Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn Smoker Mods

[thatcho]

Good luck and i will be on standby

 

[quicksmokinq]

I picked up my firebox from the welder last night and it looks great!  Have to give it to my Dad who suggested I look into welding it before moving forward with the other options.  Obviously I won't know anything until I light her up the first time, but for $75 bucks I am happy with the first step so far.  I added a few pics below of the end product in case you want to take a look:

476.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Apr 7, 2015

477.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Apr 7, 2015

Now I just need to decide which gasket (or sealant) to use in between the firebox and smoker body and it's time to light a fire and make some Q!!! 

 

[joe black]

Why don't you weld the FB and CC together like the halves of. The smoker? It would make the unit more solid and would eliminate the need for gasket, etc. joe

 

[quicksmokinq]

I considered it, but I was worried with the heat needed (on the outside like that) it would destroy too much of the paint and I wanted to try and save that original paint for as long as possible.  If it becomes an actual issue where I can't find a good seal otherwise though, that is exactly where I am heading! 

 

[joe black]

I don't mean to be ugly, but paint is easy. Besides, smoke leaks are a b**ch.

 

[quicksmokinq]

It's OK Joe (get it?) - you can't help what you look like! 

  It's still an option to weld those, but we will see how it goes with the gasket first...I am just glad to have the firebox issue out of the equation now and am happy with how it turned out. 

 

[joe black]

Seriously then, be sure that the painted edges where you are going to put the gasket material are completely clean of any oils or soap or solvents, etc. Acetone is good for making anything like this squeaky clean without affecting the painted surfaces. Just dampen a rag and give it a good wipe. Joe

 

[quicksmokinq]

Would the wife's nail polish remover work for cleaning the surface before applying RTV?  Thanks.

 

[joe black]

I just looked at a nail polish remover bottle and it is acetone, but also has a lot of oils and other ingredients that could possibly leave a residue that would keep the sealant from sticking. I have used acetone from HD or Lowe's or any paint store for cleaning a lot of different materials and it always finishes clean and dry. I guess it could be good for your nails and fingers, but not for steel. I hope this helps. Good luck, Joe

 

[quicksmokinq]

About to install the two grate level thermometers and wondered if there were any best practices or advice?  Should I use a nail punch to mark where I want to drill the hole or just drill straight in - I was a bit worried about the drill running on me.  Any other thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks for all the help! 

 

[wichita chief]

Don't use a nail punch. Nail punches are flat on the tip. Use whats called a center punch. It's purpose is to make a small punch mark which will keep the drill bit "centered" and drill where you want it to drill. Use a smaller drill bit than you want to end up with and work up to the size you want by using progressively larger drill bits as you go. Center punches are easy to find. You may be able to sharpen a nail punch on a grinder to a point instead of the flat tip they have. Something else may work like a large nail. It depends on how hard the metal you are using is. I don't imagine a smokers metal is too hard.

 

[quicksmokinq]

Awesome, thanks!!

 

[quicksmokinq]

OK, so after finally getting through all of the the mods I wanted to complete including the convection plate, charcoal basket, dual grate-level thermometers, welded firebox halves, RTV for firebox seal, chimney drop with door seals and then waiting for all of my cooking supplies to arrive I was finally able to season and smoke for the very first time on my new Oklahoma Joe Longhorn over the weekend!  We had some of the best Western NY weather you could ask for so it was time to burn - came out great too, very happy with the mods!!  Already looking forward to next weekend!!

Some folks asked for the Que view so I included some below: 

OnthePit.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Apr 20, 2015

DaTwins.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Apr 20, 2015

Thanks to everyone for all of your help, patience and tips!!  I'm looking forward to perfecting the craft using this new offset style! 

Happy Smoking!!

 

[joe black]

Those ribs look absolutely wonderful. The color and finish are great. What a way to start on a brand new smoker. I know you're proud. Keep it up, Joe

 

[quicksmokinq]

Thanks!

 

[quicksmokinq]

Hey all - trying to decide which way to cook my brisket - fat side up or down - and understand one of the best ways to make this decision is to determine if your smoker cooks hotter on the top or from the bottom.  I have a convection plate in there so I was wondering if that was only for heat distribution across the smoker or if it makes it hotter as well vs. heat rising through the holes allowing for the top to be hotter.  I don't have the thermometers to check myself yet so I was wondering if anyone here knew how their OKJL performed?  Appreciate the help! 

 

[robcava]

Awesome mods and great looking ribs! I always cook my brisket cap up. Gravity baby...let that fat baste the brisket, but Im not sure it matters. Cook 2 at the same time and do a taste test. Id be willing to bet you wont see a difference.

 

[buttburner]

 
Hey all - trying to decide which way to cook my brisket - fat side up or down - and understand one of the best ways to make this decision is to determine if your smoker cooks hotter on the top or from the bottom.  I have a convection plate in there so I was wondering if that was only for heat distribution across the smoker or if it makes it hotter as well vs. heat rising through the holes allowing for the top to be hotter.  I don't have the thermometers to check myself yet so I was wondering if anyone here knew how their OKJL performed?  Appreciate the help!

fat towards the heat

the convection plate is going to get hottest especially on a long cook. point towards fire box

When I had my OK Joe that how I did it

 

[quicksmokinq]

Thanks for all of the tips!!  I went with fat cap down this time because it does seem like all of the heat would come from underneath with that convection plate in there.  The end results were AWESOME and everyone loved it!

brisket lineup.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Jun 11, 2015

It was sooo easy to slice up, literally like a hot knife through butter! 

lineup2.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Jun 11, 2015

And the bark was perfect!

smokering.jpg

• quicksmokinq
• Jun 11, 2015

Even pretty happy with the smoke ring too!

Lovin' all the mods to the OKJL - can't wait for the weekend!!  Happy Smoking!!

 

[buttburner]

looks great

congrats