heat baffle for offset smoker?

[cripplecreek]

Having trouble keeping temps down on my offset smoker.  Would some kind of baffle placed in the football shaped opening between firebox and smoke chamber aid in keeping temps down?  If so, any suggestions?

 

[corn cob]

How about using less fuel...charcoal/wood etc....Easier to add than to take away.......

Learn to control your fire using the air intake adjustment....More air..hotter fire....Less air...cooler fire...

Leave the smokestack fully open.........

It takes time and practice....Hang in there!

Fun!

 

[sqwib]

Where do you want your temps to be?

What type of fuel source are you using?

Is your thermometer accurate?

Reducing air flow will help,  but be careful not to choke the fire.

If you are getting decent temps and using splits, I would start with halfing the splits, so if you were using wrist sized splits 18" long, cut them in half so you have shorter splits.

 

[jdt]

Search around for tuning plates and convection plates, I did a baffle and convection plate, its in the wood smokers forum, still on the first page. I posted a picture of the horizon baffle plate which may or may not work for you, they do 16', 20" and 24"

The way I understand it, its a dampner if it starts in the firebox and goes through into the smoking chamber, if it is in the chamber only its a baffle, either way its a hunk of steel that deflects the heat.

The thicker the steel the better from what I have seen, my baffle and plate are 1/4 inch but I know guys using 3/8 for the baffle but thats darn heavy to work with.  

One guy I know had good success just getting a 1/4" thick piece of 6" x 6" angle iron, he just cut it at 45 degrees or so on the verticle ends and at the right width to just sit on the sides of the pit on the horizontal.

 

[thunderdome]

Do you use a fire basket?

 

[cripplecreek]

Yes..I duplicated the basket that snakes the coals along. (Klose puts in their smokers)

 

[ddave]

Yes..I duplicated the basket that snakes the coals along. (Klose puts in their smokers)

Sounds like it's snaking too fast.

I'm with Corn Cob -- use less fuel -- learn to control the fire.  Otherwise you're wasting fuel.

Dave