# Smoking Grate, Baffle, & Fire Box



## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

Does anyone think that my smoking grate may be too low in relation to the fire box?  In other words, If I raise the grate, would that allow/force more heat down to the other end of the smoker, farthest from the fire box?  Thanks


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## graystratcat (Jan 4, 2012)

I have a heavily modified SnP and the placement of your smoking grate looks fine to me.  It also looks like you might have a baffle installed buy typically the exit of the baffle should be lower than the smoking grate.  It's hard to tell in this picture if that's the case.  Also, do you have an internal extension on your smoke stack - the extends the smoke stack to the level of the grate?

Another thing to balance out the heat in these things are tuning plates... keeps the heat lower and more even across the whole cooking chamber....it looks like you may have them installed based on the second picture

-Salt


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## jrod62 (Jan 4, 2012)

that is low. you have a picture of inside of smoker?  grate should be above the opening


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)




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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

It seems to me that with all the heat in the fire box and with the baffle and tuning plates, more heat should be moving toward the end opposite the fire box for equal heat distribution.  But I looked at the grate level in relation to the fire box and it seemed to leave only a small opeing for heat.  Although, I think most heat leaves through the fire box itself in the form of radiant heat, instead of through the smoker.

Also, what you saw in the first pictures was not the food grate, but another set that came with the smoker, which i laid my tuning plates on.  That doesn't make it right, but it was a good starting point.

Thanks for the replies..keep em coming!  lol  I need help!

Tony


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

Also, I posted more pic, but since I am new, they are awaiting moderation.


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## graystratcat (Jan 4, 2012)

GrayStratCat said:


> I have a heavily modified SnP and the placement of your smoking grate looks fine to me.  It also looks like you might have a baffle installed buy typically the exit of the baffle should be lower than the smoking grate.  It's hard to tell in this picture if that's the case.  Also, do you have an internal extension on your smoke stack - the extends the smoke stack to the level of the grate?
> 
> Another thing to balance out the heat in these things are tuning plates... keeps the heat lower and more even across the whole cooking chamber....it looks like you may have them installed based on the second picture
> 
> -Salt


OK, I went and got my glasses 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





and after taking another look, jrod62 might be right.  It's kind of hard to tell exactly where the smoking grate is...and a shot of the inside - as jrod62 says - would clear this up quick.  I'm wondering if that grate isn't the one you can use to hold charcoal inside the cooking chamber to make the whole thing a charcoal grill?

-Salt


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## africanmeat (Jan 4, 2012)

Do you have a problem at this moment with the heat in your smoker ?

can you take a photo from a distends so i can see the size of the smoker ?


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

GrayStratCat said:


> OK, I went and got my glasses
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I am sure that's what it is for.  But does that mean that my tuning plates still may be too low in relation to the fire box?


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

africanmeat said:


> Do you have a problem at this moment with the heat in your smoker ?
> 
> can you take a photo from a distends so i can see the size of the smoker ?


1)  Yes.  I get high heat near the fire box and much lower heat opposite it. 

2)  Sure, gimme a few.  And also, they are still moderating my posts, so bare with me.


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

africanmeat said:


> can you take a photo from a distends so i can see the size of the smoker ?




ok, camera batter is dead.  However, I did find a similar one to mine here:  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/51093/bar-b-chef-offset-smoker

I also saw their stock baffle here:  http://assets.smokingmeatforums.com/d/d7/525x525px-LL-d7b08644_vbattach10936.jpg

Though mine does not have that, (older version) their baffle is at the top of the fire box!  I think that may have answered my question, but you guys' imput is still sought after.  Thanks


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## alelover (Jan 4, 2012)

This is how high mine sits.


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## africanmeat (Jan 4, 2012)

Hi first your low grid blocks some of the heat . the smoking grid is in the right place,and you have too many tuning plates it does not allow the heat to create  swirl

 i would start from zero. is your low grid one piece ?if not i will move it to the opposite side 2 inch so i will have more heat in the smoking area put only on (the big one) tuning plate

and measure the tempe  in this smoker it will never be the same tempe but it will be close.ahh don't put the drip pane in the smoker(the aluminum one).

if the low grid is one piece just move the tuning plate till the lip. so more heat will go through.

let give it a try.


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## graystratcat (Jan 4, 2012)

Alelover, maybe I'm just being a bit dense today on this one but... it that a shot of your charcoal basket sitting inside your firebox or a shot of your actual smoking grate inside the smoking chamber?


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

africanmeat said:


> Hi first your low grid blocks some of the heat . the smoking grid is in the right place,and you have too many tuning plates it does not allow the heat to create  swirl
> 
> i would start from zero. is your low grid one piece ?if not i will move it to the opposite side 2 inch so i will have more heat in the smoking area put only on (the big one) tuning plate
> 
> ...


Funny, I actually DID use drip pans!  lol  I will remove them.  My low grid is in two pieces.  I will remove a tuning plate...the smaller one farthest from the fire box.   I am doing a smoke as we speak and have raised the lower grate an inch or two to allow more heat into the smoker and not just out of the fire box via radiant heat.  And actually, so far so good.  Still have a 25 degree temp variance, but I did manage to allow more heat into the chamber.  Since I am mopping every hour, I rotate the food somewhat.  It's looking good.  I'll send a photo when done.  Spare ribs by the way.

Oh, I do think that I need a very full basket to maintain temp for 5 hours.  I filled 3/4 full today and had to add more after 2 hours.  But, all in all, it's looking good. Just a little more tweaking.  Thanks


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## toekneemac (Jan 4, 2012)

Ok  All done with my spares.  

1)  I used the 3-2-1 method.  Perfect.

2)  I burned a whole basket of charcoal.  Plus a split log.  Plus some left over lump charcoal.  All for a 6 hour burn.  Is that much...normal?  My area temp outside was, hmmm, 70-75 degrees maybe.

3)  The far end opposite the fire box held 220-225.  The fire box end held 250 or so.  I read the thermometers and moved the meat accordingly.  Lifting my tuning plate level up, seemed to allow more heat into the chamber AND, was better able to control the temps.   I will remove the last tuning plate and I may be able to equalize the temps even better.  I need to re-work my baffle and secure my tuning plate height in a more permanent way, but that did seem to help.

4)  The ribs came out perfect, even juicy in the thickest area. I basted it with my sauce every hour, top and bottom.  I need a better rub, because the only downside to the whole thing was the rub.  It's a bit to...rich tasting.  I need a more straight shootin rough hewn rub, lol

5)  Horrible pictures.  And we ate some...it was a half slab lol


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## africanmeat (Jan 5, 2012)

It looks great .you knew what to do you just needed to regroup well done.


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## bud1955 (Jan 5, 2012)

Shouldn't the exhaust be at the other end fo teh smoke area?  It looks like the smoke comes into the smoke area and the directly out the stack.  It does not seem to swirl with the meat at all.  Maybe I just do not understand the mechanics of the smoker

Bud


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## jrod62 (Jan 5, 2012)

You got it now . Ribs looks good.Thumbs Up


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## alblancher (Jan 5, 2012)

Valid point Bud

But it really depends on how the extended stack affects smoke flow.  With the stack at grate level there is a possibility the smoke swirls around the top of the smoker and over the food before exiting.

If the tuning plates and shield are going to prevent the smoke rising as it enters the cook chamber, forcing the smoke to the end of the smoker where the exhaust vent is there is a possibility that you will not get "rolling" smoke.   Just my opinion, but I am always looking for moving smoke.  The tuning plates heat up providing a more even source of heat in the smoker which in itself is a tremendous advantage over standard offset smokers


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## alelover (Jan 5, 2012)

GrayStratCat said:


> Alelover, maybe I'm just being a bit dense today on this one but... it that a shot of your charcoal basket sitting inside your firebox or a shot of your actual smoking grate inside the smoking chamber?




That is the fire box with the ash tray pulled out. Here a better view.


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## graystratcat (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks alelover, that's about how high mine is in my SnP.


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## toekneemac (Jan 5, 2012)

Thanks for the support guy's.  Just to be clear what I did, if you look at the second picture in this thread, that is through the fire box looking into the smoke chamber.  I simply raised the grat that you see, up, to allow more heat into the smoking chamber.  I do have a baffle installed, but 1) it is only 20ga steel and 2) I believe that heat can transfer through that easily.  So I needed to allow more heat (and smoke) underneath my tuning plates which essentially forces heat under the food down to the opposite end of the smoker chamber.  Nothing really new, same principle, just needed some tweaking.  To other newbies: It pays to use common sense sometimes.  And common sense also means to learn from those who have been doing what you want to learn.  And to know that not all things are the same and what works for one, may not work for others.  I'll be around here guys, I like this site.


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## toekneemac (Jan 5, 2012)

alelover said:


> That is the fire box with the ash tray pulled out. Here a better view.


So in other words, the hole to allow heat into the chamber, is larger than the top to bottom of your baffle?  If that makes any sense?  lol


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## toekneemac (Jan 5, 2012)

alblancher said:


> Valid point Bud
> 
> But it really depends on how the extended stack affects smoke flow.  With the stack at grate level there is a possibility the smoke swirls around the top of the smoker and over the food before exiting.
> 
> If the tuning plates and shield are going to prevent the smoke rising as it enters the cook chamber, forcing the smoke to the end of the smoker where the exhaust vent is there is a possibility that you will not get "rolling" smoke.   Just my opinion, but I am always looking for moving smoke.  *The tuning plates heat up providing a more even source of heat in the smoker which in itself is a tremendous advantage over standard offset smokers*


How do you feel about ceramic tuning plates as opposed to heavy guage steel?


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## alblancher (Jan 6, 2012)

I really am the last person to have an opinion on this because I am not at all mechanically inclined.  Does the ceramic heat up and distribute heat or do they tend to just move the heat along.  Are they conductors or insulators?  What are you trying to achieve.  I really like the way the heavy steel heats up in a Lang and not only distributes the heat more evenly it also acts as a sizzle pan recycling the drippings into steam.


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## graystratcat (Jan 6, 2012)

Al you hit it on the head, most ceramics are insulators - think about the space shuttle tiles.  I believe ceramic tiles would tend make hot and cold spots in the chamber rather than balance the heat evenly.  I really think metal makes better tuning plates than ceramics would, IMVHO.

-Salt


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## toekneemac (Jan 6, 2012)

GrayStratCat said:


> Al you hit it on the head, most ceramics are insulators - think about the space shuttle tiles.  I believe ceramic tiles would tend make hot and cold spots in the chamber rather than balance the heat evenly. * I really think metal makes better tuning plates than ceramics would*, IMVHO.
> 
> -Salt


That makes sense.  I'll pick up some 3/16-1/4 steel and try that.


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## toekneemac (Jan 8, 2012)

I removed all ceramic tuning plates.  The baffle remained but really didn't do much without the tuning plates.  There was no heat equality, however, controlling heat was easy.  I simply placed the food where the heat was right.  Brined cornish hens.  The only thing is maybe next time I will use a bit more smoke.


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## jman7177 (Mar 22, 2015)

OK i am so new to smoking but so excited to have a char griller 2121 with fire box .so did a little reading yesterday and lit a fire 3 hours later and a bag of charcoal temp never got above 150 on gauge epic fail need a lot of advice if anyone has it


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