Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
Dana H. Myers
 
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Default Longer cooks in my NBS

A while back, I wrote something like:

> So I added a simple baffle to my NBS a while back and
> have done several cooks since, and I must say, what a
> difference. It has changed my fire-tending quite a bit.
> My current simple baffle is an aluminum pie tin shoved
> into the firebox opening so there are openings on either
> side. I immediately found that the fire that used to
> maintain 250F was no longer sufficient, and that the
> firebox damper was more effective than it had been.
>
> So I pretty quickly adjusted to something like a
> minion fire; I dump basically 2 chimneys of lump
> into the firebox and push most it out of the center.
> Then I pour a burning chimney into the depression
> in the center. With the firegrates turned sideways,
> this makes the firebox look pretty full.


[...]

> A single load of fuel goes this way for about 3 hours
> with nothing but infrequent damper adjustments now.
> I need to add fuel after about 3 hours to keep it in
> the 250F range.



Since then, I've been working on longer cooks, 6+ hours
for pork shoulders, stuff like that. I've updated my
technique a little.

For longer cooks, I'll load as much as 3 chimney-loads
in the firebox, dump the lit lump into the center, then
place a couple of good-sized chunks-o-lump on top. I give
the smoker 15 minutes to settle down and put the meat in.

The smoker will come up to 250-275 pretty easily this
way and stay in that range with about one damper adjustment/hour.
I haven't gone all-night with this yet, but I'll add a couple of
decent-sized chunks when the damper requires more than hourly
adjustment; usually this is around the 5-hour mark the first
time, then subsequently more often.

I suppose if I was going 7+ hours a lot, I'd work with moving
the hot lumps to the center and reloading around the perimeter,
this ought to get me back to a 5-hour fueling interval.
Something to work on this spring, I suppose.

Cheers,
Dana
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Thanks for the info Dana. When you say dampner adjustment do you
baically mean you are having to open it?

I love cooking on my NBS but I always feel like its a waste of fuel.
So what exactly did the pie tin do for you then? Are you placing it in
there withot reshaping it somehow? Does it go on the firebox or cooker
side?

Jesse

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Brick
 
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On 14-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:

> A while back, I wrote something like:
>
> > So I added a simple baffle to my NBS a while back and
> > have done several cooks since, and I must say, what a
> > difference.


<snip>

>
> Since then, I've been working on longer cooks, 6+ hours
> for pork shoulders, stuff like that. I've updated my
> technique a little.
>
> For longer cooks, I'll load as much as 3 chimney-loads
> in the firebox, dump the lit lump into the center, then
> place a couple of good-sized chunks-o-lump on top. I give
> the smoker 15 minutes to settle down and put the meat in.
>
> The smoker will come up to 250-275 pretty easily this
> way and stay in that range with about one damper adjustment/hour.
> I haven't gone all-night with this yet, but I'll add a couple of
> decent-sized chunks when the damper requires more than hourly
> adjustment; usually this is around the 5-hour mark the first
> time, then subsequently more often.
>
> I suppose if I was going 7+ hours a lot, I'd work with moving
> the hot lumps to the center and reloading around the perimeter,
> this ought to get me back to a 5-hour fueling interval.
> Something to work on this spring, I suppose.
>
> Cheers,
> Dana



Good information Dana. I benefitted a lot from your post about the minion
(like)
fire. My chimney is extended down to the grill, but I have yet to stuff a
pie tin
in there. Don't know why I've procastinating on that. Great description of
the
effect the pie plate made in yours. (For those that don't understand what
the
pie tin, (baffle) is for, it limits the amount of direct radiant heat that
gets into
the cook chamber. ) The unmodified model is notoriously bad about that. I
don't worry much about extending burn time much further. My pit is about
ten feet from my sliding door and in direct view from inside the house. I
just
let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS thermometer
in
the lid. Then I add about a chimney's worth of lump directly from a three
gallon bucket. Most everything I cook is done in 7 hours or less. Briskets
are about the only exception. They take only 8 to 9 hours. (Cooking at an
indicated 250° to 275°.)

Brick (Keep the shiny side up)

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Dana H. Myers
 
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Brick wrote:

> Good information Dana. I benefitted a lot from your post about the minion
> (like) fire. My chimney is extended down to the grill, but I have yet to stuff a
> pie tin in there. Don't know why I've procastinating on that. Great description of
> the effect the pie plate made in yours. (For those that don't understand what
> the pie tin, (baffle) is for, it limits the amount of direct radiant heat that
> gets into the cook chamber. ) The unmodified model is notoriously bad about that. I
> don't worry much about extending burn time much further. My pit is about
> ten feet from my sliding door and in direct view from inside the house. I
> just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS thermometer
> in the lid. Then I add about a chimney's worth of lump directly from a three
> gallon bucket. Most everything I cook is done in 7 hours or less. Briskets
> are about the only exception. They take only 8 to 9 hours. (Cooking at an
> indicated 250° to 275°.)


Is that an indicated 250-275 on the lid thermometer? I use one of the
temperature probes of the Maverick at grate level, actually at the
base of the extended chimney. The NB thermometer typically reads about
25-50F hotter than at the grate and I basically don't trust it :-). But,
it doesn't really matter what you use as long as you're dialed-in with it.

After thinking about how the baffle would make the fire more controllable,
it occurred to me that I'm now truly measuring the cook chamber temperature
with the baffle in place, and the temperature probe was being heated by
radiant heat previously. So the actual cook chamber temperature might have
been better than I thought it was, but my thermometer was confusing me.

I suppose my thermometer can always be in direct view, since it is a
remote ;-)

Sounds good there,
Dana
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Dana H. Myers wrote:
> Brick wrote:


> After thinking about how the baffle would make the fire more

controllable,
> it occurred to me that I'm now truly measuring the cook chamber

temperature
> with the baffle in place, and the temperature probe was being heated

by
> radiant heat previously. So the actual cook chamber temperature

might have
> been better than I thought it was, but my thermometer was confusing

me.
>
> I suppose my thermometer can always be in direct view, since it is a
> remote ;-)
>
> Sounds good there,
> Dana



When I get about 250 at the built in gauge I swore I measured near the
same at the grate with my polder. The area around the firebox wold be
about 300 at the grate. I stopped using the polder and just keep my
built in therm around 225-250.

Jesse

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Dana H. Myers
 
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wrote:

> I've actually come to like the extra heat around the firebox
> opening/cooking chamber. I have a hard time getting my temp at the
> gauge (built in one near the right side) to get over 250. So I use the
> extra heat from the firebox side to help reduce the fat for ribs etc.


I typically will place the meat as far as possible from the firebox,
though the baffle seems to have largely solved the issue of
uneven temperature in the cook chamber.

Before I added the baffle, and tried to manage the temperature by
adding and removing fuel, I had trouble maintaining a decent
cook temperature.

So then I added a baffle, which made the fire a lot more controllable,
and then I started adding more fuel initially, leaving a hole in the
center for a chimney-load of lit fuel. The fuel load burns out
from the center.

> So by doing this mod do you then need even more fuel I assume?


Well, not really. I put about 3 chimney-loads of fuel in the
firebox and run a grate-level temperature of 250-275 for as long
6 hours. That's less total fuel and a lot less messing around than
when I didn't have the baffle in place.

The other thing I did was turn the bottom grates (the grates on
which the fuel sits) 90 degrees so the fuel is held a couple of
inches higher in the firebox. This seems to have improved the
airflow from the damper opening quite a bit, and it probably
the key to being able to get long, controllable 250F+ cook chamber
temperatures.

I don't know what standard you're using to decide whether
your cooker is using too much fuel; I just focused on getting
a healthy, controllable fire and it seems to have increased
the efficiency.

Cheers,
Dana
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Brick
 
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Default


On 14-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:

> Brick wrote:
>
> > Good information Dana. I benefitted a lot from your post about the
> > minion
> > (like) fire. My chimney is extended down to the grill, but I have yet to
> > stuff a
> > pie tin in there. Don't know why I've procastinating on that. Great
> > description of
> > the effect the pie plate made in yours. (For those that don't understand
> > what
> > the pie tin, (baffle) is for, it limits the amount of direct radiant
> > heat that
> > gets into the cook chamber. ) The unmodified model is notoriously bad
> > about that. I
> > don't worry much about extending burn time much further. My pit is about
> > ten feet from my sliding door and in direct view from inside the house.
> > I
> > just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
> > thermometer
> > in the lid. Then I add about a chimney's worth of lump directly from a
> > three
> > gallon bucket. Most everything I cook is done in 7 hours or less.
> > Briskets
> > are about the only exception. They take only 8 to 9 hours. (Cooking at
> > an
> > indicated 250° to 275°.)


Apoligies to the group for quoting the whole GD thread. As you have seen
I don't have anything to offer the regulars, but he FNG's might learn some-
thing.

>
> Is that an indicated 250-275 on the lid thermometer?


Quote from my original post'

> > "I just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
> > thermometer in the lid.



I use one of the
> temperature probes of the Maverick at grate level, actually at the
> base of the extended chimney. The NB thermometer typically reads about
> 25-50F hotter than at the grate and I basically don't trust it :-). But,
> it doesn't really matter what you use as long as you're dialed-in with it.


My experience is somewhat in conflict with Dana, 'BUT' my meat gets done
several hours earlier then others experience. I've never had a cook go over
9 hours even with a brisket. This would indicate that grate temp must be
much hotter then at the lid, (about 4" from the exhaust stack). Go figure.
Dana's pieplate mod may well be the big difference.

>
> After thinking about how the baffle would make the fire more controllable,
> it occurred to me that I'm now truly measuring the cook chamber
> temperature
> with the baffle in place, and the temperature probe was being heated by
> radiant heat previously. So the actual cook chamber temperature might
> have
> been better than I thought it was, but my thermometer was confusing me.
>
> I suppose my thermometer can always be in direct view, since it is a
> remote ;-)
>
> Sounds good there,
> Dana


It seems that Dana and I are about equally articulate which means that if
you understand what we are talking about, you must be above average
intelligence.

The bottom line is what Dana said. If you're dialed into it, everything
else doesn't matter much. The NBS has a learning curve that might
run some people off. But I love mine. I get good 'Q' out of it every
time. And it has a lot of cooking space. I have yet to ever use the
bottom grates.

Brick (Keep the shiny side up)

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Brick
 
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On 14-Feb-2005, wrote:

> Dana H. Myers wrote:
> >
wrote:
> > > Thanks for the info Dana. When you say dampner adjustment do you
> > > baically mean you are having to open it?
> > >
> > > I love cooking on my NBS but I always feel like its a waste of

> fuel.
> > > So what exactly did the pie tin do for you then?

> >
> > Mostly, I think it blocks the radiant heat from the firebox
> > from getting into the cook chamber. I also think it improves the
> > flow of heat with the damper closed down.

>
>
> I've actually come to like the extra heat around the firebox
> opening/cooking chamber. I have a hard time getting my temp at the
> gauge (built in one near the right side) to get over 250. So I use the
> extra heat from the firebox side to help reduce the fat for ribs etc...
>
> So by doing this mod do you then need even more fuel I assume?
>
> Jesse


Strange how experiences vary. I have no trouble at all driving mine over
400°. I've seen mine go all the way around the dial. The Thermometer is
the stock NBS model and is mounted in the stock mounting hole near
the chimney. My problem is holding the temp below 275°. I usually burn
a combination of Royal Oak lump and oak logs.

Brick (Keep the shiny side up)

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Brick
 
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On 15-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:

> wrote:
>
> > I've actually come to like the extra heat around the firebox
> > opening/cooking chamber.

<snip>
>
> > So by doing this mod do you then need even more fuel I assume?

>
> Well, not really. I put about 3 chimney-loads of fuel in the
> firebox and run a grate-level temperature of 250-275 for as long
> 6 hours. That's less total fuel and a lot less messing around than
> when I didn't have the baffle in place.
>


I haven't added the pie plate yet and I've never achieved a burn on
3 chimneys of fuel longer then two hours.

> The other thing I did was turn the bottom grates (the grates on
> which the fuel sits) 90 degrees so the fuel is held a couple of
> inches higher in the firebox. This seems to have improved the
> airflow from the damper opening quite a bit, and it probably
> the key to being able to get long, controllable 250F+ cook chamber
> temperatures.
>


Before I turned my fire grate(s) (I bought an extra fire grate to take
up the extra space created by turning the grate 90°), I had way too
much trouble controlling the fire. There just wasn't enough airflow
through the fuel after a short burn time.

> I don't know what standard you're using to decide whether
> your cooker is using too much fuel; I just focused on getting
> a healthy, controllable fire and it seems to have increased
> the efficiency.
>
> Cheers,
> Dana


I use about 3 gallons of lump ( I use a 5 gallon bucket to transport
lump from a 40 lb bag to the pit ) to cook ribs and butts and 5 gallons
or even more to cook brisket

Brick (Keep the shiny side up)

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Matthew L. Martin
 
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Brick wrote:

>
> I use about 3 gallons of lump ( I use a 5 gallon bucket to transport
> lump from a 40 lb bag to the pit ) to cook ribs and butts and 5 gallons
> or even more to cook brisket
>


Have you ever tried an extruded charcoal? WalMart had sold some in the
past and Kamado sells it now. It is very dense and produces very little
ash. 16.5# fits in a 1/2 cu foot box.

--
Matthew

I'm a contractor. If you want an opinion, I'll sell you one.
Which one do you want?
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Matthew L. Martin
 
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Brick wrote:

>
> I use about 3 gallons of lump ( I use a 5 gallon bucket to transport
> lump from a 40 lb bag to the pit ) to cook ribs and butts and 5 gallons
> or even more to cook brisket
>


Have you ever tried an extruded charcoal? WalMart had sold some in the
past and Kamado sells it now. It is very dense and produces very little
ash. 16.5# fits in a 1/2 cu foot box.

--
Matthew

I'm a contractor. If you want an opinion, I'll sell you one.
Which one do you want?
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Dana H. Myers
 
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Brick wrote:

> Strange how experiences vary. I have no trouble at all driving mine over
> 400°. I've seen mine go all the way around the dial. The Thermometer is
> the stock NBS model and is mounted in the stock mounting hole near
> the chimney. My problem is holding the temp below 275°. I usually burn
> a combination of Royal Oak lump and oak logs.


Yeah, I can easily run mine over 350F at grate level (with the
Maverick probe) - and the NB thermometer runs about 50F hotter for
me, and I can see 400F on it. Easily. The key, for me, was turning
the grates 90° to get the damper/fire to breathe properly, and loading
up enough fuel.

I don't have too much trouble keeping a 250-275° range, but it
would be a pain to keep 200-225°. Of course, if I were using the
NB thermometer, that would probably to temperatures 50° higher. So
maybe we're seeing the same thing, Brick?

As long as you're getting good food out of the thing :-)

Cheers,
Dana
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Dana H. Myers
 
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Brick wrote:
> On 15-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:


>>Well, not really. I put about 3 chimney-loads of fuel in the
>>firebox and run a grate-level temperature of 250-275 for as long
>>6 hours. That's less total fuel and a lot less messing around than
>>when I didn't have the baffle in place.


> I haven't added the pie plate yet and I've never achieved a burn on
> 3 chimneys of fuel longer then two hours.


That sounds like the old days for me ;-). I'm much closer to
6 hours than 2 hours with 3 chimney loads. A couple of times
I've done baby-backs, taken them off around 3:30-4 hours, and
noticed I still had cooking heat (225+) after 5:30 or so.

It occurs to me that we ought to be a little more objective
about how big a "chimney load" is. I have a Weber chimney,
http://tinyurl.com/6m4q3, and I wouldn't be surprised if a
heaping chimney-full is close to a gallon.

>>The other thing I did was turn the bottom grates (the grates on
>>which the fuel sits) 90 degrees so the fuel is held a couple of
>>inches higher in the firebox. This seems to have improved the
>>airflow from the damper opening quite a bit, and it probably
>>the key to being able to get long, controllable 250F+ cook chamber
>>temperatures.

>
>
> Before I turned my fire grate(s) (I bought an extra fire grate to take
> up the extra space created by turning the grate 90°), I had way too
> much trouble controlling the fire. There just wasn't enough airflow
> through the fuel after a short burn time.


Precisely - a little ash would build up below the grate and the
fire would just be cantankerous as hell.

>>I don't know what standard you're using to decide whether
>>your cooker is using too much fuel; I just focused on getting
>>a healthy, controllable fire and it seems to have increased
>>the efficiency.


> I use about 3 gallons of lump ( I use a 5 gallon bucket to transport
> lump from a 40 lb bag to the pit ) to cook ribs and butts and 5 gallons
> or even more to cook brisket


Well, I'll measure my chimney better this week and report back,
but we might be using similar amounts of fuel if my idea of a
"chimney load" is close to 1 gallon.

Cheers,
Dana


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Dana H. Myers
 
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Brick wrote:
> On 15-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:


>>Well, not really. I put about 3 chimney-loads of fuel in the
>>firebox and run a grate-level temperature of 250-275 for as long
>>6 hours. That's less total fuel and a lot less messing around than
>>when I didn't have the baffle in place.


> I haven't added the pie plate yet and I've never achieved a burn on
> 3 chimneys of fuel longer then two hours.


That sounds like the old days for me ;-). I'm much closer to
6 hours than 2 hours with 3 chimney loads. A couple of times
I've done baby-backs, taken them off around 3:30-4 hours, and
noticed I still had cooking heat (225+) after 5:30 or so.

It occurs to me that we ought to be a little more objective
about how big a "chimney load" is. I have a Weber chimney,
http://tinyurl.com/6m4q3, and I wouldn't be surprised if a
heaping chimney-full is close to a gallon.

>>The other thing I did was turn the bottom grates (the grates on
>>which the fuel sits) 90 degrees so the fuel is held a couple of
>>inches higher in the firebox. This seems to have improved the
>>airflow from the damper opening quite a bit, and it probably
>>the key to being able to get long, controllable 250F+ cook chamber
>>temperatures.

>
>
> Before I turned my fire grate(s) (I bought an extra fire grate to take
> up the extra space created by turning the grate 90°), I had way too
> much trouble controlling the fire. There just wasn't enough airflow
> through the fuel after a short burn time.


Precisely - a little ash would build up below the grate and the
fire would just be cantankerous as hell.

>>I don't know what standard you're using to decide whether
>>your cooker is using too much fuel; I just focused on getting
>>a healthy, controllable fire and it seems to have increased
>>the efficiency.


> I use about 3 gallons of lump ( I use a 5 gallon bucket to transport
> lump from a 40 lb bag to the pit ) to cook ribs and butts and 5 gallons
> or even more to cook brisket


Well, I'll measure my chimney better this week and report back,
but we might be using similar amounts of fuel if my idea of a
"chimney load" is close to 1 gallon.

Cheers,
Dana
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Wiz
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I created the baffle in my NBS by taking one of those disposable rectangle
aluminum drip pans and cutting it in half. Pushed it onto the bolts that
hold the firebox to the cook chamber and just added a couple of spare nuts.

Directs most of the heat and airflow down under the grill area.

Mark


"Brick" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 14-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:
>
>> Brick wrote:
>>
>> > Good information Dana. I benefitted a lot from your post about the
>> > minion
>> > (like) fire. My chimney is extended down to the grill, but I have yet
>> > to
>> > stuff a
>> > pie tin in there. Don't know why I've procastinating on that. Great
>> > description of
>> > the effect the pie plate made in yours. (For those that don't
>> > understand
>> > what
>> > the pie tin, (baffle) is for, it limits the amount of direct radiant
>> > heat that
>> > gets into the cook chamber. ) The unmodified model is notoriously bad
>> > about that. I
>> > don't worry much about extending burn time much further. My pit is
>> > about
>> > ten feet from my sliding door and in direct view from inside the house.
>> > I
>> > just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
>> > thermometer
>> > in the lid. Then I add about a chimney's worth of lump directly from a
>> > three
>> > gallon bucket. Most everything I cook is done in 7 hours or less.
>> > Briskets
>> > are about the only exception. They take only 8 to 9 hours. (Cooking at
>> > an
>> > indicated 250° to 275°.)

>
> Apoligies to the group for quoting the whole GD thread. As you have seen
> I don't have anything to offer the regulars, but he FNG's might learn
> some-
> thing.
>
>>
>> Is that an indicated 250-275 on the lid thermometer?

>
> Quote from my original post'
>
>> > "I just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
>> > thermometer in the lid.

>
>
> I use one of the
>> temperature probes of the Maverick at grate level, actually at the
>> base of the extended chimney. The NB thermometer typically reads about
>> 25-50F hotter than at the grate and I basically don't trust it :-). But,
>> it doesn't really matter what you use as long as you're dialed-in with
>> it.

>
> My experience is somewhat in conflict with Dana, 'BUT' my meat gets done
> several hours earlier then others experience. I've never had a cook go
> over
> 9 hours even with a brisket. This would indicate that grate temp must be
> much hotter then at the lid, (about 4" from the exhaust stack). Go figure.
> Dana's pieplate mod may well be the big difference.
>
>>
>> After thinking about how the baffle would make the fire more
>> controllable,
>> it occurred to me that I'm now truly measuring the cook chamber
>> temperature
>> with the baffle in place, and the temperature probe was being heated by
>> radiant heat previously. So the actual cook chamber temperature might
>> have
>> been better than I thought it was, but my thermometer was confusing me.
>>
>> I suppose my thermometer can always be in direct view, since it is a
>> remote ;-)
>>
>> Sounds good there,
>> Dana

>
> It seems that Dana and I are about equally articulate which means that if
> you understand what we are talking about, you must be above average
> intelligence.
>
> The bottom line is what Dana said. If you're dialed into it, everything
> else doesn't matter much. The NBS has a learning curve that might
> run some people off. But I love mine. I get good 'Q' out of it every
> time. And it has a lot of cooking space. I have yet to ever use the
> bottom grates.
>
> Brick (Keep the shiny side up)
>
> ----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet
> News==----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+
> Newsgroups
> ----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption
> =----



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Wiz
 
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Default

I created the baffle in my NBS by taking one of those disposable rectangle
aluminum drip pans and cutting it in half. Pushed it onto the bolts that
hold the firebox to the cook chamber and just added a couple of spare nuts.

Directs most of the heat and airflow down under the grill area.

Mark


"Brick" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 14-Feb-2005, "Dana H. Myers" > wrote:
>
>> Brick wrote:
>>
>> > Good information Dana. I benefitted a lot from your post about the
>> > minion
>> > (like) fire. My chimney is extended down to the grill, but I have yet
>> > to
>> > stuff a
>> > pie tin in there. Don't know why I've procastinating on that. Great
>> > description of
>> > the effect the pie plate made in yours. (For those that don't
>> > understand
>> > what
>> > the pie tin, (baffle) is for, it limits the amount of direct radiant
>> > heat that
>> > gets into the cook chamber. ) The unmodified model is notoriously bad
>> > about that. I
>> > don't worry much about extending burn time much further. My pit is
>> > about
>> > ten feet from my sliding door and in direct view from inside the house.
>> > I
>> > just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
>> > thermometer
>> > in the lid. Then I add about a chimney's worth of lump directly from a
>> > three
>> > gallon bucket. Most everything I cook is done in 7 hours or less.
>> > Briskets
>> > are about the only exception. They take only 8 to 9 hours. (Cooking at
>> > an
>> > indicated 250° to 275°.)

>
> Apoligies to the group for quoting the whole GD thread. As you have seen
> I don't have anything to offer the regulars, but he FNG's might learn
> some-
> thing.
>
>>
>> Is that an indicated 250-275 on the lid thermometer?

>
> Quote from my original post'
>
>> > "I just let it go until I see the temp starting to drop on the big NBS
>> > thermometer in the lid.

>
>
> I use one of the
>> temperature probes of the Maverick at grate level, actually at the
>> base of the extended chimney. The NB thermometer typically reads about
>> 25-50F hotter than at the grate and I basically don't trust it :-). But,
>> it doesn't really matter what you use as long as you're dialed-in with
>> it.

>
> My experience is somewhat in conflict with Dana, 'BUT' my meat gets done
> several hours earlier then others experience. I've never had a cook go
> over
> 9 hours even with a brisket. This would indicate that grate temp must be
> much hotter then at the lid, (about 4" from the exhaust stack). Go figure.
> Dana's pieplate mod may well be the big difference.
>
>>
>> After thinking about how the baffle would make the fire more
>> controllable,
>> it occurred to me that I'm now truly measuring the cook chamber
>> temperature
>> with the baffle in place, and the temperature probe was being heated by
>> radiant heat previously. So the actual cook chamber temperature might
>> have
>> been better than I thought it was, but my thermometer was confusing me.
>>
>> I suppose my thermometer can always be in direct view, since it is a
>> remote ;-)
>>
>> Sounds good there,
>> Dana

>
> It seems that Dana and I are about equally articulate which means that if
> you understand what we are talking about, you must be above average
> intelligence.
>
> The bottom line is what Dana said. If you're dialed into it, everything
> else doesn't matter much. The NBS has a learning curve that might
> run some people off. But I love mine. I get good 'Q' out of it every
> time. And it has a lot of cooking space. I have yet to ever use the
> bottom grates.
>
> Brick (Keep the shiny side up)
>
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