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monroe6311

Newbie
Original poster
Sep 27, 2016
7
10
Hello all. Thy name is Jason. I live in the beautiful state of Wisconsinew. One day a couple years ago I got the urge to build a smoker. So I jumped on old Google and search cedar smoker. Which brought me to this site. There started my long journey. In recent months I have completed the project. I have made a few adjustment as I cannot keep the fire going. Which brings me to today. I must enlist the help of others. My design is similar to the one actnick built. I have read through his whole thread but cannot find any answer to others who have the same issue. Any help you can lend would be appreciated. I think the problem may be a lack of a draf.
Thanks,
Jason
 
Fire needs fuel and air.  If the fuel won't stay lit, it needs more air.  How do you stop a cedar smoker from becoming fuel?  I'm not being difficult, just curious about wood smoke houses.

Mike
 
Mike is right... likely not enough intake or exhaust... it also could be wet wood and something I don't mean in any disrespect... do you know how to start a fire? Normally if it's not intake or exhaust issues, it not getting the fire actually going properly. You can burn damp wood on a properly lit fire.

Mike to answer your question, cedar smokehouse are either very large and a small fire in the middle won't have a chance to migrate to the center or they are smaller with a smoke generators or remote stove and run of pipe to cool the smoke... my grandfather had one for as long as I can remember and never had any issues. They are not generally for hot smoking... warm smoking at best, but even 250 isn't hot enough to ignite wood
 
Yes. I do know how to start a fire. I may just be impatient. It has been very windy on the days I have tried to season it. Plenty of exhaust, I just wonder if it is not creatingredients a vacuum to pull in new air. The oak I am using is from last year. Pretty sure it is dry enough.

Mike I do worry about embers traveling through the stovepipe and possibly causing the cedar wood to ignite.
 
Try preheating the cooking chamber slightly maybe?

If you have plenty of exhaust and intake, dry wood, and know how to start a fire, IMO you have to be right on the draft... wind could be causing the issue. if you are cold smoking and heating isn't an option, you could try forcing a draft with a fan, but if the issue persists, maybe change where your exhaust is?

My grandfather's was dug into the side of a hill with the stove down near the barn... I don't remember draft issues but the smoke house was on the east side of the house and wind was primarily westward so it was quite protected and the stove pipe had a decent incline. Pretty ideal and my only experience so I don't have much to offer on draft issues
 
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great you got it figured out... being able to get up to 230, you can smoke anything in there
 
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