# New to StickBurners



## grumpy (Nov 7, 2007)

Howdy.  

I've just recently purchased a stickburner and have never cooked on one before.  I've been cooking on WSMs for a few years and even had a Stumps Gravity Feed smoker for a while.

I'll be looking for tips and tricks on smokin' with the new stickburner.

Thanks.


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## fatback joe (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome to the forum!!


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## cowgirl (Nov 7, 2007)

Hi from Oklahoma Grumpy! Welcome to the SMF.


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## wilson (Nov 7, 2007)

What kind of a stick burner did you get? 
Here are a couple of essentials and all-truesims:
1. Raise the fire grate to be level or just below the openning into the cooking chamber.
2. If your smoker does not have a baffel between the fire box and cooking chamber, make one, what you want is something that will devert the heat down and under the food, and not directly across it. Most stick burners have an opening that is "way to big" and it exposes the cooking chambere to real high heat. Also the food next to the fire box always cooks faster. You will need to rotate your meat throught the cook.
3. Never close the damper on the smoke stack... EVER!
4. If you plan on using Charcoal, build your self a charcoal basket. I'm sure you understnd the reason behind this if you have used a WSM or Stumps.
5. Expect to get some temp swings when using an offset, It's the nature of the beast (unless you have a Kloss or something like that.... if you do your a lucky [email protected]$^#rd) just go with the flow. It ain't no WSM or Stumps
6. Clean burning fires are a must.
7.Get use to the fact you will need to start you fires about an hour or so before your ready to put the meat on. Especialy in winter, I call it waking up the pit.
8. Temps drop when you open them up, if you plan accordingly you can anticpate your need to add fuel before you open it up. This will help to prevent wild temps swings.
9. Pre heat your wood before you add it to the fire by placing it on top of the fire box for a few minutes. This will allow the wood to catch quickly and burn cleanly.
10. Enjoy your new toy and post us some pics!
Good Luck with your new toy.
Ron


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## grumpy (Nov 7, 2007)

Thanks for the welcome(s) and the info.

I have a Gator Pit. Not a big one, just big enough for what I need. The cooking chamber has two pull-out shelves with a charcoal rack below if I want to use it as a grill. The chamber is 40 x 24. Firebox has a grill built in for those thick steaks to cook right over the fire.

Since I knew I'd have some temp control issues, I had them put in tuning plates.

Here's a couple of pics:


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## muddy pond (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome Grumpy to the SMF and thats  nice looking stick smoker.


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## pigcicles (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome to SMF Grumpy. You've come to the right place for info. Nice smoker you picked up. Good call on the tuning plates. Wilson pretty much laid it out on the basics. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Keep Smokin


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## richoso1 (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome to the sMF. You'll find plenty of great advise and tips, and some laughs too! Stick around, it only gets better with time.


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## wilson (Nov 7, 2007)

Like I said in point 5 of my post:
"Your a lucky [email protected]$^rd" Nice Offset Trailer!!!


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## grumpy (Nov 7, 2007)

Thanks Wilson 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I'm looking forward to spending lots of quiet times with it, enjoying an adult beverage or two, watching the smoke drift up into the trees, making the neighbors drool


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## buddy (Nov 7, 2007)

Nice looking rig you got. I have a home built stick burner on a trailer and I enjoy cooking on it.


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## cajun_1 (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome to the SMF 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





       Newbie with a "new" smoker.  Wish it was mine.


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## grumpy (Nov 7, 2007)

Thanks Buddy & Cajun  
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Can't wait to fire it up.  Got a couple of orchards (apple and peach) near me and I've made deals with the owners to get wood from them when it's available.

With a stick burner do you mix woods like I do with wood chunks on my WSM or stay with one kind throughout a cook?


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## buddy (Nov 7, 2007)

You can mix or just use one kind. As far as mixing a couple of different kinds of wood , which ones you mix probably just depends on who you ask . I've done hickory mixed with mesquite on Brisket and I thought it turned out pretty good.Maybe Marvin will put in his opinion , he's been smoking with wood for a long time.


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## msmith (Nov 7, 2007)

Welcome aboard Grumpy glad you joined us. I'm a stick burner also and wouldn't have it any other way. Wilson gave you some very good advise on using your smoker. It usually takes me anywhere from 1 to 1-1/2 hrs to get my barrel up to the temp I cook at. After that I preheat my splits before they go on the fire. When I add a split another one goes inside the fire box to preheat. I mostly use pecan wood and I get a good smoke flavor and just a little sweet taste to the meat. As far as a good mix of wood pecan and hickory are excellent together.


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## Dutch (Nov 7, 2007)

Nice smoker ya got there Grumpy. Give us an update when you do your first smoke on it.


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## kosmo (Nov 7, 2007)

What is a tunning plate ???
Any pictures ???
Help


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## grumpy (Nov 8, 2007)

Kosmo,

Tuning plates help balance the heat across the horizontal space of the cooker, so the side closest the firebox is the same temp as the opposite side.

Here's a link to a slide show about cleaning and seasoning a pit.  You'll clearly see the tuning plates and get an idea of how they work:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=s43jue3.3p4jwu3z&Uy=6uey  4m&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&U  x=0

This isn't my link.  I borrowed it from the GatorPit forum.  I'm sure they won't mind.


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## deejaydebi (Nov 8, 2007)

Welcome Grumpy -

Great pit you got there! Congrats! Can't wait to see what it does! WooHoo!


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## grumpy (Nov 8, 2007)

Thanks for the welcome Marvin, Dutch and Debi.  Glad to be here.

It ain't the cooker I'm concerned with as much as the cook...


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## hawgheaven (Nov 8, 2007)

Welcome aboard Grumpy, glad you joined us! That is a very nice pit ya' got there... can't wait to see it in action!


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