# Heat sinks



## cansmoke (Aug 11, 2013)

I was reading a thread on using sand or a brick, covered in aluminum fol instead of water.

I use a CharGriller barrel offset smoker and have had issues [see posts elsewhere] about temperature control.

If I understand this correctly, the brick or sand help to keep the inside of the unit temperature.  

Which works best?

How many bricks do you use? My unit is about 760 sq. inches plus offset.

Do you use water as well?

I know, lots of questions!


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## daveomak (Aug 11, 2013)

Cansmoke, morning.......   Bricks, sand, steel etc. all create thermal mass to reduce temp. fluctuations.... The more mass, the more even the temps will be.....    Water stops the temp of the smoker from going much above 220 and fill the smoker with moisture....    My opinion of the water pan is, manufacturers added that device so they wouldn't have to design and build a smoker with good temperature controls....  Properly sized propane burner that was adjustable, as an example....

Water has it's place in a smoker, keeping the humidity at a point where things won't dry out......  I use it now, thanks to forluvofsmoke and his tutorial on smoking brisket...  It is used at the start of the cook and removed during the bark formation so the meat will seal and retain the moisture...  

Of course there are hundreds of methods to smoke stuff and there are no wrong methods....  It's what you prefer that counts......  

Dave


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## cansmoke (Aug 12, 2013)

DaveOmak,

Thanks for the reply.

I may try the brick in foil to moderate the temps. There's a brisket in the freezer that really needs to get out there and smoked.


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## jarjarchef (Aug 12, 2013)

When I had my off set I had tuning plates that ran along the length of the smoker. I would place heat resistant tiles on top of the metal plates for added heat sync mass.

If you go with the sand or even the brick you will want to have the heat pass under it and not over it.

I will look to see if I still have pictures of my set up. If I do I will post them for you. I had a hard drive crash and i think those were on it.


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## themule69 (Aug 12, 2013)

Dave has you covered. Remember to post pics of the brisket.

Happy smoken.

David


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## cansmoke (Aug 18, 2013)

Pics plz!  The brisket is likely going on next weekend. [I hope]


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## cansmoke (Aug 19, 2013)

Yesterday, I cooked some country ribs indirect (not enough time to smoke 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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I put a brick down beside the coals as well as a water pan.  The temp at first stopped climbing at 285 instead of 350 like it has before.  Considering I was cooking indirect, I was aiming for 325.  I added cold charcoal several times to keep the temp.

Do you use both brick & water?  Should the brick have been above the coals on the grill?

(The country ribs turned out, just wanna improve.

I am using a chargriller offset pro with briquettes.


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