Not sure where to post this.

[SmokyMose]

Good afternoon!
I've been absent for a few weeks for various reasons (missed you all)
but I have a question maybe someone can respond to.
This spring I had to retire my CharGriller offset due to rust and acquired an Oklahoma Joe's Highland.
So far I've done a couple of rib cooks and a packer last week and I'm getting the hang of the new cooker.
The problem is that I also got rid of the old MB gasser that was only used for cold smoking with a mailbox.
Now I have belly that's been in the brine for a couple of weeks and it's ready to smoke.
I use an Amazen expandable tube with pellets. I'm figuring I can just let the belly lie on the grates instead of hanging.
My question is; Can I burn the tube in the firebox of the Highland to get my smoke?
Would it work better just in the chamber (I worry about too much heat.)? Should I remove the baffling?
It's in the fridge drying now and I plan on smoking in the morning. Any comments are appreciated
By the way, I still have the mailbox and piping if anyone wants it....
Dan

 

[jnh2022]

I'm still waiting for gaskets to arrive and the lid clamps, and then whatever the next mod will be. I've run a few test fires while waiting -- fire management practice after having had a Bradley and now having a Highland. While practicing, I thought I would smoke salt, burning birch in the offset and using hickory wood chips and cherry pellets in the smoker tube(in cooking chamber). I could not get the tube to burn completely. I refilled and put it in the firebox and it still would not burn completely. I still have lots of experimenting to do to get it all working together.

So I don't have an answer, but I am also looking forward to the answers to your question!

 

[SmokinEdge]

Good to here from you mose.
Not sure if you are in full sun or in shade? Not sure how big the belly is? But I would first want to place the tube in the cook chamber under the grate on the firebox side and the belly on the grate opposite side. If that won’t or can’t work then in the firebox should be fine, but the smoke will be pretty thin from there.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Sorry.. but I'm gonna have to disagree... As long as the smoke isn't coming back out the intake vents or the firebox door and it is going into the cook chamber from the firebox... I cant see where the smoke would be any thinner ...

Myself I would try it in the firebox first to keep the heat away from the belly ...

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

I cold smoke bacon in my camp chef smoke vault which is just a vertical propane smoker. Just place the AMNPS right under the water pan. Never gets too hot and its in the chamber. I would try it in the chamber for better smoke and then if the heat seems too much just move it to the fire box.

 

[SmokyMose]

Thanks to all!
The smoker's in full sun, but it's not supposed to be so ungodly hot the next couple of days.
I'm figuring on trying in the firebox with the baffling removed at first. I guess it all depends on how it burns. We'll see.
If I need to I'll just do 4 or 5 hrs tomorrow morning and 4 or 5 hrs the next morning......

 

[chopsaw]

Keep us posted Dan . Fire box for me too .
The smoke coming out of a mail box with 3 feet of connecting pipe isn't thin . Like said above , as long as it flows in the right direction .

 

[TNJAKE]

Personally I don't think you can go wrong with either firebox or cc. Neither will add much heat if any. Do a test run and figure out the airflow. That's more important. As far as temps go I cold smoked some bacon a few weeks back and it was around 90 outside. However my smoker is in full shade. I used and aluminum pan full of ice and rock salt then placed another Pan of ice and rock salt on top. Then a wire rack over that with the belly on it. Bacon stayed cold the entire 6hr each evening smokes

 

[SmokinEdge]

Sorry.. but I'm gonna have to disagree... As long as the smoke isn't coming back out the intake vents or the firebox door and it is going into the cook chamber from the firebox... I cant see where the smoke would be any thinner ...

Myself I would try it in the firebox first to keep the heat away from the belly ...

I do not disagree Keith. I just know that my smoke tube produces a thin smoke to start with, and moving smoke horizontally with basically no heat is a bit different than moving smoke vertically. We shall see how Dan does and what he does, but I would still keep the smoke generation as close to the meat as I could. The tube really doesn’t produce much heat, like a big pellet cigar.

 

[pineywoods]

I would try the firebox and I'd probably leave the baffles in to see how it works. You can always take the baffles out if needed. Hopefully it's in the shade or you can move it to shade if not consider rigging a tarp or something over it. If it wants to run hot consider some ice in a container of some sort inside the unit.

 

[SmokinAl]

I cold smoked bacon & lox in my Lang. Always put the tube in the firebox.
Al

 

[SmokyMose]

It works great in the firebox. I'm always amazed at how much smoke these pellet tubes produce.
There's even smoke coming out of the drain tube LOL!
Started at 7:30 and just watching the temps. It's in the low 60s outside but it's in the sun now.

 

[motocrash]

Looks like you've got it goin' on!
Look like nice meaty bellies from what I can see too.

 

[SmokyMose]

Ok It's a done deal.
It started getting a bit warm in the chamber. I didn't feel like climbing into the attic for a dining tarp so I improvised.
Go ahead and laugh, but it dropped the temp down from 84 to 78 in about 15 minutes. At 4 hrs the temp was 90 so I pulled the cheese (which hadn't melted!). Tossed in a a few ice packs and at 5 hrs the temp was closing in on 100 so I pulled the bacon. 15 minutes after I pulled the bacon the tube burned out....

We both agreed that the bacon had enough smoke for us and it's in the fridge chilling for slicing tomorrow.
All in all a good day!
Thanks to everyone who gave advice and was interested!
Dan

 

[TNJAKE]

Looks good Dan

 

[JckDanls 07]

Looking good...

So now ya know ...

 

[SmokinEdge]

Looks great Dan. I figured that direct sun would be the biggest issue. Glad that all worked out for you. Nice work.

 

[pineywoods]

Looks good glad it worked. You can always do a test fry of a slice or two of bacon and if you find it doesn't have enough smoke you can always smoke it again tomorrow

 

[motocrash]

Like a Boss. I'm with pineywoods , do a test fry tomorrow and go from there.

 

[SmokyMose]

Looks great Dan. I figured that direct sun would be the biggest issue. Glad that all worked out for you. Nice work.

Thanks!
Yep, never underestimate the Sun (or the Wind). Those have always been my worst smoking enemies, but we have to learn to get around them.....