Oklahoma Joe Highland, does anyone use one?

[mary ann daley]

I'm looking into buying my first smoker the first of July. I've looked, and looked, and looked. To me, it seems like the Oklahoma Joe Highland would be my best option for a newbie. Any opinions?

 

[pc farmer]

Bump for more info

 

[boykjo]

First off welcome to SMF Mary and were glad to have you aboard...Can you swing over to roll call and introduce yourself so we can give you a proper welcome........

Thanks and happy smoking

Joe

Here's some reading for ya................

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/newsearch?search=Oklahoma+Joe

 

[medic92]

I have the Highland and it's a decent smoker.  Without any mods it goes through fuel (charcoal or wood) and a pretty brisk pace.   Adding a gasket around the cooking chamber and firebox will help, as well as some toggle clamps to hold the lid a little tighter.  Use some high-temp RTV between the seams of the firebox and also where the firebox attaches to the cooking chamber for a better seal as well.

I've been happy with mine over the past year, but since my wife got a brand new expensive elliptical a couple of weeks ago I think I'm entitled to upgrading to a better smoker sometime this summer.  ;)

 

[mary ann daley]

I hear ya Medic! I plan to do the modifications, I had seen them on youtube. This will be my first smoker :)

 

[fdannyw]

I have had a different char-broil offset smoker and when researching the OK high lander wasn't all that impressed with its quality for the money so went with the wsm 22.5 and love it and know it will last hope this helps

 

[valleypoboy]

Mary Ann, I've got one. Spotted it on clearance at walmart back in February and started doing research. I feel the Okie Joe smokers are diamonds in the rough. For around 1/2 or 1/3 the price of a custom built smoker (mine was ~$150) you're getting a great starting point. A little bit of time, money, sweat and perhaps a little blood, and this smoker can be as good as any of the super over priced custom smokers.

Lots of good info in this thread:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/127173/temperature-control-for-my-oklahoma-joe-longhorn/60

Buy some red RTV from Amazon (I got #81160) and seal up the 2 halves of the FB (fire box) and the FB to CC (cook chamber) areas as you build it.

My posts are near the end. There's a picture of my charcoal box, just 24"x24" piece of expanded steel folded and cut. Purpose (to me) is so I can pour in a LOT of charcoal without worrying about any rolling out of the vent.
Also a picture of my exhaust re-locator. Most use a 4" (or is it 3"?) piece of vent tube to bring the exhaust down to grate level. Purpose here is that with the exhaust opening on the top your smoker doesn't trap the heat at all. Heat from the FB enters the CC and rises to the top where it's drawn toward the exit and then exits. It will still work without forcing the exhaust down, but the smoker will work better with something forcing the exhaust down near the cooking grate. Think about a hot air balloon. They are open on the bottom so the balloon fills with hot air, Some heat pours out the opening at the bottom, but if they had an opening on the top no heat would ever be trapped in the balloon.

I have tinkered with a thermal barrier between the CC and FB, but mine failed so I've been cooking without one.

Others have sealed the door mating surfaces with different material, I've not done mine yet.

 

[smokingmansimon]

Hey all. I have bought a Highland Smoker a few days ago. I feel like I seasoned it pretty well. Anyway I am smoking for the first time and regulating the temperature pretty well. And this is what I am seeing the paint is just flaking off of the top of the fire box. I am feeling very unsatisfied with this smoker. Is this a typical thing for the paint to do on a fire box?

 

[valleypoboy]

Mine did not. Though there is a spot a couple inches wide dead center above the lid where the lip did not seal well. The paint burned off during my first use. I've since closed the gap bu using folded aluminum foil and now oil this bare metal spot.