bill1
Master of the Pit
- Apr 25, 2015
- 1,889
- 872
I'll add that you want your firebox to have a grate on the bottom so the fire is not just setting on the curved bottom...you want air to feed the fire from the bottom up. If you don't have that, let us know and folks will give you suggestions how to get or make one.
I suggest starting with coals and only adding splits after that. But of course your firebox is too small for a standard split. Do you have access to (and feel comfortable using) a chop saw? You can then cut in two standard splits (Home Depot sells them by the bag) quite easily.
And yes, offsets consume a lot of wood. That may be the simplest explanation to why so many consider them the best cooker for imparting wood smoke flavor. But there are situations (e.g. apartment living) where they're just not the best tool for the job.
But even if you eventually gravitate to another smoker (and I have lots) time spent on an offset (and yes they require near-constant tinkering during a cook) is never time wasted. You're learning techniques applicable to all smoking approaches.
I suggest starting with coals and only adding splits after that. But of course your firebox is too small for a standard split. Do you have access to (and feel comfortable using) a chop saw? You can then cut in two standard splits (Home Depot sells them by the bag) quite easily.
And yes, offsets consume a lot of wood. That may be the simplest explanation to why so many consider them the best cooker for imparting wood smoke flavor. But there are situations (e.g. apartment living) where they're just not the best tool for the job.
But even if you eventually gravitate to another smoker (and I have lots) time spent on an offset (and yes they require near-constant tinkering during a cook) is never time wasted. You're learning techniques applicable to all smoking approaches.
