Old Country BBQ Pits Wrangler Owners Thread

[Smokin Okie]

Hello fellow Wrangler owners. I recently purchased my Wrangler and I'm having real difficulties keeping the cook chamber temperature under control.

I run with the exhaust vent fully open and the fire box vent half closed. My fuel is Double split post oak, about 16-18 inches long. Not too big not too small. You can see the general size of my splits on the shelf under the cook chamber in my signature. I burn my fire to the back-right side of the fire box while looking into the box from the side door. I also pre-heat my next split inside, on the left side of the fire box. With my next three splits sitting on top of the fire box warming plate.

The problem I'm having is, every time I add a split, my cook chamber temperature jumps by at least 30-40 degrees as the split burns down. So, if I'm targeting 235º, I wait for the temperature to drop down to 225º-230º before adding the next split. As soon as I move the split from the left side of the fire box, over onto the coals, it ignites and the temperature begins to climb to about 260º-265º. I then wait for the temperature to drop back down and star over again.

This past weekend, I tried smoking a brisket at 275º per Franklin's recommendations, but the cook chamber temperature was swinging from 260º to over 300º. Because of the high temperatures, my 13lb brisket ended up reaching 205º internal temperature in the Flat, within only 9.5 hours, and came out dry & tough.

Can one of you more seasonded Wrangler owners please help me out, or tell me where I may be going wrong?

Any advice would be Greatly Appreciated!

Your splits are too big. Cut those 16" splits in half. Or get a Kindling Cracker and split them one or two more times. Ya have to downsize the splits to the size of the cooker. Yes, you have to add more often, but that's the only way to lessen your temp swings.

But temp swings on a small offset just part of it. They're gonna happen. It really doesn't matter. Your electric oven in the kitchen may have just as large temp swings.

 

[Sunlovers2]

Thank you Acts7Seven.
Can you please help me to understand how the charcoal basket would eliminate the temperature swings I'm experiencing when adding a new wood split?

 

[Displaced Texan]

Thanks Displaced Texan. I am not sure I understand the phrase "move the fire away from the firebox"?

Can you elaborate please?

Sorry, I was thinking backwards and it sounds like your back right is already away from the firebox.

 

[Sunlovers2]

Thanks Displaced Texan. Were you maybe referring to using a Coal-Basket, as mentioned by Acts7Seven, in order to keep the fire away from the fire box walls?

I don't currently have a Coal-Basket, and wanted to make room inside of the fire box for pre-heating my next split. That is why I am building my fire in the back-right corner of the fire box. this gives me room to reach into the fire box door opening, and it also gives me room on the left side of the fire box for placing my next split for pre-heating.

That all seems to work well. But my main concerns are the temperature swings.

 

[Sunlovers2]

Much appreciated Smokin Okie.

Yeah... I get my Post Oak wood from the supplier in the 16-18 inch lengths. They are normally either whole logs, split in half, or split in quarters, depending on the initial diameter of the log. I then split them again in an attempt to reduce their overall volume. I can try cutting their length in half as well.

Conrad has actually made that recommendation in the past. I just have not had an opportunity to get out there with my saw and do the work.

With their current size, I am adding a new split about every 20-25 minutes. So, if I cut them in half, should I expect to be adding wood every 10-15 minutes? Is this more in line with what you guys are doing to keep your cook chamber temperature in control?

 

[Displaced Texan]

Thanks Displaced Texan. Were you maybe referring to using a Coal-Basket, as mentioned by Acts7Seven, in order to keep the fire away from the fire box walls?

I don't currently have a Coal-Basket, and wanted to make room inside of the fire box for pre-heating my next split. That is why I am building my fire in the back-right corner of the fire box. this gives me room to reach into the fire box door opening, and it also gives me room on the left side of the fire box for placing my next split for pre-heating.

That all seems to work well. But my main concerns are the temperature swings.

Truth be told, I was being lazy and did not see this was a Wrangler owner forum, as I always just hit the "New Posts" button. I should not have commented.

My firebox is on the left, so when I read that your fire was on the back right, I was picturing my firebox and that would put the fire closer to the cook chamber, raising the temp in there.

Again, not a Wrangler owner, so, I apologize for that.

That said, on my pit, I close off my damper slightly when I add fuel to prevent the temp spike you mention.

Smokin Okie seems to be your guy for the Wrangler.

 

[Sunlovers2]

Hey, no problems Displaced Texan.

Any advice from an experienced pit master is good advice in my book. The way I see it is, I just need to put it into perspective, along with the other advice being offered, and see what works best for my own situation.

Take care Sir, and hope your smoking days are good ones.

 

[Smokin Okie]

It will depend greatly on the density and seasoning of each split, but 15 minutes is about right.

That said, you're still gonna have temp swings. If I run in a 25* range, I'm happy. I just don't want the real large swings, like up over 300 or down to 225, when I'm shooting for 275. But even those can be unavoidable. Some times, a split just does not want to catch, or maybe it burns a lot hotter than you think it should. Or maybe you lose patience with a split that's hardly burning, add another split, and presto ......... you get two splits burning hot.

 

[Sunlovers2]

Thank you Smokin Okie.

I have been successfully smoking meats for nearly two decades in several styles of Coal-Fired Vertical Water Smokers, using wood chips to provide my smoke. This Old Country BBQ Pits - Wrangler is my first venture into a true Offset Stick Burner. The vertical smokers were much closer to a Set & Forget type cook. Maybe having to stir some ash off of the coals and only having to add more fuel once every hour or so in order to keep a good cook chamber temperature. But I had been seeing so much about how the Wood-Fired Bar-B-Que had much more Subtle yet Complex flavors, and knew I just had to give this a try!

Online, you see these guys with their 500-1,000 gallon smokers (like everyone can fit one of those behemoths in their back yard), that take multiple Full splits/logs to keep them at temperature. Not very realistic for the common Joe. And since my wonderful wife & I are empty nesters, both over 60 years of age, we only need to be able to cook up enough meat at one time for us to eat, on a regular basis. The 13lb Brisket I attempted this past weekend will provide us with dinners All Week.

So, am I best to just Accept that these temperature swings are part of the Small Offset Smoker reality, and try to focus the center point of these swings around my target temperature? Maybe try cutting my splits down to 8-10 inch length pieces, as several have recommended, and just be committed to adding them more often? Maybe pull up a chair right next to the fire box, with a good book or my tablet in hand, and a favored adult beverage!

Does this sound more like what you other Wrangler owners are seeing as the Norm? If so, then I am good with that! I just need to know what to expect from this journey, and how to make the best of it in the long run.

 

[Smokin Okie]

So, am I best to just Accept that these temperature swings are part of the Small Offset Smoker reality, and try to focus the center point of these swings around my target temperature? Maybe try cutting my splits down to 8-10 inch length pieces, as several have recommended, and just be committed to adding them more often? Maybe pull up a chair right next to the fire box, with a good book or my tablet in hand, and a favored adult beverage!

Does this sound more like what you other Wrangler owners are seeing as the Norm? If so, then I am good with that! I just need to know what to expect from this journey, and how to make the best of it in the long run.

I think you've got it. I'm smoking a brisket this Friday. I plan on getting up at 4 am and lighting a fire, then prepping the brisket, and put it on about 5 am. And I'll spend the next 10 hours or so on the patio with music, read a book, doing some internet, maybe doing some small yard work, or even move a tv out on the patio which I do during football season. And I kinda like watching the sun come up. But keeping my eye on the temp gauge, the smoke coming out of the stack, and looking in on the fire in the firebox.

I don't own a Wrangler. I had a Brazos for three years. Not a lot of diff.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I think you've got it. I'm smoking a brisket this Friday. I plan on getting up at 4 am and lighting a fire, then prepping the brisket, and put it on about 5 am. And I'll spend the next 10 hours or so on the patio with music, read a book, doing some internet, maybe doing some small yard work, or even move a tv out on the patio which I do during football season. And I kinda like watching the sun come up. But keeping my eye on the temp gauge, the smoke coming out of the stack, and looking in on the fire in the firebox.

I don't own a Wrangler. I had a Brazos for three years. Not a lot of diff.

What do you have now? I almost went with an OC Brazos before I came across Bell Fab.

Did you always leave the damper in one position on your Wrangler or make small adjustments there as needed as I have suggested?

 

[Smokin Okie]

What do you have now? I almost went with an OC Brazos before I came across Bell Fab.

Did you always leave the damper in one position on your Wrangler or make small adjustments there as needed as I have suggested?

I bought a Franklin.

On the Brazos, I kept the damper about 1/2 open. Just enough air to run a clean fire. When I would add a split, I would open the firebox door to get a lot of air inside to help the split ignite in flames.

My Franklin does not have a damper. It has a precut number of holes that is determined by Franklin

to be the optimal amount of air for the smoker.

 

[Displaced Texan]

I bought a Franklin.

On the Brazos, I kept the damper about 1/2 open. Just enough air to run a clean fire. When I would add a split, I would open the firebox door to get a lot of air inside to help the split ignite in flames.

My Franklin does not have a damper. It has a precut number of holes that is determined by FranklinView attachment 507875 to be the optimal amount of air for the smoker.

Nice, do you have thread going on this pit? I saw Jeremy Yoder's review.

Sounds like Sunlovers2 has the opposite issue of wood igniting too quickly. Maybe he should not preheat so long? I think your idea of smaller splits is good. I had a kindling cracker delivered yesterday.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Nice, do you have thread going on this pit? I saw Jeremy Yoder's review.

Sounds like Sunlovers2 has the opposite issue of wood igniting too quickly. Maybe he should not preheat so long? I think your idea of smaller splits is good. I had a kindling cracker delivered yesterday.

Wood that ignites quickly is very dry wood, seasoned for a long time, maybe too long. Or kiln dried wood . It will burn hot for a shorter period of time.

I'm mixed on whether it can be preheated too long. I think it takes a long time for the center of a split to dry out. I use a moisture meter. I can take a reading on the outside of a split and it will appear to be dry. But cut it in half, and read inside and its still wet.

The well seasoned splits can usually be identified by feeling how heavy they are. Pick up a split and it its lighter than you think it should be, then its probably very seasoned. If its heavier , then its still wet and green. Its a " feel " that comes from picking up a lot of splits.

 

[Displaced Texan]

Wood that ignites quickly is very dry wood, seasoned for a long time, maybe too long. Or kiln dried wood . It will burn hot for a shorter period of time.

I'm mixed on whether it can be preheated too long. I think it takes a long time for the center of a split to dry out. I use a moisture meter. I can take a reading on the outside of a split and it will appear to be dry. But cut it in half, and read inside and its still wet.

The well seasoned splits can usually be identified by feeling how heavy they are. Pick up a split and it its lighter than you think it should be, then its probably very seasoned. If its heavier , then its still wet and green. Its a " feel " that comes from picking up a lot of splits.

Yep, I used kiln dried stuff from Home Depot for years. Now, I have seasoned hickory. I preheat it and it ignites but that seems optimal to me to keep clean smoke.

 

[Sunlovers2]

True, that is exactly the reason that I pre-heat my splits. So that they do ignite quickly and don't produce Bad Smoke waiting for secondary ignition.

I get my Post Oak splits by the 1/2 cord, from a local supplier, instead of in bags from a Big-Box store or Academy, so I do not think they are kiln dried. Additionally, I store them outside under a small tarp that just covers the top of the pile. Since I am just getting started in this Wood-Fired smoker game, I do not yet own a moisture meter, but most likely will be asking for one from the kids as a holiday gift.

In the meantime, I will try either splitting my wood down further or cutting their length in half to reduce their volume even more. I hope one of those approaches will lessen the temperature swing range.

 

[ConrodM]

Nice, do you have thread going on this pit? I saw Jeremy Yoder's review.

Sounds like Sunlovers2 has the opposite issue of wood igniting too quickly. Maybe he should not preheat so long? I think your idea of smaller splits is good. I had a kindling cracker delivered yesterday.

LOVE my Kindling Cracker!!! Necessary for Stick Burner IMHO

 

[Smokin Okie]

About temp swings. Earlier this year I was testing my electric oven to use as a warmer to hold brisket. I put a Thermoworks digital probe in the oven and charted the results with it set on its lowest setting.

The oven shuts off and on to maintain temps and in the process there's temp swings. Look at the temp swings here, it went from 145* to 170*.

On the offset, if I'm shooting for 275* , if I swing from 260 to 290, I'm doin great , in my book

 

[ConrodM]

About temp swings. Earlier this year I was testing my electric oven to use as a warmer to hold brisket. I put a Thermoworks digital probe in the oven and charted the results with it set on its lowest setting.

The oven shuts off and on to maintain temps and in the process there's temp swings. Look at the temp swings here, it went from 145* to 170*.

On the offset, if I'm shooting for 275* , if I swing from 260 to 290, I'm doin great , in my book

View attachment 507956

I did same thing and had very similar results. I had done the calibration hack and was able to maintain 155 IMT

 

[ConrodM]

Sunlovers2
Make sure you are reading temps from Grate Level Probe not the dial.