New stick burner in OC CA

[WallyP]

Hello everyone. I’m new to this forum and to my new Horizon offset smoker. My Green Mountain pellet smoker has served me well for a few years, but I felt the need to step up my game and burn some sticks. My first two cooks were baby backs (I gave them 9/10), and a 10 hr. brisket (7.5/10). Both were tender, deep smoke ring, and excellent bark, but slightly dry. I’m thinking it’s because of temp spikes since I’m a newbie at stick burning. Temp swings from 200-300, but I will get better. Hoping to hone my craft with the help of you all here on this forum.

 

[ifitsdeadsmokeit]

Use small sticks. Think soda can diameter. Helps to warm the stick on top of firebox or next to coal bed. Could also take to extreme and use a burn barrel and shovel coals to the smoker.

 

[912smoker]

Food looks great and welcome to SMF from SE GA!
Airflow mgt just takes practice and patience.

Keith

 

[SmokyMose]

Welcome to stick burning and the forum!
If I can keep my offset above 240f and below 300f without a lot of white smoke I'm good with it.
As far as the dryness, are you wrapping at all? Some may disagree, but I think wrapping after the stall helps a lot....

 

[SmokinEdge]

Food looks good to me. You will dial it in.

Being in CA I’m surprised you don’t have to run a catalytic converter on that stick burner for emissions, complete with a sticker, lol, jk,

 

[Bigtank]

Welcome to the forum from NW Iowa. I'm a lazy pellet smoker lol, Meat Church BBQ has a good video on YouTube about fire management. Did you have a water pan in the smoker? Spritzing the meat will help also.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Being in CA I’m surprised you don’t have to run a catalytic converter on that stick burner for emissions, complete with a sticker, lol, jk,

I'm still waiting for my stick burner to arrive.

It is way worse than that.

Why is it illegal to burn wood in California?

Burning Wood Produces Wood Smoke and Air Pollution
When you include the health-related problems caused by inhaling smoke pollutants, health costs for individuals and the community can be significant.

What are no-burn days in California?

A No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2. 5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Can you use a pellet grill on no-burn days?

Is it okay to use manufactured/wax logs or a pellet-fueled device during a No-Burn alert?
No. During a No-Burn alert, residents should refrain from all solid-fuel burning, including manufactured wax/sawdust logs, pellet fuels, corn, coal, etc.

 

[JLeonard]

Welcome from North West Arkansas! Looks like you’re off to a great start.

Jim

 

[normanaj]

Hello from RI.

 

[SmokyMose]

Welcome from North West Arkansas! Looks like you’re off to a great start.

Jim

I'm still waiting for my stick burner to arrive.

It is way worse than that.

Why is it illegal to burn wood in California?

Burning Wood Produces Wood Smoke and Air Pollution
When you include the health-related problems caused by inhaling smoke pollutants, health costs for individuals and the community can be significant.

What are no-burn days in California?

A No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2. 5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Can you use a pellet grill on no-burn days?

Is it okay to use manufactured/wax logs or a pellet-fueled device during a No-Burn alert?
No. During a No-Burn alert, residents should refrain from all solid-fuel burning, including manufactured wax/sawdust logs, pellet fuels, corn, coal, etc.

I'm thinking it might be more about preventing wildfires than air pollution.
In John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath", when the okies made it to California and prepared to camp for the night the property owner/rancher told them it was OK to stay the night, but if they made a fire he'd run them off.
In "East of Eden" he talked about the droughts every 3 or 4 years in the Salinas Valley.
This was roughly 100 years ago.....

 

[WallyP]

Use small sticks. Think soda can diameter. Helps to warm the stick on top of firebox or next to coal bed. Could also take to extreme and use a burn barrel and shovel coals to the smoker.

Thanks for the advice. My splits are about 12 inch by 2 -4. I’m only adding one split every 30 mins, and temps hover at 225. I think I’m getting it.

 

[WallyP]

Food looks great and welcome to SMF from SE GA!
Airflow mgt just takes practice and patience.

Keith

Thanks for the advice Keith. I’m keeping smoke stack open, and butterfly open only about 1/3. I agree airflow is key.

 

[WallyP]

Welcome to stick burning and the forum!
If I can keep my offset above 240f and below 300f without a lot of white smoke I'm good with it.
As far as the dryness, are you wrapping at all? Some may disagree, but I think wrapping after the stall helps a lot....

Yes I wrap at 165 in butcher paper. I’m doing a Labor Day smoke all day, then plan to hold at 140 in my oven until Tues evening - around 12 hours. Hope it doesn’t dry out. Maybe I should wrap in foil during the hold?

 

[WallyP]

Food looks good to me. You will dial it in.

Being in CA I’m surprised you don’t have to run a catalytic converter on that stick burner for emissions, complete with a sticker, lol, jk,

LOL.. thank you. Thankfully many of my neighbors are BBQ smokers too so they won’t complain. Plus I drive Tesla’s so that offsets the carbon footprint?

 

[WallyP]

Welcome to the forum from NW Iowa. I'm a lazy pellet smoker lol, Meat Church BBQ has a good video on YouTube about fire management. Did you have a water pan in the smoker? Spritzing the meat will help also.

Thank you for the welcome advice. Yes I will try spritzing with apple cider vinegar.

 

[WallyP]

Welcome from North West Arkansas! Looks like you’re off to a great start.

Jim

Thank you Jim. Enjoy your Labor Day. Hope you can smoke some good stuff today.

 

[WallyP]

Hello from RI.

Thank you Norman. I’m born in MA and now live in So Cal. Happy to be here.

Wally

 

[WallyP]

I'm still waiting for my stick burner to arrive.

It is way worse than that.

Why is it illegal to burn wood in California?

Burning Wood Produces Wood Smoke and Air Pollution
When you include the health-related problems caused by inhaling smoke pollutants, health costs for individuals and the community can be significant.

What are no-burn days in California?

A No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2. 5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Can you use a pellet grill on no-burn days?

Is it okay to use manufactured/wax logs or a pellet-fueled device during a No-Burn alert?
No. During a No-Burn alert, residents should refrain from all solid-fuel burning, including manufactured wax/sawdust logs, pellet fuels, corn, coal, etc.

Wow. Thanks for that info.

Where did you order your smoker from, and how long is your wait?

I ordered my Horizon in Jan and just received it a couple weeks ago. 9 month wait, but well worth it.

 

[SmokinEdge]

I'm still waiting for my stick burner to arrive.

It is way worse than that.

Why is it illegal to burn wood in California?

Burning Wood Produces Wood Smoke and Air Pollution
When you include the health-related problems caused by inhaling smoke pollutants, health costs for individuals and the community can be significant.

What are no-burn days in California?

A No-Burn day is a 24-hour ban on wood-burning in residential fireplaces, stoves or outdoor fire pits in the South Coast Air Basin. South Coast AQMD forecasters call for residential No-Burn Days when PM2. 5 is expected to reach Unhealthy levels due to air emissions and stagnant weather conditions.

Can you use a pellet grill on no-burn days?

Is it okay to use manufactured/wax logs or a pellet-fueled device during a No-Burn alert?
No. During a No-Burn alert, residents should refrain from all solid-fuel burning, including manufactured wax/sawdust logs, pellet fuels, corn, coal, etc.

Yet the state has massive forest fires every year these days, what’s the difference?
Management would go a long way, but nature is much bigger than all of us.

 

[SmokyMose]

Yes I wrap at 165 in butcher paper. I’m doing a Labor Day smoke all day, then plan to hold at 140 in my oven until Tues evening - around 12 hours. Hope it doesn’t dry out. Maybe I should wrap in foil during the hold?

By all means, keep it wrapped for the hold!!