Options for leaving an offset alone for a few hours

[jdoyle112]

Hey guys. I currently have a custom built stick burner offset. I love tending the fire and currently need to feed it every hour.. but there are times when I don't have a full day available to sit by the smoker. What are my options for configuring my setup to feed itself for at least a few hours without babysitting? I was thinking a charcoal S basket could probably achieve that.. but I don't love the taste of briquettes. Do I have any other options?

 

[Chasdev]

I can tell you what not to do..that is overload the firebox and close the vents down, ruined meat will result.
I suppose you could place the meat in your oven set at 160/170 and then back in the smoke when you return?

 

[kilo charlie]

Welcome to SMF!

With all the gravity fed charcoal smokers being the rage these days.. perhaps there's an opportunity to come up with a gravity feed for a stick burner?

I know that's a wild concept but something to consider.

 

[SmokyMose]

I can't think of a single option for leaving an offset alone for a few hours...

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I'm with smokey on this.

 

[Alphonse]

Start the cook on splits and then swap fuels to a charcoal basket using lump or high quality briquettes (B&B) and run on a controller. I call this a "hybrid" cook. The smoke has mostly done it job in the first couple of hours and the rest of the cook is about heat (via good smoke).

I have an LSG offset and it has a fan port on it so you can do this. On some days I just don't have the whole day to tend fire. So I swap to the charcoal mid or early cook and feed air via a fan and PID controller (FireBoard).

From this:





To this:

 

[jdoyle112]

Alphonse Great point, I think this is exactly what I was looking for. When you switch to the charcoal basket, do you just dump all the charcoal in and only light one end? How long will that basket last you? Thanks!

 

[jcam222]

This is exactly why I own both a charcoal cabinet smoker and a stick burner. I primarily use my Lang for all cooks now however I haven't sold my cabinet for those times I cant babysit it or want to do an overnight hands off cook.

 

[Alphonse]

Alphonse Great point, I think this is exactly what I was looking for. When you switch to the charcoal basket, do you just dump all the charcoal in and only light one end? How long will that basket last you? Thanks!

The basket will hold ~20 pounds of high quality charcoal (dense). B&B is a ~18 pound bag. I have run it for 10 hours on one bag and had lots of charcoal left.

I put a bag in the basket, less 1/2 of a Weber chimney for the starter.


I add 1/2 of a chimney of lit charcoal in the end of the basket and it is off to the races.


I avoid the use of poor quality charcoal like Kingsford. It is so full of sawdust and fillers, it simply doesn't have the BTU content to run well and it creates really bad smoke. Naturally I get the chimney lit and the charcoal basket ready before I swap fuels on the fly. I also then kick the FireBoard and fan on and set on automatic. This requires a fan port on the pit.

 

[Whiskey13]

One option I have heard about but not tried myself ( my first real offset is on order) is adding some extra logs. Obviously you'll cook higher than you want and then lower than you want but it might be an option for an extra hour or so.