RE: fairly new to this

[smokeydobee]

Hi all - this forum looks like where its at for smoking meat and grilling.
I have been grilling over indirect heat for a couple years now on a weber kettle grill and want to get involved in some real smoking. I recently got a Brinkmann Smokin Pit 40 inch and have used it a couple times - I'll tell you I thought keeping the temp low enough was gonna be a problem but I am having the opposite. Any tips? I have used charcoal and wood chunks, chunk wood charcoal and charcoal and wood chunks.
I smoked my first fattys today - wish I had visited this site first... never thought about stuffing em..... mmmmmm.....

 

[t-bone tim]

Welcome aboard SMF, Smokeydobey,glad to have you, someone will get to you shortly on your ?

 

[chris_harper]

i use one chimney (the $9 wally world one) of charcoal to get my fire started, and then wood splits (1 or 2 at a time) OR a few (3 or 4) wood chunks at a time. i am not too sure how our smokers compare, but mine is a 55-gallon drum, with the chargriller firebox.

 

[stillcajun]

I've pretty much given up on the wood chunks..unless I need them in a pinch. I use the wood splits myself. They seem to burn much slower which allows the temp to maintain itself over a longer period of time.

 

[smokeydobee]

Thanks T-bone looking forward to some good ideas here and maybe making some new friends

 

[meowey]

Welcome to SMF! Hope you enjoy the stay!

Take care, have fun, and do good!

Regards,

Meowey

 

[hhersh]

Welcome smokeydobee.....you're in the right place to make a lot of good acquaintances and friends.........

 

[smokeydobee]

Well Chris , our smokers are similar in style - mine is probably closer to a 25 or 30 gallon drum in size. What kind of places does one look for slpits you speak of locally? I would think a guy could buy would in some kind of bulk alot cheaper than the bags you get at Wally World. About how much charcoal can a person expect to use on the average smoke session? I feel like I am using quite a bit. Or would using the splits help this issue?

Thanks ,
Ken

 

[chris_harper]

i get my splits by cutting wood at my parents land. look in the yellow pages for tree removal services, or there might be firewood sellers in there. if you have an "american classifieds" there (used to be thrifty nickel), they are in there under "services". i use about 5 lbs charcoal, usually.

 

[ultramag]

Welcome to SMF smokeydobee!!!

 

[smokeydobee]

Thanks StillCajun, didnt realise at first you had replied to my post, this is a busy place and its taken some getting used to navigating it. But there seems to be lots of friendly and helpful people here. I hope I can get good enough at this to be of some help to some people one day too. I am guessing that since I am going through 18 pounbds of charcoal at a time that I would do much better with starting the fire with coals then finishing the smoke with wood splits according to what you and Chris have said so far. About how many wood splits is a guy going to use approximately on say a 5 -6 hour smoke session?
Thanks again everyone!
Ken

 

[chris_harper]

i use 2 or 3 usually. mine are about 16" long X 3" wide X 1 1/2" tall. i also use whole branches, 3" diameter or smaller, sometimes. depends on what i have dried at the time. right now, all my wood is soaked. it rained all last week, and is supposed to rain thru thursday this week.