Keeping my offset fueled without billowing white smoke

[Chris_Ski]

Hey all, first post
I just purchased a cheap dyna-glo wide offset. During seasoning I used a top down method for the first time laying oak chunks and jealous devil around the base of the burner and topping it with jealous devil from a chimney. I got a ton of white smoke for quite a while and let it burn off. After most of the white smoke died down it was almost time to refuel it again. So I put in oak chunks and had to leave the burner door open because it started smoking like crazy.
being this is my first offset, and a cheapo.. i see im going to have to baby sit this a lot and do a lot of refueling. Jealous Devil isnt creating a good base of slow burning coals, so im going to try briquettes and just use less jealous devil in the chimney just for starting. I also notice when i used jealous devil to refuel, the heat spiked. I did this to keep the white smoke out. So should I refuel with briquettes to keep the temp steady? Im afraid if i keep refueling with wood, im gonna create too much white smoke because this thing just seems to feed too much to keep my temps where i need them which is usually from 225-250.
I knew id have issues keeping a steady temp and it would need to be watched, but i want to make sure when i do refuel, i dont ruing my meat and I'd also like some suggestions on creating a slower burning bed of coal.
cheers!.

*edit* I should add, that I did the mods to the smoker using the rtx around all the likely leak culprits, including the top panel weld in the main cook area.

 

[Wurstmeister]

First welcome to the Forum from South Carolina's Thoroughbred Country. I'm not an expert on your smoker by any stretch, so I'm just hitting what I've read on the Forum and after doing a search for fire in dyna glo wide offset, white smoke. Here are a couple of the search results of previous threads/posts that might be helpful until someone who is more knowledgeable than I comes along. One of the greatest things about this Forum is the knowledge base of prior threads/posts accessible using the search icon - upper right of your screen next to your Avitar.

• White Smoke - How to Minimize | Smoking Meat Forums - The Best Barbecue Discussion Forum On Earth!
• Search results for query: fire in dyna glo wide offset | Smoking Meat Forums - The Best Barbecue Discussion Forum On Earth!
• Dyna Glow Issues | Smoking Meat Forums - The Best Barbecue Discussion Forum On Earth!

John

 

[SmokinEdge]

Air flow is the problem.

 

[Chasdev]

White smoke = not enough air reaching the fire.
Burning wood creates the smoke to flavor the meat.
Coals produce most of the heat, and a smaller amount of smoke that flavors the meat.
Start the fire with some briquettes, then add wood.
Stand the wood up with the end in the coals.
Leave the firebox door and exhaust wide open.
Let the wood and briquettes burn down around 3/4ths, then add one more piece of wood and let it catch fire.
The trick is to let the coal base burn down before adding more wood and add wood while there is a minimum amount of coals that will still ignite the new wood.
You can add one or two briquettes as needed if the coal base gets too small.
Key to this approach working properly is using dry wood that has an internal moisture content of around 15%.
Wood with 30/40% moisture will form more coal base which causes temps to spike and prevent the addition of new wood which is needed to create the desired clear blue smoke.

 

[Chris_Ski]

White smoke = not enough air reaching the fire.
Burning wood creates the smoke to flavor the meat.
Coals produce most of the heat, and a smaller amount of smoke that flavors the meat.
Start the fire with some briquettes, then add wood.
Stand the wood up with the end in the coals.
Leave the firebox door and exhaust wide open.
Let the wood and briquettes burn down around 3/4ths, then add one more piece of wood and let it catch fire.
The trick is to let the coal base burn down before adding more wood and add wood while there is a minimum amount of coals that will still ignite the new wood.
You can add one or two briquettes as needed if the coal base gets too small.
Key to this approach working properly is using dry wood that has an internal moisture content of around 15%.
Wood with 30/40% moisture will form more coal base which causes temps to spike and prevent the addition of new wood which is needed to create the desired clear blue smoke.

Sounds like I may have been refueling too soon. The other issue im having is the way the smoke box is built. Theres only a front door, so when I feed the fire theres no way to exhaust the white smoke that may be produced other than the front door and the vents. I did leave the door open when i refueled until I got combustion, but since there is no top opening, white smoke still entered the cook area.
What Im hoping for when I do my first cook, is by using briquettes instead of lump as a base it will give me slower burning coals. Based on your comment, I think im adding fuel too soon and i need to let it burn down more.
Im also thinking I may use the time during refueling to mop the meat. That way the cook area will be open and may help speed up igniting the new fuel and help clear some of that white smoke that might pop up. I just hope I can get the temps somewhat steady for at least 3 hours because I really dont want to pop the cook door open before that.

thanks everyone for the replies, I'll let ya know how it goes. Im playing it safe and doing a pork butt saturday.

 

[Dutch]

Sounds like I may have been refueling too soon. The other issue im having is the way the smoke box is built. Theres only a front door, so when I feed the fire theres no way to exhaust the white smoke that may be produced other than the front door and the vents. I did leave the door open when i refueled until I got combustion, but since there is no top opening, white smoke still entered the cook area.

Chris, I've had the billowing white smoke issue myself. I'll periodically experience the BWS syndrome, even with my Lang. You're on the right track by not refueling too soon and leaving the fire box door ajar. Unless I have the small grandlittles over for a visit while the smoker is running, I very seldom close the door especially during hot weather. In the winter, I'll leave the door ajar and when the splits are fully engulfed then I'll close the door. YMMV.
Best of luck on the Butt this Saturday.