# Tuning an Oklahoma Joe



## morning wood (Dec 8, 2012)

I have been offered an older 16" Oklahoma Joe smoker in trade.  It is the model with both horizontal and vertical tubes.  The gages are Brinkman and I have been told that this smoker was made at the same time that Oklahoma Joes was bought out.  Don't know much history on the brand but from what I have read it looks like they have a good reputation and quite the following.

The gentelman trying to get rid of this unit says that he typically gets 150 degrees difference between the two tubes.  Has anyone tuned one of these to get a more uniformed heat distribution?  If so what needs to be done?


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## daveomak (Dec 9, 2012)

Post a picture.... I don't know what they look like.....  Dave


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## morning wood (Dec 9, 2012)

this is the one being offered.  Guy says it was custom made to be "left handed".

I have been up close with this and really like it. It is built sturdy with +/- 1/4" plate and fully welded. But there will be times that I will want to use both chambers to cook and the heat difference he is noticing could be challenging.  I am sure i can get the horizontal tube tuned to reduce hot spots but I'm not sure how, if it is possible, to get the vertical to match or come close to the same temp as the horizontal.













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__ morning wood
__ Dec 9, 2012


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## daveomak (Dec 9, 2012)

If it has "tuning plates".... using an infra red non contact therm, space the plates until they are the same, or close, temp.....   Post #3 has a very good explanation on "theory of operation" of a SFB smoker....  

*http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/54542/building-an-italian-offset-smoker*

I'm not sure, but using both chambers to cook in.....  The smoker is not designed for that....   Unless you can cook stuff at a low temp, the vertical unit is designed to keep food warm.....  The heat loss, due to surface area of the cook chamber, won't allow the vert. to get up to temp...  Physics.... Dave


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## morning wood (Dec 9, 2012)

it currently doesn't have the plates but if I get this it will before the first use.  I just don't know if tuning the horizontal will help tune the vertical.  I would guess that i could get the temp difference better than 150 as the current owner states by just tuning the horizontal but I have no hands on experience with this.


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## rickw (Dec 9, 2012)

I'd bet a tuning plate like the one offered by Horizon would go a long way to help even out the temps of the two chambers.


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## morning wood (Dec 10, 2012)

I just got on Horizons website and this is the same thing as their 16" Ranger.  The description they give states that the horizontal tube will cook at 250 for hours and the vertical at 160-200.  Not exactly what the current owners end results are said to be but at least it looks like I should be able to get the two tubes within 50 degrees of each other with some proper tuning.

Thank you both very much.


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