I have been smoking on a WSM for some time, and have recently become
the proud owner of a Pitts & Spitts U-2436 offset smoker. I'm doing
my first smoking today (already 5 hours into it) and have been surfing
to find tips.

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Also, Pitts & Spitts says to fill the bottom of the barrel with water
for moisture and easy cleanup purposes (it has a ball valve to drain
it). How important is this to do?

Any other tips or tricks for a new offset owner?

Russ wrote:
I have been smoking on a WSM for some time, and have recently become
the proud owner of a Pitts & Spitts U-2436 offset smoker. I'm doing
my first smoking today (already 5 hours into it) and have been surfing
to find tips.

Nice rig, I'm jealous.
http://www.pitts-spitts.com/catalog_...ml?catId=37018


How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Using straight wood I've found it's easy to oversmoke. Seems to be a couple
of tricks to keep the smoke from overwhelming, a few of these are covered in
the FAQ IIRC. Don't use big logs (like I did), seems 10L X 2W (approx. of
course) is the preferred size. Some say if you cant preburn your wood down
to coals to preheat them. I know I read how some would put the wood on that
flat surface over the burn chamber that you have to get the wood real hot
beforehand. Makes the wood light up that much faster and reduces smoke. I
mostly use lump, am still a novice with wood myself. But that's where my
thinking is for myself.
Anyway, if you can get GOOD lump, I would and supplement it with raw wood.
(Good lump=oak/hardwood) Royal Oak and Lazzari are the only two good brands
I know about. But that's me.

Any other tips or tricks for a new offset owner?

This is your first one? Then I might suggest you try what was suggested to
me by Hound, this first season keep your exhaust and intake vents wide open
and learn how to manage your fire size. After you get comfortable with that
then you can start playing with the intake vent, always keeping the exhaust
open. I followed that advice and have found it to be very useful. Sure was a
PITA that first summer though, gotta admit. Spikes and lows all over the
damn place. But short term pain for long term gain I figure. I also finally
figured out that those spikes dont hurt the meat any and calmed down. You'll
see some here that BBQ as high as 400F, so if you are trying for 250-275
your spikes wont even reach that, and BBQ cuts are forgiving anyway.

Have you got a Polder temp. probe? Does the exhaust vent reach down to the
cooking surface or lower? If not you want to extend it.

Damn but I've gone on long enough, good beer, good eat, welcome and enjoy.

D
--

Russ wrote:

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Personally, if I'm using straight wood I *always* pre-burn, otherwise
it's way too easy to get too much smoke. I mostly use oak lump and,
other than the initial chimney load I start with, I do not pre-burn
the lump when adding to the fire.

I might prefer a more subtle smoke flavor than others, though.

Dana

On 8-May-2004, (Russ) wrote:

I have been smoking on a WSM for some time, and have recently become
the proud owner of a Pitts & Spitts U-2436 offset smoker. I'm doing
my first smoking today (already 5 hours into it) and have been surfing
to find tips.

Tutall wrote some good tips. Be prepared to be frustrated at first. Offsets
can be a real bitch compared to a WSM, but worth the effort in the end.
I'm cooking on an NB Silver offset and I like it. Don't even think about
damping down on the stack damper. Get a good sized stack of coals
going before you add your meat. Watch the size of your wood. I agree
with Tutall on 10" X 2". Always add fuel before your fire gets too low to
ignite it quickly. Like Tutall said, don't frett about temp spikes, just
watch your food and if the meat closest to the fire gets ahead of the
rest some, then move it to the other end and vice versa. The law that
says peeking ain't cooking doesn't mean you can't tend to it at all.
The first time you get a chance to cook for an army, you're reall gonna
appreciate that Pitts & Spitts. Don't worry about how you're gonna
tend a fire for 12 or 18 hours. Nothing is going to take that long, not
even a packer cut brisket.
--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

"Dana Myers" wrote in message news:409d16b3@wobble
Russ wrote:

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Personally, if I'm using straight wood I *always* pre-burn, otherwise
it's way too easy to get too much smoke. I mostly use oak lump and,
other than the initial chimney load I start with, I do not pre-burn
the lump when adding to the fire.

I might prefer a more subtle smoke flavor than others, though.

Dana

I've never been able to achieve this mythic condition of "oversmoked". I
guess i'm not into subtlety.

JD

I guess that might explain how you can't tell the difference between fire smoked
and liquid smoked.....You have absolutely NO taste......




"JD" wrote in message
...
"Dana Myers" wrote in message news:409d16b3@wobble
Russ wrote:

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Personally, if I'm using straight wood I *always* pre-burn, otherwise
it's way too easy to get too much smoke. I mostly use oak lump and,
other than the initial chimney load I start with, I do not pre-burn
the lump when adding to the fire.

I might prefer a more subtle smoke flavor than others, though.

Dana

I've never been able to achieve this mythic condition of "oversmoked". I
guess i'm not into subtlety.

JD

"Green-eggs-and-Spam" wrote in message
s.com
I guess that might explain how you can't tell the difference between
fire smoked and liquid smoked.....You have absolutely NO taste......

What kind of pussy comes out of left field with an anonymous comment like
that?

JD




"JD" wrote in message
...
"Dana Myers" wrote in message news:409d16b3@wobble
Russ wrote:

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of
that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Personally, if I'm using straight wood I *always* pre-burn,
otherwise
it's way too easy to get too much smoke. I mostly use oak lump and,
other than the initial chimney load I start with, I do not pre-burn
the lump when adding to the fire.

I might prefer a more subtle smoke flavor than others, though.

Dana

I've never been able to achieve this mythic condition of
"oversmoked". I guess i'm not into subtlety.

JD

"Russ" wrote in message

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Depends on ow well you can control the fire. The reason many pre-burn is to
avoid a sooty creosote condition from too much wood burning too cool. Adding
small pieces of wood periodicly is preferable to tossing in a big log.

If you have a nice delicate smoe flavor, you are doing it right. if it is
at all bitter and black, yo are burning too cold.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"Russ" wrote in message
How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? Also,


Have been Q'ing for over 40 years and always use just wood. I have never
pre-burned, but offer the following suggestions ------

Season wood for at least one year - less tar and lighter smoke.

Pull all the loose bark off wood, seems this is where so much of the bitter
smoke comes from.

Never Never close your chimney vent. Keep the smoke flowing. The only
exception to this might be to temporarily bring an out of control fire under
control.

It is okay to use the lower vent to control temp - this is done in
combination with the amount of wood in fire box. It is preferable to
always have some air flowing through bottom vent through so the smoke flows
over/around the meat and out the top. If smoke does not flow, it leaves a
bitter taste.

That's about all I can think of right now.

Bob

"There is plenty of room for God's creatures - right between the green beans
and the baked potato."

Oops. Wish I would've asked this sooner. Both of my briskets look
like a huge lump of lump coal.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message ...
"Russ" wrote in message

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Depends on ow well you can control the fire. The reason many pre-burn is to
avoid a sooty creosote condition from too much wood burning too cool. Adding
small pieces of wood periodicly is preferable to tossing in a big log.

If you have a nice delicate smoe flavor, you are doing it right. if it is
at all bitter and black, yo are burning too cold.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome

"Russ" wrote in message
om...
Oops. Wish I would've asked this sooner. Both of my briskets look
like a huge lump of lump coal.


Brisket will sometimes do that, especially if you have any sugar in the rub.
More important, how do they taste?

Hi Russ,

Comments in the body.

Have Fun and I Hope This Helps,

TomD


"Russ" wrote in message
om...
I have been smoking on a WSM for some time, and have recently become
the proud owner of a Pitts & Spitts U-2436 offset smoker. I'm doing
my first smoking today (already 5 hours into it) and have been
surfing
to find tips.


Nice set-up.

There is a teperature gradient on this guy that runs from the firebox
to the other end. After you "get the feel" for stable temperature
control, measure the temp from one end of the grate to the other and
from front to back. Not science, but temperature differences give
different cooking times. I use an oven calibration thermometer.
Whatever works and you only need to do this once.

If the thermometer is in the lid, calibrate it periodically (boiling
water, thermocouple, etc.) or measure the temperature a different way.
Banging the lid open and closed is not good for the accuracy of the
thermometer.

Like the others said, temperature control is done by adjusting the
size of your fire. Add a little fuel every so often throughout the
cooking. If it is too hot you added too much wood, too cold and you
added too little. If you have to adjust the inlet damper you screwed
up. If you have to adjust the outlet damper, you REALLY screwed up
and need to watch the fire for smoldering. You will just have to get
the feel of the pit. Not at all difficult or inconvenient once you
"get the feel" of your pit.

How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Try both ways. I use "seasoned" wood and add it directly to the fire.
Some sticks have bark and others do not. Remove the bark that YOU do
not like the look of or smell of when burned. I find it helpful to
preheat a couple of sticks on the firebox so that they ignite quickly
when added to the fire.

Different woods are different with regards to heat content, flavor,
etc.


Also, Pitts & Spitts says to fill the bottom of the barrel with
water
for moisture and easy cleanup purposes (it has a ball valve to drain
it). How important is this to do?

Try both ways, but I suggest you stick to one until you have good
temperature control. The water should help with temperature swings in
either direction and you will need 1 or 2, 5 gallon plastic pails to
drain the water from the pit. Be careful when draining hot water,
especially after a few beers. You can always wait until the next day
to drain.


Any other tips or tricks for a new offset owner?

At first, don't invite others to eat your barbecue. You may have to
eat out that night.

The points are OK, the flat is dry as a bone. Looks like I'll be
making chopped beef (bbq'ed beef).

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message ...
"Russ" wrote in message
om...
Oops. Wish I would've asked this sooner. Both of my briskets look
like a huge lump of lump coal.


Brisket will sometimes do that, especially if you have any sugar in the rub.
More important, how do they taste?

On 9-May-2004, "TomD" wrote:
snip
Like the others said, temperature control is done by adjusting the
size of your fire. Add a little fuel every so often throughout the
cooking. If it is too hot you added too much wood, too cold and you
added too little. If you have to adjust the inlet damper you screwed
up. If you have to adjust the outlet damper, you REALLY screwed up
and need to watch the fire for smoldering. You will just have to get
the feel of the pit. Not at all difficult or inconvenient once you
"get the feel" of your pit.

Best advice I've seen lately. TomD has a way with words that I lack.
Cooking with 'raw' wood is both a treasue and a curse. It's difficult
at first. TD pretty well summed it up. Practice, practice and then
practice some more. You wouldn't believe how easy it gets when
you develop a little expertise and quit worrying about it.
--
M&M ("When You're Over The Hill You Pick Up Speed")

JD wrote:
"Dana Myers" wrote in message news:409d16b3@wobble

Russ wrote:


How important is it to pre-burn? I haven't been doing this so far,
seems like a royal PITA to me. Does it make a huge difference? If
you use Pecan vs Oak or Hickory do you still need to preburn? I am
using straight wood for fuel, I started with Oak and ran out of that
so i'm using Pecan now.

Personally, if I'm using straight wood I *always* pre-burn, otherwise
it's way too easy to get too much smoke. I mostly use oak lump and,
other than the initial chimney load I start with, I do not pre-burn
the lump when adding to the fire.

I might prefer a more subtle smoke flavor than others, though.

Dana


I've never been able to achieve this mythic condition of "oversmoked". I
guess i'm not into subtlety.

I tried using straight wood in my WSM once (once was enough) without
pre-burning, and everything ended up covered with creosote. It wasn't
subtle at all. I was assuming that's what people meant by "oversmoked".