# offset vertical smoker, fire control help



## tragusa113 (May 15, 2017)

So i am new to smoking, and I bought a dyna-glo offset vertical smoker.  first time i used it i used a combination of charcoal and wood chips and the pork shoulder and flat brisket came out great.  next talking to a coworker who bought the same smoker, he used all wood.  so I decided to try it out.  I started with charcoal as a base and starter, got temp up and put on my ribs and one hickory mini log, first two hours were good, steady temp and good smoke, but when it was time to feed the fire to get the temp back up I put more wood in and when the logs started to burn the flames started to go into the main chamber, and got the temp up way too high, 350, 375. my main question is am I supposed to have flames inside the firebox ever or just smoldering wood.  cause I had a really hard time with just adding wood to keep the cooking going.


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## mops and hops (May 15, 2017)

Having made a couple offset smokers and a dynaglo owner I think your issue might be too much wood/coals and a lack of a baffle between ur firebox and cooking cavity. Some Charcoal and hardwoods will keep 250 temp range for a long time if weather conditions are good. So you may want to add less wood. Tossing on a pile of Small Split wood burns higher and whiter smoke if u just toss it on. Big branches and logs burn slower and steady low if draft is controlled. As far as the flame in the cooker issue goes I kno that Dynaglo makes a good product but I think a quick fix would be a leaning cookie sheet to stop flames or if U have the tools, tack weld some metal playing that extends halt the width of the cooking chamber. Lots of guys modify smokers from the factory. It takes a while to figure out how each smoker burns but eventually u will figure out how to vent and draft and when to add wood to the smoker.


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## daveomak (May 15, 2017)

Try adding one split at a time...   more frequently...  splits about the size 1 1/2" square or so...


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## tragusa113 (May 15, 2017)

So the wood should be burning, or smoldering?


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## daveomak (May 15, 2017)

Smoldering...    May start out with a bit of flame then settle into a smolder and charring..    Flame consumes smoke...   If you put 2 splits in at one time, do not put them next to each other..  they will flame...  separate them by a couple inches..     You can test that theory out easy enough...


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## tragusa113 (May 15, 2017)

thank you guys, I will test out the tips and ket you all know how it came out


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## tragusa113 (May 15, 2017)

one more question to add.  I read and here about not over smoking the meat.  but if Im doing a long cook with just wood, how can I not over smoke it?


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## mops and hops (May 15, 2017)

Some people don't like the amount of bark a long smoke will put on. But i am not one of these people and I don't worry about any of that. Sometimes I foil last parts of cook and sometimes I don't. Trial and error.


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## daveomak (May 15, 2017)

Throw a couple of splits on together to create flame...  Open the upper FB air inlet to keep the CC cool if needed....  close down the lower air inlet to keep the fire low...    Flame will eat the smoke if needed...    OR...   keep going as you are and test the smokiness of the meat...   The more experiments you run, the more smoked food to eat... 













Smoker Exh and Intakes 2.jpg



__ daveomak
__ Apr 17, 2017


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