New Dyna-Glo vertical offset smoker

[Midwest coast]

So now it looks like I can get a consistent 225. Next to see how I can get it up around 250 consistently. Maybe start off with a few more lid briquettes?

 

[Gwanger]

So now it looks like I can get a consistent 225. Next to see how I can get it up around 250 consistently. Maybe start off with a few more lid briquettes?

are you using minion method to reach 225 deg. if so I would make small adjustments to air flo at fire box not much bc you are already at 225 deg.How much is exhaust vent open. these are the two I would be playing with bc you are right there, to much correction might lead to frustration

 

[Midwest coast]

I do use the minion method. The first couple times I did it like a volcano with the 15 lit coals in the middle. But last time I put 12 lit coals in one of the corners. I had my vent all the way open on the Firebox. So after the 3 to 4 hours runs out and I need to relight again any ideas on what is the best way to do so?

 

[wimpy69]

Scrape hots to front corner and add new pre- heated charcoal. Open air intake till they're going then choke down to temp. Good time to empty ash pan while refueling.

 

[Midwest coast]

Thanks but how do you preheat your charcoal?

 

[Gwanger]

Thanks but how do you preheat your charcoal?

I think he means light it in a charcoal chimney and add to unlit coals open fire box damper.I usually wait till temps drop to 200 deg. and light another chimney of coals open your fire box damper and add chimney of lit coals or if you need an extended fire for pork butt or beef brisket add chimney to more unlit coals.Once you are back in your temp range start to adjust damper on the fire box It will all make sense soon.

 

[Midwest coast]

How much of a chimney do you usually put in when relighting?

 

[wimpy69]

(I think he means light it in a charcoal chimney and add to unlit coals open fire box damper.)

No, I mean I have a container of charcoal that I sit on top of firebox preheating along with my wood. Really cuts down on pre-light white smoke and doesnt rob all the heat out of the hots that are in the fire basket. The Stubbs that I use is a dense briquet and if it went in cold it would really delay a proper minion 're-light.

 

[Midwest coast]

I did my fourth cook on the Dyna-Glo over the weekend. I did some St Louis spares, pork belly burnt ends and some pork tenderloin. Everything ran pretty smooth at a constant 225 for the first 3 to 4 hours and when I did a relight it pretty much ran at about 250 for the rest of the time.

 

[nursewizzle]

This time of year (I live in Iowa) its cold, so starting in the late fall and most of the winter (depending on temps) I only cold smoke.

Whereabouts in Iowa? Iowa City here.

 

[Gwanger]

Whereabouts in Iowa? Iowa City here.

are you able to cold smoke on your dyna-glo, havent tried on mine yet.

 

[The Butt Man]

I got a Dyno-Glo vertical this past December. I’ve been cooking on it for the past 3 months and love it so far. Good luck with yours.

 

[Gwanger]

Whereabouts in Iowa? Iowa City here.

Nursewizzle,according to your original post at the end you say you only cold smoke,how do you do it with your Dyna-glo,keeping temps under 75-80* need to know your secret,or are you just blowing smoke?

 

[nursewizzle]

Nursewizzle,according to your original post at the end you say you only cold smoke,how do you do it with your Dyna-glo,keeping temps under 75-80* need to know your secret,or are you just blowing smoke?

I've never said I only cold smoke. Sorry, I don't have any secrets to share.

 

[endonesia]

Whereabouts in Iowa? Iowa City here.

cedar rapids here

 

[endonesia]

Nursewizzle,according to your original post at the end you say you only cold smoke,how do you do it with your Dyna-glo,keeping temps under 75-80* need to know your secret,or are you just blowing smoke?

I cold smoke whenever temps allow me too. I purchased a smoke tube for pellets and just fill it up and throw it in the firebox. I have probably cold smoked 250 pound of cheese this winter alone. If the ambient temps are close to 70, just move the smoker into the shade and allow it to sit to acclimate to the shaded temp before beginning to cold smoke.

 

[duke-wayne-fan]

Glad to see you got it. Stay above invert plane of top hole and you'll be fine. You can also drill some vent hole in the plate to balance out hot spots. View attachment 353448 View attachment 353449 What i've learned from modding mine was once i got it sealed up tight and had my plate in it wanted more air to move heat thru cc to exhaust. Trimmed ash pan which sits in front of bottom of air inlets and blocks acouple sq"'s from under grate flow. I also added upper air inlets to help push air thru with affecting coals (read Dave Omak's -postings on upper air inlets, thanks dave) and opened up my exhaust to 3.5". Check out post #311 in this thread. Example, 60*ambient @235* I can average +/-5hrs full basket w/minion plate. Lower air open 10-15%, upper air 25-50%. With the bigger exhaust I can easily bring temps up fast by closing upper inlets and have all air go to grate. Really works well.

How did you open up the exhaust? Did you take the factory one off and put a new one on? I've been thinking about changing mine to a longer one to get better exhaust draft

 

[wimpy69]

Rotozip w/metal cutting bit. Actually I never installed the factory unit. At 1 7/8", I felt it was to small for proper draft especially after installing plate let alone filling the racks with spares. With 3.5" you can leave the rear 3 rivnuts in if you want to use them as attach points. For now I just use a 6"h piece of coiled flashing sealed by nomex tubing around cut edge. May go to 4" which I would trim out exsisting rivnuts then use either a flanged butterfly takeoff with new rivnuts for attach points or a 4" starter collar w/damper.

 

[duke-wayne-fan]

Rotozip w/metal cutting bit. Actually I never installed the factory unit. At 1 7/8", I felt it was to small for proper draft especially after installing plate let alone filling the racks with spares. With 3.5" you can leave the rear 3 rivnuts in if you want to use them as attach points. For now I just use a 6"h piece of coiled flashing sealed by nomex tubing around cut edge. May go to 4" which I would trim out exsisting rivnuts then use either a flanged butterfly takeoff with new rivnuts for attach points or a 4" starter collar w/damper.

Oh ok, here's what I did as a make shift solution. I cut off the hood piece from factory unit and took a section of my camping wood stove pipe and slid it over the current exhaust

 

[Jerry Nelson]

After a year of owning this I decided I like the smoker for the small initial cost. Instead of upgrading to a more expensive drum smoker I decided to do some research and get this one to work a little better. My two biggest issues with this smoker has always been the following.

1. Always getting thick white smoke during a cook
2. Hard to control temperatures; can't get the smoker hot enough with small fire, can't keep smoke down with large fires

Because of the previous the smoker has made me great brisket and pulled pork (because they can handle more smoke), but horrible ribs over the past year.

After many hours of watching Franklin BBQ episodes I decided the problem with this smoker if that the flue is too small, and in the wrong location. Watch this (http://www.pbs.org/video/bbq-franklin-episode-4-pits/). He places his smoke stack even with the cooking surface and is a significant diameter. Even on his small demonstration smoker (Old Country BBQ Pits) the flue is mid drum and large. I realize this is a vertical, and the flow will be different, but I thought it is worth a shot. So, I just got done cutting a 4" diameter hole in the cooking chamber just below the lowest rack and installing a stainless steel pipe held in with angle brackets and RTV gasket sealant.

Mcmaster parts 2561K15, 2561K811 https://www.mcmaster.com/

After installing I decided to do some testing with weather at 55 degrees and light drizzle. I initially used no water pan or tuning shelf with lava rock, and the temperature with a small fire (pictured) rocketed up to +350. I then added a water pan, a metal shelf and lava rock (shelf and rock is my usual setup) and the temp held firm at 250. For both of these configurations I never saw large plumes of white smoke and the fire always looked bright (air intake 25% open). I then decided to max out the firebox with wood while holding the air intake the same, the temperature peaked out at 325.

I initially planned to cap the factory flue, but will keep it through the first cook at least. During the test, the factory flue fully closed let out some smoke and the new chimney tons of heat with a little smoke. I realize I will probably go through more wood with this configuration. I just hope the temperatures are more stable and the smoke better quality.

First cook will be tomorrow and will let you know how everything turns out. Cooking some Porkbelly cubes and a slab of spareribs.