# 5 days till my big competition, NEED HELP!!



## murfsmeat (Sep 11, 2017)

howdy hi!!

So, I am not new to smoking and have done several competitions (and not embarrassed myself in the process) and catered many weddings and large parties. Heres the rub....(no pun intended)  :)

My offset cooker is being used at a local bbq restaurant while the owner of that place takes his large cooker down to help in Texas with operationbbqrelief. I have borrowed a buddies Lang "knock off" that is built really really well, but sad to say he rarely cooks with it, and I have never cooked on it. Was super excited about running this cooker because the reverse flow concept just makes sense to my brain. I did a practice cook on it last night with 3 racks of ribs, 20 chicken thighs, and a brisket. Easy 'nuff......WRONG!!

For the first part of the cook, temps were great, smoke was great. The last 1/2 was just garbage. Couldnt keep the wood lit, and would just plume thick white smoke. Before everyone asks, yes dampers were open. As soon as I would open the firebox to fiddle with my wood pieces, blammo....wood sticks would immediately catch fire. Close the door, 2 minutes later thick white smoke. My burnt ends were absolutely garbage when I put them in the sauce to "set" and all that white smoke just really buggered them up. CHicken was gross, and my brisket only had about 1/8" smoke ring on it. WHAT THE HELL???!!!!

My question is this.....have any of you ever had to clean out the ash (or at least a large portion of it) to keep good air flow in your offset cookers? Its the only thing that makes sense to me as chimney is clear, under the plate that makes the reverse flow is clear, and firebox hole into the cooker is clear of debris. Like I said, the first 1/2 of the cook was easy sailing since there was no ash in the firebox......I sure dont want to compete this weekend if I cant get the dang thing to run correctly. Any one have any luck using a cradle in the firebox? On my cooker, I just never had good luck with it, and just put everything in the bottom of the firebox and give er hell. 

Thanks for any idears you may have.!!!


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## magman (Sep 11, 2017)

Try using some royal oak to keep some hot coals under your wood and you should be fine. I've had to do that a few times on some of my longer cooks when I've been holding good heat for a while then things start to cool off (lost a lot of my hot coals)  my wood won't burn good like you are seeing. just add some royal oak to get some hot coals and your wood will take off again producing the thin blue smoke your after.


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## murfsmeat (Sep 11, 2017)

hey mag, 

I did that around hour 6 or 7. it helped keep my cook chamber at a decent temp, but nothing for the lack of air and or gross smoke from the smoldering wood chunks.


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## ammaturesmoker (Sep 11, 2017)

I would never make chicken in an offset. Especially thighs. They belong in a slow direct cook directly over the coals. The cooker to me sounds like a bad design if it's not able to support its own convection. A well designed cooker will create its own convection.


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## murfsmeat (Sep 11, 2017)

i only did the thighs for a flavor profile of a brine i was experimenting with. on comp day i use my drum.


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 11, 2017)

Well if the first half of the cook was good and you didn't change wood then you most likely have a ash/air flow issue. In the firebox is there a grate that the wood sits on while burning? If not get one. Home Depot or Lowes will have something that will work. If it has one and is only 4or so inches from the bottom of the box then get some bricks and raise it up to about 8 inches to give you plenty of air flow. 

how about some picture. That would help us help you.


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## murfsmeat (Sep 12, 2017)

bmudd14474 said:


> Well if the first half of the cook was good and you didn't change wood then you most likely have a ash/air flow issue. In the firebox is there a grate that the wood sits on while burning? If not get one. Home Depot or Lowes will have something that will work. If it has one and is only 4or so inches from the bottom of the box then get some bricks and raise it up to about 8 inches to give you plenty of air flow.
> 
> how about some picture. That would help us help you.


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## murfsmeat (Sep 12, 2017)

BRILLIANT! Couldn't see the forest through the trees. Thanks a million. I am cooking 12 racks of ribs tonight, so details (and photos) to follow


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 12, 2017)

Murfsmeat said:


> BRILLIANT! Couldn't see the forest through the trees. Thanks a million. I am cooking 12 racks of ribs tonight, so details (and photos) to follow



Can't wait.


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 15, 2017)

murfsmeat
 How did it go with the ribs?


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