Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

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Ken226
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Ken226 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 9:19 am

Its 333 gallons, with a 120 gallon firebox.

You'll likely remember it from a previous thread:
Image

It burns really really clean. The clear-blue smoke, is more clear than blue. The pic above has smoke coming out of the chimney.

I'm sure it's just a matter of finding the right technique, to get the results I want. Luckily, forums like this exist to help me get through the learning process a bit quicker.

Sucks that it's raining all day, I'd love to experiment with it today.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby bsooner75 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:25 am

Yea I was thinking backyard model. That things a tank and definitely is rolling pretty smoke.


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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby k.a.m. » Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:27 am

I remember now.
You could burn a hickory log with every cherry log to see if that increases your smoke.
I typically run a Hickory then a oak for the first three hours then all oak. You could try this with your cherry or Apple.
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



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Ken226
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Ken226 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:34 am

Thanks for the advice. I'll run by home Depot and pick up a bag of hickory logs. I'm pretty sure the home Depot in Bellingham keeps it in stock, I seem to remember seeing it there before
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby k.a.m. » Mon Oct 07, 2019 10:43 am

Ken226 wrote:Thanks for the advice. I'll run by home Depot and pick up a bag of hickory logs. I'm pretty sure the home Depot in Bellingham keeps it in stock, I seem to remember seeing it there before

The hickory will be your best bet for intense smoke value.
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Chasdev » Mon Oct 07, 2019 4:28 pm

I don't want to come off as a nattering nabob of negativity but that's way too much smoker for one brisket, heating that thing for 10 to 16 hours for one brisket would seem at least to me to be overkill.
Snag a WSM 22 and use a small charcoal base, then add oak sticks for flavor.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Ken226 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 7:05 pm

Chasdev wrote:I don't want to come off as a nattering nabob of negativity but that's way too much smoker for one brisket, heating that thing for 10 to 16 hours for one brisket would seem at least to me to be overkill.
Snag a WSM 22 and use a small charcoal base, then add oak sticks for flavor.


Ha! Your definitely correct, but I already have a small electric smoker. I wanna practice and gain experience with this one..

Unfortunately, it's just me and the wife. After we do a smoke, we vacuum bag the meat, and it lasts us a couple months.

I'm gonna smoke a brisket, a couple pork shoulders and a few racks of ribs, then vacuum bag them in dinner size portions.

Of course, my electric smokers big enough for that size batch of meat too, but. Then I'd never get to use the stickburner!
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby GRailsback » Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:36 pm

Chasdev wrote:I don't want to come off as a nattering nabob of negativity but that's way too much smoker for one brisket, heating that thing for 10 to 16 hours for one brisket would seem at least to me to be overkill.
Snag a WSM 22 and use a small charcoal base, then add oak sticks for flavor.


Well that is what you sound like.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Ken226 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 9:29 pm

GRailsback wrote:
Chasdev wrote:I don't want to come off as a nattering nabob of negativity but that's way too much smoker for one brisket, heating that thing for 10 to 16 hours for one brisket would seem at least to me to be overkill.
Snag a WSM 22 and use a small charcoal base, then add oak sticks for flavor.


Well that is what you sound like.


It's all good. Didn't take it that way at all. It was obvious to me from the moment I decided to keep this smoker that it would be way overkill for anything I would do with it.

I had an engineering background before I decided to try a different line of work. A coworker knew I had the knowledge and equipment, and asked me to build it for a business venture he wanted to try.

I built it, then he changed his mind. I decided to keep it because it looks kinda cool. When I retire, I'll use it to host some bigass family reunions.

If I learn to use it!
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Chasdev » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:39 am

GRailsback wrote:
Chasdev wrote:I don't want to come off as a nattering nabob of negativity but that's way too much smoker for one brisket, heating that thing for 10 to 16 hours for one brisket would seem at least to me to be overkill.
Snag a WSM 22 and use a small charcoal base, then add oak sticks for flavor.


Well that is what you sound like.



Over and out.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:09 am

Bahama Mama is a 250 gall Hybrid I designed. She regularly saw one brisket or just a rack of ribs. I was always taught better to have and not need than to need and not have. We have 3 UDS's two WSM's and Little Mama which is a 24" x 55" offset. I would rather cook on my offsets any day of the week now I do like the others but there is no comparison to stick burner flavor in my opinion
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby Ken226 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:18 am

k.a.m. wrote:Bahama Mama is a 250 gall Hybrid I designed. She regularly saw one brisket or just a rack of ribs. I was always taught better to have and not need than to need and not have. We have 3 UDS's two WSM's and Little Mama which is a 24" x 55" offset. I would rather cook on my offsets any day of the week now I do like the others but there is no comparison to stick burner flavor in my opinion


Kam,

Other than maybe the overkill on wood consumption, when cooking small amounts in such a big smoker, are there any other problems I can expect.

I honestly was a little concerned that so much open space might not hold in enough humidity and dry the meat out. I kinda discarded that idea immediately, since even a small offset has constant airflow through, and wouldn't hold moisture in anyway.

I even designed the reverse flow plate to work like a giant pan, so I could dump some water in it to keep the humidity up. I've never tried it though.

Are there any other effects, a huge smoker would have on a small cookload that I should keep in mind?

Sorry to bother you guys with all the questions. I'm an information glutton. If I ever stop learning, about any and all subjects, I'll be very disappointed in myself.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby GRailsback » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:38 am

I don't have any issues with mine. My pit is 30 in. pipe by 7 ft. with an additional upright smoke box at the end for a total of 9.5 ft of cooking chamber. mine is not reverse flow, just a straight offset steel cooker tuned to cook even. I have never had any issues with the moisture with a small cook. Which is mostly what I do with it here at the house. Not sure if your firebox is insulated or not, mine is. And I have found that it doesn't really take much more fuel, if any, on big cooks as it does for one brisket. My pit also runs a lot like yours, where once it levels out it is cool blue smoke and not very noticable coming out of the stacks. I run my pit wide open, and control the temp with wood.
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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:48 am

Ken226 wrote:
k.a.m. wrote:Bahama Mama is a 250 gall Hybrid I designed. She regularly saw one brisket or just a rack of ribs. I was always taught better to have and not need than to need and not have. We have 3 UDS's two WSM's and Little Mama which is a 24" x 55" offset. I would rather cook on my offsets any day of the week now I do like the others but there is no comparison to stick burner flavor in my opinion


Kam,

Other than maybe the overkill on wood consumption, when cooking small amounts in such a big smoker, are there any other problems I can expect.
Not that I am aware of.

I honestly was a little concerned that so much open space might not hold in enough humidity and dry the meat out. I kinda discarded that idea immediately, since even a small offset has constant airflow through, and wouldn't hold moisture in anyway.
I have never had a problem with dried out meat unless I was cooking select briskets for nothing more than chopped beef. It is true the more meat in the cooker the more juices are cooking out so you will have more moister in the chamber but that does not equate to a moist finished product the quality of meat does that.

I even designed the reverse flow plate to work like a giant pan, so I could dump some water in it to keep the humidity up. I've never tried it though.
I never recommend using your reverse flow plate as a steam tray because you are relying on the radiant heat from the tray for most of your cooking. By adding liquids to the pan you will cause the cooker to work harder and burn more fuel.

Are there any other effects, a huge smoker would have on a small cookload that I should keep in mind?
I would find the most efficient spot on the grate and use it as my primary area for small cooks. Meaning the area that cooks between 275° and 300° consistently.

Sorry to bother you guys with all the questions. I'm an information glutton. If I ever stop learning, about any and all subjects, I'll be very disappointed in myself.

No problem at all that is why we are here. :D
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



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Re: Reverse flow offset, plenty of smoke hardly any smoke flavor

Postby GRailsback » Tue Oct 08, 2019 1:48 pm

And that my friends, is why KAM is the resident expert. As sound of advice as you will ever here. You can debate the cooking temps all you want, but that is quality avice from top to bottom. And that pit of Mr Kens is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

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