# Advice needed on OK joe highland mods



## atomicsmoke (Jul 25, 2018)

A while ago i was seeking input on a comparison between OK Joe highland and WSM. 

Since then i also started looking at the RF version of the Highland and decided to go for it.

I picked up a mod kit: RTV, gasket, clamps. 

Will be assembling tomorrow.

New to mods so here are some dumb questions:

1. Apply RTV before assembling or after - just before tightening the screws (for: firebox joint to the CC, the two halves of the FB and the stack)? 

2. How long it needs to cure (RTV)?
3. Does the self stick gasket need time cu cure after application?
4. There is a gap between the ash door and the firebox. Should i use gasket there as well? 
5. Best position for clamps?


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## doughboyb (Jul 25, 2018)

1. Before assembly, you may need an extra set of hands or it'll get messy. I used a floor jack to lift the firebox, worked great.
2. No idea, I think I gave it 24 hours then did my initial burn in
3. No
4. No, you will need all the airflow you can get. Only time I can see it being "beneficial" is for if you would ever want to smother the fire and shut it down. I leave my whole firebox door open 90% of the time.
5. I don't use them, but I would imagine you want to place them wherever the out of round spot is. Could be best at top, middle or bottom. Depends.

Good luck and congrats on the new toy!


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## Berettaclayshooter (Jul 26, 2018)

I just bought one of these as well.  The air flow (draft) SUCKS!  Take the fire box grate and spin it 90 degrees giving you more room under the fire.  I'm coming from a second hand Char griller offset and it flows much better.  I have so far did all the mods you list, although I bought draw latches rather than toggles. I RTVed inside and out around the stack and the block off cap (I used black, hate the look of red on a black smoker.. I'm more than a little anal)

Tomorrow at work I will be making a new stack from some stainless sanitary tubing and a proper 90 elbow which will be 30" end to center.  I plugged in all the dimensions of the smoker into the calculator and the stack is too short, it calls for a height of 27.28".  

I would also advise if you have a grinder or dremel tool to sand off the paint around the fire box opening then apply the gasket, once the paint gets hot it comes off (ask me how I know this..).  Also the gauge on my smoker was off 17 degrees testing with boiling water.  I am determined to make this sucker work to suit being a stick burner.  I will post some pictures when I get the stack installed.


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## RiversideSm0ker (Jul 26, 2018)

My OKJ Highland only has one mod. That’s the gasket around the cook chamber door. Nothing else has been required to produce amazing barbecue. Some of the best meat that I have ever eaten has come from this smoker. My recommendation would be to apply the gasket but forgo those other modifications. Let your smoker determine what mods might be necessary for your own unit. Just because other people have done those mods to their smokers doesn’t mean that they were truly necessary. I almost made all of the same changes to my own smoker in the beginning. I’m happy about listening to my gut and allowing the smoker to run the way it was designed to. Give your OKJ a chance to prove it doesn’t need all of those changes.

George


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## Berettaclayshooter (Jul 27, 2018)




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## atomicsmoke (Jul 28, 2018)

doughboyb said:


> 1. Before assembly, you may need an extra set of hands or it'll get messy. I used a floor jack to lift the firebox, worked great.
> 2. No idea, I think I gave it 24 hours then did my initial burn in
> 3. No
> 4. No, you will need all the airflow you can get. Only time I can see it being "beneficial" is for if you would ever want to smother the fire and shut it down. I leave my whole firebox door open 90% of the time.
> ...


Great idea with the floor jack. I had 2 extra pair of hands but the jack made it easier.


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 28, 2018)

Hearing about the factory therms being notoriously unreliable i got a lavalock therm with the mods kit. The factory therm read 216 in boiling water while lavalock read 208. So ....waste of money. Looks pretty cool though.


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## RiversideSm0ker (Jul 28, 2018)

atomicsmoke said:


> Hearing about the factory therms being notoriously unreliable i got a lavalock therm with the mods kit. The factory therm read 216 in boiling water while lavalock read 208. So ....waste of money. Looks pretty cool though.


My factory supplied gauge fogged up during the first rain so I bought a pair of third party matching gauges. I am pretty sure that this was the set I bought.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RILAWO/?tag=smokingmeatforums-20

They where within one degree in my initial boil test. They are pretty accurate but you have to use them as a basic guide. I use my ThermoPro at grate level to cook by. That being said the door mounted gauges are very consistent in the difference from my grate level readings. I still won’t cook by them by I probably could if I just made the adjustment for the typical difference. I feel pretty confident in recommending these to OKJ owners looking to upgrade.

George


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 29, 2018)

I am not putting down the lavalock therm. Is just that i'd have been happy with the factory therm.

Ofcourse i have probes for grate level measurements.


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 30, 2018)

I sprayed the outside of the firebox with wd40 like i learned here

The seasoning burn went fine. Small leaks here and there even with all the mods. But the rig seem easy to control from the intake. Leaks disapeared once i stabilized it around 250f. I was happy the paint on the FB didnt bubble after 7h. 

Well....it did ...with the first meat smoking run. So wd40 doesnt work either.

The baffle plates (this being the RF version) work well. 10-17F diffeeence between left and right. About 10f between lid therms and grate level probes.

Other than the paint peeling i am a happy camper.

A turkey, some ham (cold smoked first) and some almonds.






I bought a inkbird bluetooth therm. Comes with 6 probes and 3 grate brackets. Works well, pairs with the phone (in an app). Accurate to less than 1F. Inexpensive (from amazon).


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## RiversideSm0ker (Jul 30, 2018)

I had the paint pop on my very first smoke and nothing has ever happened since then. I haven't tried to reapply any of the paint to my firebox yet but I may give it a try. I kind of think that it has to do with the hot coals touching the sides of the firebox. I don't have a charcoal basket but I think that may actually help to keep the paint problems to a minimum. I'm now almost eight months in and that's the only real issue that I've had with the smoker. It doesn't even leak any smoke from the firebox any longer. The constant use has plugged the few gaps that were there in the beginning. I"m happy with my OKJ. If I could get another amazing deal on one I'd buy it without hesitation. Makes me really wonder what a high end unit is like since this has been the best piece of BBQ equipment that I have ever owned. I feel like a pro when I bring my finished meat in and serve it up to my friends and family. I am totally confident that they are going to have a great meal. That's just how I feel when I smoke on my OKJ. 

George


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 30, 2018)

RiversideSm0ker said:


> I had the paint pop on my very first smoke and nothing has ever happened since then. I haven't tried to reapply any of the paint to my firebox yet but I may give it a try. I kind of think that it has to do with the hot coals touching the sides of the firebox. I don't have a charcoal basket but I think that may actually help to keep the paint problems to a minimum. I'm now almost eight months in and that's the only real issue that I've had with the smoker. It doesn't even leak any smoke from the firebox any longer. The constant use has plugged the few gaps that were there in the beginning. I"m happy with my OKJ. If I could get another amazing deal on one I'd buy it without hesitation. Makes me really wonder what a high end unit is like since this has been the best piece of BBQ equipment that I have ever owned. I feel like a pro when I bring my finished meat in and serve it up to my friends and family. I am totally confident that they are going to have a great meal. That's just how I feel when I smoke on my OKJ.
> 
> George


Unit came with a basket so it wasnt the charcoal touching the FB causing the bubbling. It's actually peeling at the top. No biggie....i will get some high temp paint and touch up. I lt's just frustraiting - it's a litttle thing charbroil could have done better. Like you said - this is a great smoker; never owned anything like this. Lots of space, the shelf, don't need to bend down for a bullet setup. The taste of the food ofcourse. 
Thanks for your advice on this and other threads.

Thanksgiving in July dinner on OK Joe Highland


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 30, 2018)

Turkey and vegs in the Highland


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## atomicsmoke (Jul 31, 2018)

I haven't sealed around the stack - so I can turn it 180 deg and use an inexpensive cover for the smoker.


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## RiversideSm0ker (Jul 31, 2018)

Dude that looks delicious. My wife is not fond of smoked poultry so I can’t really try that. I live vicariously through the rest of you for my smoked poultry. Thanks for sharing.

George


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## Berettaclayshooter (Aug 1, 2018)

RiversideSm0ker said:


> Dude that looks delicious. My wife is not fond of smoked poultry so I can’t really try that. I live vicariously through the rest of you for my smoked poultry. Thanks for sharing.
> 
> George



Get Dr BBQ's big book of barbecue, look under the chicken section for his thigh recipe along with the sauce.  It is a total winner, although I have made a rub that I feel is better than the one he has which has too much stuff in it, and I'm not a big cumin or thyme fan.  If you would like my rub recipe, shoot me a PM.


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## E's Smokin (Aug 5, 2018)

I did all the mods as I built it , I had help attaching the fire box to the cook chamber, the RTV was not an issue but it rained for about a week after I built it & it never left my house, I attached the toggle clamps at the bottom edges of the CC, but you can tell because those were the only areas that you could actually push in, the rest of the area around the CC was tight, I use a fire basket & didn't have any peeling paint, but I used cooking spray not WD40, at the recommendation of this forum, everybody that replied to the thread said never use WD40, just use Pam, I actually used Dollar Store butter cook spray, & it worked great
I also added a shelf to my Highland because my hot spot was up high near the stack entrance, so I picked up a 3 inch dryer vent elbow to bring the vent down to grate level , I will see how that goes today
I didn't seal the ash door, I thought about it & decided to see how that affects the fire management , I haven't had a problem with that so far
Good luck with your build, this place is great about helping you out with any questions that you might have


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## atomicsmoke (Aug 6, 2018)

The rig is working nicely. It's big too. Just finished 5 spatchoked chickens on it (peri peri).


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## atomicsmoke (Aug 6, 2018)

I am getting the hang of it: tbs and temp control. Cooked these chickens with 1/3 lump coal in the basket and 3 logs of cherry.


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