oklahoma joe's smoker?

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Someone should develop a spray on coating that would hold up to high heat and have insulating qualities! Applied similar to truck bed coatings. That would be the perfect fix to all of these box store cookers.

Any chemists out there listening?
 
I've had mine for 3 months and used it twice.. I love mine. I used the cheaper offset Chargriller a few years ago and this OK Longhorn I bought to replace my UDS (tired of the UDS lid temp swings).

 found flat fireplace gasket rope and added it between the side fire box and cooking chamber and with new longer bolts I was able to seal the leak that way. I added gasket rope around the lids, 2 new thermometers in the lid, high temp silicone where the smoke stack bolts onto the cooking chamber and tuning plates. All this for half the price  of the Lang. I've always used charcoal and chunks obviously since you can't add when using UDS now with this one I actually did a whole smoke using only splits. 


What are these "tuning plates" you speak of?
 
They are plates that even the heat out through the whole unit vs being hotter on the firebox side.
 
Well, no crap! I've been wondering about plating the bottom of mine with something just like that. Small holes near the fire and larger ones as it goes out. Is there a formula for the hole sizes and placement?
 
I think they go 1/4 out to 7/8 but I don't remember the spacing on them. Maybe someone who has a plate can chime in with measurements
 
Local hardware store switching from Ace to Aco and having huge sales. I got a cover for my Oklahoma Joe for $7.99 today. Think I will go pick up another one just to have.
 
I have both the Okie Joe as well as the Weber Kettle and there is no comparison. They are both great for grilling, with Weber being better, but for smokin' meat, you can't beat an Okie Joe. I made all the mods talked about here and I wouldn't trade it fore $1900Horizon.
 
I, too, have a OJ smoker (new) but I am most unhappy with it. The cooking unit door and smoker box door leak smoke and I'm sure, heat like a sieve!  I am having a hard time holding the temp. I've used the Minion method for years and it worked beautifully but not in this smoker. I put insulation made for grills around the doors and while it helped some it hasn't helped enough. I had a Charbroil for years and years and it was great - this one, not so much.  After reading all the "fixes" one can do to this smoker to make it work it seems easier just to buy a better smoker! Wish I had discovered this forum before I bought it.

Maybe you could answer a question for me: The paint on the side and bottom of the fire box is fast burning away leaving bare metal.  I don't remember that happening with my previous smoker but it was many years ago when it was first fired up! is this a common thing to happen?
 
I do have a grate in the bottom of the fire box. Had to pull it from the old Charbroil before it went to the curb and used an aluminum pan the first time.  I can't thinkg the fires were too hot - the temp never gets above about 325 - and then it won't hold..  At least, I don't think that's too hot.  Been smoking meat for years - even small time competition - and  never had a problem with that old CharBroil or using a converted oil barrel and burn barrel for fuel (which was a first)! 

I guess I'll just keep trying to make some changes as I go.  Maybe try painting it and see what happens!

Thank you, again, for your thoughts! I'm really new at having problems and I guess I've just been lucky! I'll just do a little jerry rigging and see how that goes!
 
The oke joe should have come with one for it. Also the factory temp gauge is crap don't rely on that at all. Also add the exhaust extension that will help hold allot of heat.
 
How long did it take to get your convection plate from horizon? It's been over a month and their customer service sucks! I too have a bolted OKJ i got off CL. Mine has wooden handles and I know the newer ones have coil handles, so I'm not sure exactly when it was made or by who. The trial run with no mods worked well for baby backs. I started a chimney of coals and used maple splits to smoke them. It held temps good, just had to add a few splits every hour or so
 
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