How should I smoke with this setup?

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Stopsign32v

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Dec 11, 2023
122
96
First setup but I'm wondering how I should do the inside of the smoking chamber. I want to try the brick method, which way do you guys think?
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First setup but I'm wondering how I should do the inside of the smoking chamber. I want to try the brick method, which way do you guys think?


I'm assuming you are using the bricks for extra thermal mass? If that is your purpose, it probably won't make much difference which direction you lay them in the chamber. I gather your smoker is thin gauge metal, and you are looking for ways to help it hold temps more steady?

The bricks might help some, but I know from experience that it's a lot of work to keep temps up in a COS (cheap offset smoker). My first smoker was COS that leaked air from everywhere. Hard work to maintain temps...but it can be done with patience and lots of wood and charcoal.

Hope that answers what you were asking...if not, provide a bit more info about what you're trying to accomplish and I'll try again.

Good luck! :emoji_thumbsup:

Red
 
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I'm assuming you are using the bricks for extra thermal mass? If that is your purpose, it probably won't make much difference which direction you lay them in the chamber. I gather your smoker is thin gauge metal, and you are looking for ways to help it hold temps more steady?

The bricks might help some, but I know from experience that it's a lot of work to keep temps up in a COS (cheap offset smoker). My first smoker was COS that leaked air from everywhere. Hard work to maintain temps...but it can be done with patience and lots of wood and charcoal.

Hope that answers what you were asking...if not, provide a bit more info about what you're trying to accomplish and I'll try again.

Good luck! :emoji_thumbsup:

Red

Yes exactly, I'm looking for better thermal mass. This COS as you put it will be a nightmare to smoke in I fear and I'm looking for every way to help.

But my question isn't necessarily how to position the bricks more than should I have nothing in the bottom of the smoker like in picture 2 or should I use the charcoal tray like in picture 1? The difference is probably 6 inches closer to the meat.
 
Just to to thinking about it...Wouldn't you want to smoke with the charcoal tray in place to catch the meat drippings vs going directly down on the bottom of the smoker?
 
Yes exactly, I'm looking for better thermal mass. This COS as you put it will be a nightmare to smoke in I fear and I'm looking for every way to help.

But my question isn't necessarily how to position the bricks more than should I have nothing in the bottom of the smoker like in picture 2 or should I use the charcoal tray like in picture 1? The difference is probably 6 inches closer to the meat.

Oh I see now what you're asking - sorry didn't notice the grate under the bricks. This is a total guess on my part - but maybe elevating the bricks a bit with the grate would put them more directly in the heat stream from the firebox...which might allow the bricks to get hotter? I have no direct experience with this, so again its just an educated guess. Short of getting better, more experienced advice, I'd suggest trying it that way first...and if the results are less than favorable, try it without the grate the next time and compare the difference.

Firebricks might also help your smoker's performance if you lined the bottom of your firebox with them. I've heard of guys doing this, although I haven't.

Sorry I'm not more help...but good luck with it, and let us know how it goes!

Red
 
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Red is giving some good advice. As clean as your smoker looks it must be brand new. Something you might want to try is just do a cook of something cheap and easy ( chicken thighs?) with out any mods. Just to give you a baseline. I'm far from a expert. Just my thoughts.

Jim
 
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Red is giving some good advice. As clean as your smoker looks it must be brand new. Something you might want to try is just do a cook of something cheap and easy ( chicken thighs?) with out any mods. Just to give you a baseline. I'm far from a expert. Just my thoughts.

Jim

Yea it's new, a new cheap smoker from Amazon with the wall thickness of 3 sheets of paper. :emoji_laughing:

I want to put some fire bricks in the bottom of it like Red said to help hold in some heat. I'd like the inside to be as consistent as possible.
 
Yea it's new, a new cheap smoker from Amazon with the wall thickness of 3 sheets of paper. :emoji_laughing:

I want to put some fire bricks in the bottom of it like Red said to help hold in some heat. I'd like the inside to be as consistent as possible.
I totally understand that! I started out 4 yrs ago with a MB gasser vertical smoker. And its thin walled also. Took a while to figure it out. Red is in the process of building me a monster vertical offset. He'll give you some good advice, and others will chime in also.

Jim
 
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I had a COS a number of years ago.
I only bought it for the charcoal tray feature as I needed more cooking space than my other grill.
Cheap was a generous term for the last of the Brinkmann line. Unfortunately, it appears to be resurrected in the unit you purchased.
The charcoal tray burned over very quickly. I had to replace it.
I decided to try the offset feature and could not pile enough fuel in there to smoke anything more than a couple of hamburgers. I built a very large fuel basket to hold enough wood and charcoal to actually do a decent job smoking a few briskets. Luckily, I get wood for free

I never tried bricks for a heat sink, but I doubt it will do much. To me, the best method to hold heat would be a welding blanket put over the cover. With the amount those thing leak smoke the blanket will be stained very quickly.
I thought about adding an interior liner to the top side of the cook chamber. Priced raw metal and said no way.
Funny thing, I bought a pellet pooper and the walls of the cook chamber aren't much thicker than the COS.
 
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