So I finally had the chance to try out my new OKJoe Highland smoker yesterday. I've only ever smoked with a propane smoker, so using an offset was a first to me.

I learned a lot about fire management yesterday, especially when it comes to wind! Holy Hell!! Lol. I started up the smoker with a chimney of charcoal and a few small chunks. Everything was going along great (maintained even temps across the grate) until the wind picked up when I switched over to wood splits.

It seemed to me that the wind was blowing down the exhaust stack and extinguishing the fire. To combat this, I kept repositioning the firebox so that it would face the wind. (It tends to swirl behind my house) Also, I was opening the side door on the FB to let the fire breathe. This required my constant attention or else the fire would smother...I noticed this as the smoke appeared thicker out of the exhaust so I would open the box to correct this.

Here's my stupid question...should there always be flames in the FB? Just because on a few occasions there were only hot coals when I added more wood. I figured it was my mistake not adding wood sooner.

Now for some Q view. Ribs were smoked using Oak and Maple wood. Total smoke time was 6 hours, no foil. Temps averaged about 260-270. I turned the ribs once during the halfway point.

Calm before the storm, grate temps for left and right side:

First peak, almost 5 hours later. Ribs were close to being done so I lightly sauced them:

Sauced:

Finished pictures:

Plated shots:

Overall, I was quite pleased how this smoke turned out. I think I put out some good food for my first offset smoke. This was more of a learning experience for me and there's a lot of learning left.

What I learned so far:

1. I was more successful usling smaller splits more frequently. The wood seemed to catch quicker and burn cleaner. I ended up cutting splits in half and also quartering them...splits were about the size of an empty paper towel roll.

2. Firebox location in relation to wind direction. I thought I got a better burn when FB was positioned against the wind. (At least I thought it did or It could be all in my head)

3. Wood stored on top of the FB definitely ignited quicker since it was warm. I got tired of having to remove the wood constantly to open the door but started to make it a point to keep it there once I realized it made the fire more manageable.

4. I had no set temperature to cook at. My smoker seemed to cook best between a set range of 250-280. I worried more about keeping a closer temp between the right and left sides of the cook chamber rather than a set cooking temperature when using propane. When my smoker was between that 250-280 range, my R and L sides stayed from even to 10-15 degrees apart...the lower or higher the temp went outside 250-280, the more drastic the temperature swings were...and the more I had to fiddle in getting them back to that 250-280 comfort zone.

Well, sorry to ramble on. That's all I got. Anything I missed or advice, constructive criticism is appreciated.

Looking forward to the next one!
 
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Reactions: sauced and SmokinAl
Looks great, especially for a first stick burn. :points:

Preheating splits definitely helps with ignition times and keeping you fire clean. I usually end up adding wood when it's burned down to coals. As long as you have enough to light your splits you should be fine. Also, good job paying attention to what's coming out of the stack. That will tell you a lot about what your fire is doing and what you need to do accordingly. Just keep the fire clean and you'll do well.

:grilling_smilie:

Lance
 
Looks great, especially for a first stick burn. :points:

Preheating splits definitely helps with ignition times and keeping you fire clean. I usually end up adding wood when it's burned down to coals. As long as you have enough to light your splits you should be fine. Also, good job paying attention to what's coming out of the stack. That will tell you a lot about what your fire is doing and what you need to do accordingly. Just keep the fire clean and you'll do well.

:grilling_smilie:

Lance

Thanks for the points, Lance.

A few times I let it burn down too much, and the temp in the cook chamber dropped quit a bit until I was able to get the new splits ignited.
 
Great job on the ribs and your first stick burn fire!! It sure is fun.

Points 
points.gif
 
Your ribs look fantastic, especially for a first run with a new smoker!

I'm sending you a point for a great looking meal!

Al
 
Great job on the ribs and your first stick burn fire!! It sure is fun.

Points  :points:

Thank you and thanks for the points, it was a blast. I guess I'll have to get used to the wind.

Your ribs look fantastic, especially for a first run with a new smoker!

I'm sending you a point for a great looking meal!

Al

Thanks for the point Al!. I figured I'd start with a short smoke...but reading through a lot of post on SMF really helped me out.
 
Looks great!  That's one heck of a smoke ring. What did you do for sauce?

Thank you, I used the new Heinz Texas style bbq sauce and brushed it on lightly. I always found it to be too much effort to make my own, especially for what it is...besides there's so many varieties of bbq sauce to buy.

Now, I have been guilty of doctoring bbq sauce to act like I made it, but that was for show. I used a bottle of sweet baby ray's, a stick of butter and a can of your favorite beer...works good for basting.
 
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