New here, need some advice/tips on managing my fire with my specific smoker.

[reyesjrX]

Hey all, I bought a smoker recently for $300(I think I got a steal) and I've been having trouble getting my fire right. First couple of times I smoked on it, it was cloudy thick smoke which tells me I do not have enough airflow. This was with all vents open all the way. Today I'm giving it another go and I left the firebox side and top door open and got a great flame/thin smoke going. So I closed the top lid to the firebox and got 250-275 ish temps. I tried to close the side door and as soon as I did, it started choking the fire out and started smoking real thick. So what I'm thinking is the air vents aren't big enough for my firebox/logs too big/need to add a grate for logs to sit on in firebox?? What do you guys think?? I'm thinking I might have to make a new firebox side door with bigger air vents. Ideally I'd love to be able to close the side door and only have the vents open when smoking, so I can maintain a steady constant heat and not have to worry about opening side/top door to get enough air flow . Here are some photos from today.

Firebox is I believe 20" and firebox 48" or something along those lines. whole smoker is 3/8" thick.

 

[mike243]

Think I would try a grate before I done much else, building to big of a fire can also cause it to choke down

 

[radio]

You definitely need a grate to hold the fire at least 4 inches above the bottom. I prefer to start mine with a chimney full of charcoal, then add 3 or 4 wrist sized wood splits. If thete is a gap between the fire box and the cooking chamber, or a big gap around the chamber lid it will not draw well

 

[reyesjrX]

Think I would try a grate before I done much else, building to big of a fire can also cause it to choke down

got it, i have some huge grates it came with but they sit pretty high, almost right at the firebox/cooking chamber opening. I may have to cut them down on the sides a little so they fit a little lower. Also tried to use some diamond plate for the wood but the holes I made were too little lol! Here is a picture of what I have.

 

[reyesjrX]

You definitely need a grate to hold the fire at least 4 inches above the bottom. I prefer to start mine with a chimney full of charcoal, then add 3 or 4 wrist sized wood splits. If thete is a gap between the fire box and the cooking chamber, or a big gap around the chamber lid it will not draw well

Alright will try and add a grate for next time. So you think the air vents on the door are fine? or we won't know until I at least start with adding the grate? There's not a big gap of air leaking if that's what you meant, maybe a tiny bit but I don't think its anything to cause this much of an issue. May get that weather seal stuff if you think it'll help.

 

[radio]

Alright will try and add a grate for next time. So you think the air vents on the door are fine? or we won't know until I at least start with adding the grate? There's not a big gap of air leaking if that's what you meant, maybe a tiny bit but I don't think its anything to cause this much of an issue. May get that weather seal stuff if you think it'll help.

Try one thing at a time so you know for sure what worked and what did not. The grate with the wood chunk on it should work fine, but it needs to be at least a couple of inches below the opening to the cooking chamber.
You might utilize the diamond plate as a baffle in the cooking chamber to help even out the temps next to the fire box.
Practice your fire management before attempting to smoke anything, then start with a 4-6 pound pork butt as they are the most forgiving thing you can smoke.
I highly recommend investing in a dual probe thermometer to monitor your temps with if you don't already have one.
Also, start your fire with a chimney full of charcoal and add wood to that, then keep extra wood on top of the fire box to pre heat so it combusts easier and not cause the dreaded white smoke when you start cooking on it

 

[reyesjrX]

Try one thing at a time so you know for sure what worked and what did not. The grate with the wood chunk on it should work fine, but it needs to be at least a couple of inches below the opening to the cooking chamber.
You might utilize the diamond plate as a baffle in the cooking chamber to help even out the temps next to the fire box.
Practice your fire management before attempting to smoke anything, then start with a 4-6 pound pork butt as they are the most forgiving thing you can smoke.
I highly recommend investing in a dual probe thermometer to monitor your temps with if you don't already have one.
Also, start your fire with a chimney full of charcoal and add wood to that, then keep extra wood on top of the fire box to pre heat so it combusts easier and not cause the dreaded white smoke when you start cooking on it

great idea about using the diamond plate as a baffle! Yeah I use to have a dual probe but my wife broke the damn antenna off of it :(, I will buy another one. Thanks for the advice, Ill try the grates and post back this weekend (damn you work!)

 

[fivetricks]

Even if you don't buy a DP Thermo right away, Walmart sells a little wired Thermo under that brand name of "Taylor" that has been one of my most consistent units for many, many years and I have a ton of the darn things.

You can pick them up for about 8.00