# Fire keeps going out...



## fmradio516 (Sep 21, 2018)

Hello,

I am having an issue with my big barrel offset smoker. I used to use chimneys of coal and one chunk of wood at a time. Would replenish that basically every hour. It worked great temp wise. One time i even went and got an annual checkup at the doctor and came back and it was still at 200!

Now I recently started using 10-12 inch pieces of seasoned hickory or oak. I'll open up the fire box and throw a piece of wood onto the flame(Which is in the steel charcoal box that I built and is kept elevated for proper airflow). I let the piece flame up and get charred on all sides and then i close the fire box. The temp will go up super high for a bit, but then eventually die down and the fire will go completely out. This is with the vents wide open and absolutely no ash under the firebox.

Any help would be appreciated.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan (Sep 21, 2018)

Do you have a pic of the charcoal box and setup? Expanded metal?  Fire needs fuel and oxygen to burn. Sounds like fuel isn't the issue so there must be a choke point somewhere on air.


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## azhunter (Sep 21, 2018)

Possibly the wood isn't cured?


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 21, 2018)

What is your exhaust set at?


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## fmradio516 (Sep 21, 2018)

I paid a stupid amount of money for the wood from a BBQ online store and the oak is light colored + sounds cured when knocked together. 

My exhaust is set wide open as is my intake.

The charcoal box is the expanded steel type. lots of holes for airflow. And like I said earlier, I have the box lifted up off the bottom of the fire box so there is tons of air beneath it. 

I just finished a brisket and after posting this, I began adding extra pieces of wood (2-3 pieces at a time) and it seemed to do better. I even was able to close the intake halfway. Maybe this wood is too cured and burns out quickly? When the flame goes out in the box, the wood is charred through, but still a solid piece. Maybe thats just how it is.


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## Compressor59 (Oct 11, 2018)

I'm a new to smoking.  It sounds like you need to get a good coal bed going and add the wood sooner or the wood is still wet.


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