newbie to offset smoker

[flourchild20]

hi everyone

I inherited a riverside offset smoker/grill I cannot get the temp passed 200 I'm using kingsford briquettes and soaked

hickory chunks. the thermometer I have is reading 185-200 and the temp gauge is reading around 200 any help suggestions

is greatly appreciated. oh what are these grates used for in the smoking chamber.

 

[hardcookin]

I picture of your smoker would help. On my offset I dump in a lit chimney of charcoal and then add wood splits to maintain my fire. You don't want to soak your wood. Your goal is to have a clean burning fire.
Do a search on fire management, lots of good reading.

Welcome to SMF!!!

 

[joe black]

Good advice from Hardcookin. I have about 2/3 basket of Royal Oak lump and light it with 2/3 chimney of briqs. When this is ignited, I put on 2-3 splits and close the CC doors. When the CC is up to cooking temp, I put in a couple more splits and the flavor chunks. I never soak chunks. I control the cooking temp with the fire and mostly leave all the vents open.

Good luck with your fire maintenance. Practice, relax and enjoy. Joe

 

[smokinhawgbbq]

Stay away from the briquettes, and use hardwood lump charcoal to start, hardwood lump burns about 200 degrees hotter than briquettes, burns about 1/3 longer,and makes about 1/4 to 1/3 the amount of ash. We had a comp last weekend, and our offset was running with lump from 10pm Friday till 1:30 sunday,and the ash woulden't fill a no 10 can,we never had to empty the ash drawer till we were done.

Mike

 

[smokinhawgbbq]

 
hi everyone

I inherited a riverside offset smoker/grill I cannot get the temp passed 200 I'm using kingsford briquettes and soaked

hickory chunks. the thermometer I have is reading 185-200 and the temp gauge is reading around 200 any help suggestions

is greatly appreciated. oh what are these grates used for in the smoking chamber.

The grates in the smoking chamber are for charcoal if you are using it as a direct heat grill.

Mike

 

[flourchild20]

 hi mike

ty for the info ill try the lump charcoal if I can find it lol and not soaking the wood I'm not used to using charcoal I had a upright

propane smoker and I totally loved it . so the charcoal goes on the grates at the top and bottom of the smoking chamber

 

[flourchild20]

hi  hardcooking

I think it came from home depot I'm going to try this again if not ill turn it into a bbq pit only lol and go buy my propane upright

smoker never had a problem with it

 

[flourchild20]

ty joe for the advise

now I'm off to search for natural charcoal.

 

[smokinhawgbbq]

Charcoal goes on the lower grate in the side firebox, the upper grate is for grilling in the sidebox.

Mike

 

[flourchild20]

hi mike

ty for the advice  tips and tricks I'm going to try and smoke a pork shoulder tonite and the operative word is try lol

 

[phatbac]

If you are going to light a wood fire there is nothing wrong with briquettes, but if charcoal is your main heat source i like lump Royal Oak.

I usually burn a wood fire so i use RO briqs or kingsford whatever is cheaper to start my fire. I also use a charcoal basket to get it going and keep me with a small hot fire in the firebox. Here are pics of the process...

basket1.jpg

• phatbac
• May 23, 2016

basket2.jpg

• phatbac
• May 23, 2016

basketfire.jpg

• phatbac
• May 23, 2016

Hope this helps,
phatbac(Aaron)