Increasing draw

[doorkikr mike]

I am having trouble maintaining the fire in my firebox. I even added a damper to the door and the only thing that seems to help is just leaving the door open. Any ideas?

 

[lectro88]

I have argued many times wit my smoker and lost. with.
It takes me at least an hour to get smoker good and hot run the sweat out of it from being cold and warming up. I don't use lighter fluid just paper small pieces wood and some charcoal to get things rolling.
Before you put the meat on let the ponies run. Heck even 350* get a good bed of coals, And I put a grate across bottom so air can flow under fire and and keep ashes raked out so it can breath.
And for me, I have to really stay after it to keep the temp up. every 30-45min or hour chunking it poking at it.
I guess a labor of love. you have to love it to put up with aggravation. Alcohol helps.
Am I the only 1 has this description.
And heaven forbid if your wood is still a little green/not fully dried.
Maybe I been doing it wrong ALL THESE YEARS.!
Good Luck.

 

[lectro88]

I'm going out about midnite to start mine. be cooking by 3am. It should be done by next Tuesday. LOL

 

[lectro88]

Sorry for a 3rd post.
If you have a stack damper I always leave it open and throttle temp with door damper.
And I used to try and run low and slow, and that always let me drop too low. Like 180 then 150 then dangit 100.! and then it stalls and crashes and its another 30 minutes or hour if your lucky to get temp back up and now your smoking shoe leather it seems cause its going give a fit before it gets done.
So now I run 220-250* cause at some point it always dives for me so I keep it up and beat it at its own game.

Hope This helps.

 

[doughboyb]

I am having trouble maintaining the fire in my firebox. I even added a damper to the door and the only thing that seems to help is just leaving the door open. Any ideas?

Leave the door open or extend the exhaust.

 

[motolife313]

Is your wood not seasoned well enough? Or u need to put in smaller pieces that will light easier. Also cutting them shorter

 

[radio]

I am having trouble maintaining the fire in my firebox. I even added a damper to the door and the only thing that seems to help is just leaving the door open. Any ideas?

Motolife313 made some valid points. Tell us what kind of smoker you have and most likely someone else with the same one will chime in with what worked for them. Every smoker I have seen already has some type of damper in the door, or immediately underneath. A couple of pics would also help narrow down the problem
For the best burn on most smokers the fire should be elevated so the air can come from under the fire, but not so elevated it is above the opening to the cooking chamber

 

[lectro88]

Ok.
Can some moderator jump in here and tell me why my posts aren't being seen.
I posted these last night about 11pm. its 5:52 the next day. And
This message is awaiting moderator approval, and is invisible to normal visitors.
I'm a member of 5-8 other forums. Heavy Equipment, Tractor by net, several chainsaw forums and DJI drone and I have never been muted out.
This is bunch of garbage.
Tell you what maybe you might want tell me why I should even be here in the first place.

 

[SmokinAl]

Well we try our best to get the messages approved as quickly as possible. After 10 posts you are no longer screened.
If you feel like this place is not for you, then you certainly have the option to leave. We have about 110,000 members & for the most part they all enjoy being here.
Al

 

[motolife313]

Yep he's on post count 9

 

[doorkikr mike]

Motolife313 made some valid points. Tell us what kind of smoker you have and most likely someone else with the same one will chime in with what worked for them. Every smoker I have seen already has some type of damper in the door, or immediately underneath. A couple of pics would also help narrow down the problem
For the best burn on most smokers the fire should be elevated so the air can come from under the fire, but not so elevated it is above the opening to the cooking chamber

It is a brick smoker that I stole the design from a guy on Pinterest. I like the idea of getting the fire off the floor of the firebox and see if the helps Thanks for all the ideas.

 

[lectro88]

Well we try our best to get the messages approved as quickly as possible. After 10 posts you are no longer screened.
If you feel like this place is not for you, then you certainly have the option to leave. We have about 110,000 members & for the most part they all enjoy being here.
Al

Ok. Hand me the barbecue sauce. Time to eat Crow.
I had been up 20 hours.
And started smoker about midnight and put briskets on at 1:30am.
Wrapped it and tossed it in oven at 5:30am.
And had trouble navigating site last night too. On the not so smart phone.
So it was the perfect storm and I lashed out.
so here's my 10th post.
If you're gonna make a scene be seen.
Guess I did that.
I like the site. Been smoking a long time and have built several smokers.
And there is plenty to benefit from on this site.
And to not be able to post just didn't set well with me at that particular moment of tiredness.
And I didn't really expect my last post would have made it through the mods.
I figured I'd get a PM about it.
Well that's my apology.

By the way my 17 hour briskets and smoked yard bird (chicken)was fabulous today.
And I've had better "crow" too.

 

[SmokinAl]

Ok. Hand me the barbecue sauce. Time to eat Crow.
I had been up 20 hours.
And started smoker about midnight and put briskets on at 1:30am.
Wrapped it and tossed it in oven at 5:30am.
And had trouble navigating site last night too. On the not so smart phone.
So it was the perfect storm and I lashed out.
so here's my 10th post.
If you're gonna make a scene be seen.
Guess I did that.
I like the site. Been smoking a long time and have built several smokers.
And there is plenty to benefit from on this site.
And to not be able to post just didn't set well with me at that particular moment of tiredness.
And I didn't really expect my last post would have made it through the mods.
I figured I'd get a PM about it.
Well that's my apology.

By the way my 17 hour briskets and smoked yard bird (chicken)was fabulous today.
And I've had better "crow" too.

Thank-you for explaining yourself!
It sounds like you'll fit in real good around here!
Welcome to SMF!!:)
Al