What will extending smoke stack do for me?

[dburne]

Hey gang,

I am currently doing some minor mods to my OKJ Longhorn offset.

I have received my Nomex gasket material and will be applying it to the cooking chamber and the fire box here in the next couple of days or so.

I am going to raise my fire grate in the fire box, using bolts and nuts, I would like to raise another couple of inches if I can.

I have a charcoal basket on order from Horizon, along with a convection plate,  if it ever gets here. Been on order quite a while.

Finally, I have seen where some extend the smoke stack down close to the cooking surface, using a 90 degree elbow and alum dryer vent hose or alum flashing.  Does this mod really do much for me, just curious as I can't seem to figure in my simple mind what that is going to do? If it is worth it, how close to the cooking surface should it be?

Thanks for any tips,

Don

 

[bkleinsmid]

Hey Don........

The way it was explained to me so my simple head could wrap around it, if the exhaust was on top, the heat and smoke would right up and out (being that heat rises). By having the exhaust tube down to grate level the heat and smoke must hang out for a bit longer around the meat (or what ever being smoked) until the chamber filled with the smoke and heat and would eventually make its way out.

Hope this helps......

Brad

 

[daveomak]

The stack creates air/heat flow through the smoker.....   extending down within 5 inches or so of the lowest food grate, keeps the heat/air/smoke moving inside the smoker where the meat/food is...  instead of a dead air zone...   some say, that is a good thing...

Dave

 

[dburne]

Ok thanks for the info guys, I will give it a go when I get a chance!