charcoal basket for offset smoker?

[stiffyman]

Hi all, would like to get some opinions from those that have used a basket versus what looks like a metal box with chambers not sure what its called but the bottom has a screen the sides are solid the inside has chambers filled with charcoal/wood, and you dump your lit charcoal at one end. what are the pros and cons of both please

 

[jennenga]

I personally use a stainless wire basket. It lets the ash fall freely so that the fire will not be snubbed. Plus,I feel that it allows better air flow. Just my opinion! Very light and sturdy

 

[rivet]

What kind of barbecue grill / offset smoker do you have? Too many variables to help you with what you've posted.

 

[stiffyman]

OK, I have a Bar B Chef offset

 

[marty catka]

I believe you are referring to a charcoal maze. By placing your hot coals on one end and filling the rest with unlit charcoal, you are allowing the coal to light off one another but in a controlled way. This is a variation of the Minion method.

 

[chefrob]

stiffy, i have the same unit and here is my basket

 

[jdt]

I went a little overboard on mine but I wanted it to last a long time

 

[fliphyzer]

Where do you get the expanded metal?  I can't weld yet, but I can bolt something like that together with some stainless hardware and Viola! 

 

[bob1961]

i bought some expanded metal from home depot that was 18 x 24 i think....but that wasn't enough to do a full basket so here is what i did....

i just bent two pieces in an angle and bolted them to a grate from my smoker....it sit in the SFB this way....

it rests on some 3/4" angle channel so it is high enough for ash dump while it burns so i don't have to worry bout ash build up....

i can fill the basket up 3 times without dumping the ask out....hope this helps ya out....you can look at my smoker mod thread to see what i did, so that you can do to yours also....i also brought it to the top to let people see also

........bob

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/94357/my-char-broil-bullet-smoker#post_530230

....

 

[jdt]

remnents by the pound sounds good to me,  Down by Mile High off 25

http://www.altitudesteel.com/inventory.html

 

[fliphyzer]

Wow. Cool tip about altitude, thank you!

 

[goodolboy]

do you guys use any type of a water pan in there? Where would ya put it? I raised my grate up Just higher than the air inilet. Still leaves me enough room to fit my H2O pan in there. But id like to do a basket.

 

[tom37]

I use a basket but no water pan. Tho I am using a reverse flow, which kinda acts like a water pan, so long as the juice is dropping on it. To much juice and I drain it.

 Here is a pic of my fire holding a steady 220 in a rain storm that has lasted like 4 hours now.

I just add more charcoal as needed to keep my temps up.

 

[cdpromo1]

Now that's a basket - I would love to have one like that for my Old Country Smoker

 

[joe black]

I have a basket from XXL. They make a fine basket and the proceeds go for a good cause. I like the basket to hold lump for a good bed of coals and do my cooking with splits. I think the basket keeps the splits together and gives me a better fire. That's my $0.02.