# Never cooked on an offset smoker. What should I cook first?



## Daba's BBQ (Jul 11, 2022)

BTW - I'll be cooking for a family of 4


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## Sven Svensson (Jul 11, 2022)

Pork butt, pulled pork, is the most forgiving cut and not very expensive. It’s how I started out without too much risk.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Jul 11, 2022)

I would go with a good old fashioned pack of wieners. I mean who doesn't love a good wiener? Make sure you probe and don't go over an IT of 285. Should take on some good smoke in the new offset.


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## Marknmd (Jul 11, 2022)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> I would go with a good old fashioned pack of wieners. I mean who doesn't love a good wiener? Make sure you probe and don't go over an IT of 285. Should take on some good smoke in the new offset.


You mean 185?


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 11, 2022)

I decided on a spatchcock chicken. I just picked up a beauty from Whole Foods - about 8 pounds, it is brining as I type this. I figured 275 degrees, over hickory for about 2+ hours should hit the temps I need.


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## McLoven1t562 (Jul 11, 2022)

lol I had to edit my lengthy comment.....yea spatchcock chicken was my recommendation :P 

quicker cook, more even for both meats and easy on the wallet.  

Have fun with it and take pictures!!!


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## SmokinVOLfan (Jul 11, 2022)

Marknmd said:


> You mean 185?


I prefer 285 where they are black and busting at the seams. Slather up a piece of white bread with mayo and slap that baby on there. Its pairs nicely with a Franzia Chardonnay.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 11, 2022)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> I prefer 285 where they are black and busting at the seams. Slather up a piece of white bread with mayo and slap that baby on there. Its pairs nicely with a Franzia Chardonnay.



The blacker the better.  
Black barked wieners are soooo good especially when jammed in between fresh Wallymart buns and drenched with a spicy stone ground brown.  
Pairs equally with Franzia Chillable Red too.


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## Marknmd (Jul 11, 2022)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> I prefer 285 where they are black and busting at the seams. Slather up a piece of white bread with mayo and slap that baby on there. Its pairs nicely with a Franzia Chardonnay.


Haha okay.  Maybe I'll try that some day...


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## tx smoker (Jul 11, 2022)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> I prefer 285 where they are black and busting at the seams. Slather up a piece of white bread with mayo and slap that baby on there. Its pairs nicely with a Franzia Chardonnay.





SecondHandSmoker said:


> The blacker the better.
> Black barked wieners are soooo good especially when jammed in between fresh Wallymart buns and drenched with a spicy stone ground brown.
> Pairs equally with Franzia Chillable Red too.


I'm with you guys on the 280-285 IT and the appearance of the finished product. My preference for toppings though is a squirt of Cheez Whiz and a shot of ketchup. Drink of choice is a grain alcohol sunrise. It's made with Everclear grain alcohol, that fruit punch you get from the store in one gallon plastic jugs, and grenadine. Serve over ice with an olive garnish.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 11, 2022)

tx smoker said:


> I'm with you guys on the 280-285 IT and the appearance of the finished product. My preference for toppings though is a squirt of Cheez Whiz and a shot of ketchup. Drink of choice is a grain alcohol sunrise. It's made with Everclear grain alcohol, that fruit punch you get from the store in one gallon plastic jugs, and grenadine. Serve over ice with an olive garnish.



Now, I'm hungry and thirsty. 
Think I'll go make a TT sammich for lunch and wash it down with an ice cold Stella.


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## jcam222 (Jul 11, 2022)

The actual answer is biscuits and I kid not. Best way to learn cooker hot spots / cold spots


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## CTXSmokeLover (Jul 11, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> Pork butt, pulled pork, is the most forgiving cut and not very expensive. It’s how I started out without too much risk.


I second that. Very easy and cheap and provides a good amount of meat. How I got started as well


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 11, 2022)

Probe states 196 and the temp gauge on the smoker hood states 300


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## bbqjefff (Jul 11, 2022)

The first thing I smoked on my offset was a 16 pound brisket. It took 19 hours to smoke. It was exhausting but the brisket was delicious.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 11, 2022)

The smoke coming out of the chimney is white and whisper thin. But when I open the hood, there is a lot of white smoke. Is this normal for an offset or is this a fire management issue? Again, having never done this before, it is like going from an automatic to a manual transmission.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 11, 2022)

Thanks everyone. I figured out what I did wrong. I needed a much larger coal bed and also needed to let the wood burn down fully. I'm glad I just cooked a whole chicken and not a brisket!

Again, thanks for all of the help and suggestions.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 12, 2022)

Good morning.

Well, that was an adventure. I cannot tell you how much I learned about bbq and an offset rig over the last 24 hours!. Truly amazing.

I don't have to tell any of you that it is all about fire management. You can use rubs, injections, brines, sauces, etc., but without proper fire management - you're toast.

I ran into some trouble at the start and with everyone's help from the forum, I recovered. I didn't kill the bird nor did I kill anyone in my family! It came out very moist, and juicy, and it really was delicious. My only complaint is that it didn't have the color I wanted and enough smoke. I assume that these are both due to the issues I had with the fire. Live and learn.

Here is the final product. - 

Once again, thank you to everyone who offered advice, suggestions, and guidance.

Peace

PS I did throw a pack of hot dogs on as well. I never had a hot dog taste like that - totally different experience. My kids loved them! And yes, they were a deep, dark mahogany color.


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## JckDanls 07 (Jul 12, 2022)

Good deal...  now that you got the first cook under your belt you have a better understanding on how the unit is gonna work in the future. 
If you find it's not enough smoke for you (which is more pronounced the day after). You can add a stick in the firebox off to the side of the fire so it only smolders and doesn't ignite (for a while, it eventually does).


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 13, 2022)

I just picked up an 8-pound, bone-in pork butt that I will attempt to smoke on Thursday. Wish me luck


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## Brokenhandle (Jul 13, 2022)

That whole idea of biscuits placed through out the smoker is a great one and works really well! Unless you have several probes that are calibrated  and you can guarantee as spot on.

Ryan


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 14, 2022)

7/14 - 8:28 am EST

Good morning everyone

I am in the process of smoking a 5-pound pork butt. I placed it on the grill around 7 am after the temps hit around 275-285 degrees. It has now been cooking for 1 hour and 20 minutes. I am using three probes. One in the pork and the other two monitoring the temps in two different locations under the hood. Currently, those probes are reading 246 & 259. The temp on the hood gauge reads 325.

The temps drop constantly and since 7 am, I have added 3 chunks of post oak and a second helping of lump charcoal. At this rate, I'' go through an entire bag of charcoal and one 10-pound of wood. Is such fluctuation normal? Is this the amount of wood and charcoal I will be going through every single time I want to cook? If so, it seems like a huge waste of money and time.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you.

Peace

PS Since I finished typing this, the temps dropped to 212 & 225


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## sawhorseray (Jul 14, 2022)

Running an offset isn't going to be a cheap deal in the city if you have no way to go out and cut your own wood. I live in the desert, hardwood trees don't grow in the desert. 
	

		
			
		

		
	







To run my SQ36 offset I had to buy bags of wood locally or have them delivered from Cabela's. Smoking a porkbutt I'd usually go thru a 50lb bag of hickory, sometimes more. That was one of the major factors in my deciding to get rid of it last fall and replace it with a 26" Weber kettle. No two ways around it, you can buy yourself a truck and a chainsaw, or just order some wood and lump it, wood ain't free. So smoking a 8lb porkbutt would typically take about $35 and 10-11 hours. RAY






						Western BBQ Mini-Logs | Cabela's
					

Buy the Western BBQ Mini-Logs and more quality Fishing, Hunting and Outdoor gear at Bass Pro Shops.




					www.cabelas.com


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## rbnice1 (Jul 14, 2022)

Last cook I did was a short tip cook and in the 3.5 hours I had the smoker going I used half a chimney of charcoal to start it then like 8 - 10 full splits.


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## jcam222 (Jul 14, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> That whole idea of biscuits placed through out the smoker is a great one and works really well! Unless you have several probes that are calibrated  and you can guarantee as spot on.
> 
> Ryan


I mentioned it earlier as well, I think it might have been perceived as a joke but as you say it’s a great way.


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## Carbon1960 (Jul 14, 2022)

Daba's BBQ said:


> I just picked up an 8-pound, bone-in pork butt that I will attempt to smoke on Thursday. Wish me luck


You might consider doing some ribs at 250 or so next, before a butt. Butts are very forgiving but you will be into a long cook, if you get the ribs wrong it will be a 4-6 hour cook and you will learn a lot.


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## one eyed jack (Jul 14, 2022)

bbqjefff said:


> The first thing I smoked on my offset was a 16 pound brisket. It took 19 hours to smoke. It was exhausting but the brisket was delicious.


Major points for "Ain't Sceered"!  Gotta confess brisket is the last thing I would likely choose for the first smoke on an unknown smoker.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 15, 2022)

I will try Al's idea and use the hull to hold the wood/charcoal. Next up will be ribs. I never screwed up ribs in 30 years, so if I have the same issues, then this rig is definitely bye-bye. I listed Thursday afternoon on FB Marketplace, Craigslist, & OfferUp. Not one inquiry yet.


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## Newglide (Jul 15, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> That whole idea of biscuits placed through out the smoker is a great one and works really well! Unless you have several probes that are calibrated  and you can guarantee as spot on.
> 
> Ryan


Biscuit test is great and cheap. I like to use wings too. Gives you the same results as a biscuit but you can eat em when you're done


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## JckDanls 07 (Jul 15, 2022)

Newglide said:


> Biscuit test is great and cheap. I like to use wings too. Gives you the same results as a biscuit but you can eat em when you're done



The biscuits can be ate as well...  Actually they are pretty good...


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## 912smoker (Jul 15, 2022)

JckDanls 07 said:


> The biscuits can be ate as well...  Actually they are pretty good...


And you won't need CPR at checkout 

Keith


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 15, 2022)

I used to buy a cheap loaf of bread and lay the bread slices out on the grate to find the hot and cold spots.


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## Brokenhandle (Jul 15, 2022)

SecondHandSmoker said:


> I used to buy a cheap loaf of bread and lay the bread slices out on the grate to find the hot and cold spots.


Sounds like the start of a great sandwich!

Ryan


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 15, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> Sounds like the start of a great sandwich!
> 
> Ryan


 Or just a bunch of toast.  Who doesn't like toast?


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## fxsales1959 (Jul 15, 2022)

Daba's BBQ said:


> BTW - I'll be cooking for a family of 4


I kinda agree with a pork butt. however if this is your first offset outing. be prepared to babysit nd learn heat management on your offset. it can be a task to not overshoot temps, then maintain with good smoke. it's a long smoke to  get it right.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 15, 2022)

I cooked a pork butt for dinner last night

Here is the final product -


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## CTXSmokeLover (Jul 15, 2022)

Daba's BBQ said:


> I cooked a pork butt for dinner last night
> 
> Here is the final product -



Looks awesome, gotta love that offset bark. Well done


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## 912smoker (Jul 15, 2022)

Daba's BBQ said:


> I cooked a pork butt for dinner last night
> 
> Here is the final product -



Looks good and that settles that 

Keith


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## bauchjw (Jul 15, 2022)

Nice work! Have fun with your new obsession! How was the pork?


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 16, 2022)

it was epic!


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## boykjo (Jul 16, 2022)

Like you I found that my small offset burned a lot of fuel when I first got it. To do a 4 to 8 hr cook it would use more than half a 20 lb bag of charcoal and a bag of wood chunks. Keeping constant temp was  hard when refueling. I did figure out how to manage fuel efficiently and maintain constant temps. Small splits of good dry seasoned wood made the difference. When I added large pieces/chunks of wood temps would drop then overshoot when they burned. Now I use 1 chimney of charcoal and feed small splits of dry seasoned wood to the fire one at a time. They start burning as soon as you put them in and temps stay stable. I think you said your paint was peeling. I thought it could be caused by over fueling with larger pieces or too much wood causing an over temp spike when they burned. 
IMO a reverse flow is best for and offset. I did a mod  to mine and have been happy with it ever since. I also made a wood splitter that works like a charm and turns my large splits of wood into small splits. It will take some time to figure out how your rig runs. This is what I have learned with mine.  Hope this helps.






						braunfel reverse flow modification
					

Got busy this morning and decided to turn my braunfel into a reverse flow. Not happy with the way its hot at one end and cold at the other..... so I found some free plate steel and went to work.....  removed the smoke stack and cut out the stack holder and cut a new hole for holder    prepped...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




Boykjo


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 16, 2022)

Excellent advice. What is the brand/model of the smoker you refer to? I have a cheap Char-Broil 430 - not very good. I used it twice and already painted the firebox 5 times with High Heat Rustoleum. It doesn't do anything, The paint still peels off. 

The firebox on my is very small, maybe 10" w x 12" deep. I can easily get an entire chimney of coal in there along with wood chunks. I went through 12 pounds of charcoal and a 1/2 bag of wood to cook a $8 pork butt. Never again. 

If I am looking at the images correctly, you moved the pipe closer to the firebox and closed off the original location. I am not an engineer, but if you say it works, I believe you. The problem is, I am NOT a welder, nor am I even slightly capable of doing this mod. My brother-in-law is, but he would never take the time to help me (don't ask).

As for wood, I buy chunks. But I do like the split wood idea and the little splitter you made. 

Smokin' Al suggested I not even use the firebox and use the entire grill as an offset instead. he suggested placing the coal/wood on the left side and then using the other side for my meats. I am going to try that for my next cook which will be ribs.

I guess the bottom line here is don't use cheap equipment. I got this as a gift from my Uncle. He died the day before it was delivered. i wish I could afford a much better smoker, but right now that is just not in the cards. My plan is to try to sell this one or use it to learn fire management. Since I know it sucks, there really isn't much more I can do except mods as you and some others have suggested.

I really appreciate your comments and feedback. I just wish I knew how to do these things. It would be a great project for me and I am sure would probably solve the problems I am having.

Peace.


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## boykjo (Jul 16, 2022)

Even though the charbroil 430 is a lower grade offset there's no reason to give up on it. With Al's method I would think you still need a grate for the charcoal to sit on in the chamber to allow air flow around the charcoal and then cook with indirect heat. I recommend first you do a test run with some chicken thighs before jumping into ribs if you are going to use a different method with the 430. I also run my firebox damper wide open 100% of the time and regulate with the stack damper bumping it either way. Just know it requires attention and patience to get a small offset to run with or without mods.


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 16, 2022)

Yes, forgot to mention the grate for the charcoal. I will definitely be using a grate for Al's method. The weather is pretty good here today in NYC and I have nothing to do. I'm going to take you up on the chicken thighs idea and smoke a few pounds shortly. I'll kill some time, have a few beers, read a [bbq] book. I'll post some pics and let you know how things turn out.

Thanks.

Peace


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 17, 2022)

Well, the verdict is in. It is a waste of time and effort. I tried Al's suggestion - didn't work. The depth of the hull is simply too small and it is just not wide enough to make it work. The total width of the cooking surface is just 24" wide. After placing the coals in the hull, I barely had enough room to lay down 6 thighs - if that. Forget about brisket or a rack of ribs. The food got way too close to the charcoal. Instead of smoking it just started to grill. 

In the meantime, I have someone coming by today to (hopefully) buy it. In the meantime, I found a brand new Weber Smokey Moutain on FB Marketplace for $140.


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## boykjo (Jul 17, 2022)

You cant go wrong there... Good luck


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## Daba's BBQ (Jul 17, 2022)

TY


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