The RIGHT WAY to manage a fire on an offset smoker | Fire management on the Oklahoma Joes
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2024
- How to manage a fire on an offset smoker.
Get SMOKE TRAILS BBQ BRISKET RUB here: www.amazon.com/Smoke-Trails-B...
My BBQ Essentials Buying Guide:
ChefsTemp Thermometer: shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=100320...
SMOKE TRAILS BBQ BRISKET RUB here: www.amazon.com/Smoke-Trails-B...
Meater+ Wireless Leave-in temperature probe (Essential for long cooks, temp alerts and temp graphs for nerding out and recording how your cooks went. It’s a game changer for BBQ):
Meater website: www.jdoqocy.com/click-1001514...
Get the MEATER on Amazon: amzn.to/3e7Dz7E
Cheap Instant-Read Temp Probe (If you have no budget and can buy nothing else. It's a good starter and will work for a year or two just fine. Not a replacement for a leave-in probe): amzn.to/37ROmSi
Marinade Injector (needed to inject brisket, pork, turkey etc. to retain moisture and add flavor): amzn.to/3jFfSVq
Tongs (click click! I like the silicon ones because they don't mess up the bark as much): amzn.to/2HR80Tq
Set of Good BBQ Knives: amzn.to/34HQoTk
Bread Knife (Your workhorse for slicing brisket): amzn.to/3kHSkke
Cutting board (get a big one with juice channels, trust me): amzn.to/2JesAhj
Cotton and black nitrile gloves (use them both for heat + liquid protection): amzn.to/31Vly7Y amzn.to/31WPIaO
Heavy duty rubber gloves (When you get sick of throwing out all your disposable gloves): amzn.to/37RXEOa
Reynolds Wrap Pitmasters Choice Aluminum Foil (for wrapping): amzn.to/2HMsYDe
Butcher paper (also for wrapping): amzn.to/2HQUgbl
Wood chunks (for the Oklahoma Joe’s, Weber Kettle, WSM etc.): amzn.to/35Kc00x
Wood chips (for electric smokers): amzn.to/2TBG2xL
Pellets (for pellet grills): amzn.to/3mAnk6i
Credit to the following for the "V" shape firebox grates idea.
Heavy Metal BBQ: / @heavymetalbarbque
Kosmo's Q: / kosmosq1 
Хобби
Fuck yes finally someone who is using real fire to smoke food rather than a fancy outdoor oven
Lol I have an electric and pellet smoker as well. I like all of it.
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ if folks wanna use an easy bake pellet oven, good for em, I would never use one of those damn things. The art of smoking meat has taken a backseat to conveinience just like everything else has these days
I'm reading "legends of Texas barbeque" by Robb Walsh right now. He quotes Walter Jetton (one of the grandaddys of bbq) as saying "to bbq you need a pit...this doesn't have to be a hole in the ground, and it definitely shouldn't be one of those backyard creations with a chiminey" a fire built in a cynder block enclosure was perfect in his view. So there was resistance even when metal offset smokers came on the scene and the old school folk didn't like them. We're going through the same thing now with pellet smokers. I'm sure one day we'll have "laser proton smokers" or something and the pellet smokers will say the same thing haha!
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ yeah I understand that there is an evolution to things but smoking meat ties hand in hand with taming fire and inventing the wheel. There will always be purists who will tend an actual fire then theres folks who wanna "crock pot"their smoked goodies haha
@@mucctownsound2210 I'm afraid to ask your opinion on people who sou vide and then smoke their meat lol. I was thinking of getting a sou vide machine
Jumped off mobile to better type this. I have been smoking in offset and uprights for 5 years now. You have done an amazing job communicating your knowledge and experience. How you simply laid out all the steps; not being too pedantic and tedious or zealous, clear and straigtht forward, and time efficient. Honestly just a fantastic piece of work here. Well done.
Thanks Dylan!
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ - I agree with Dylan; a friend of mine just gifted me his used offset, and I had no idea how to really make use of it until I watched this comprehensive guide. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
1:27 😊@@SmokeTrailsBBQ
I learned more about smoking and fire management in this one video than I have in two years of watching other videos. Thank you.
Thanks!
This is by far the best fire management video on RUclips! You actually got down to the details of it, things that the other guys with huge smokers don't talk about! Congrats!
Thanks Lucas!
I couldn't agree more! I looked for this info a few years ago, really just looking for intuitive ideas. Had a crappy Brinkmann I was fighting and simply settled on it being a poor design and sold it.
@@brianschneider671 I hear ya. Even with all the tips, tricks and mods it's still a challenge. I just try to enjoy the process
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I love your break down of why you do things the way you do. Your teaching method is awesome. I have oklahoma joe highland reverse flow.
Agreed. The v shape is genius.
This V-shaped configuration for the firebox made a huge difference! Thank you!
Awesome it helped me too! What are you smoking up?
The grates that come with the Oklahoma Joe highlander firebox dont fit when turned length-wise to form a V shape. How did you do that? Are they aftermarket grates or did you cut them down?
@@HiddenCreekHomestead its the grates for the main chamber
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Thank you’
By far the best smoker tutorial I’ve seen. I feel like I’ve wasted hours of my life with all the others out there!
Best fire management video. Beats the bbq mad scientist video 10 fold. Thanks guy!!!!!
Bro you are a bbq lord the v shape set up works so well I’m really blown away for the first time i have a constant heat for a long time and am using hardly anything to run it 🙌🙌 the best video I’ve ever seen hands down
That make shift grill wire on the back of the firebox is next level.
DIY power!
Step 1 cut down a tree and wait 5 years…😂
3 more left
😂😂😂😂
This guy takes fire management to entire new level. I learned so much and I have been smoking with an Oklahoma Joe for years.
Never thought of myself as a Pit Master. I'm just a suburban guy with a white collar job - who likes to smoke... Thanks!
Came here expecting a funny video about how to drink beer and kill time while watching a smoker, surprise learning!
By far one of the best and most knowledgeable smoking videos I’ve ever watched
Incredible video, your expertise comes across well and you're quite well spoken. Was really looking for a video for vertical smokers as I don't have the space for an offset right now, figured I'd watch it anyway and apply what I can, and I definitely learned a lot. Amazing job man.
Okay, so I have been avoiding my offset and using my, pellet smoker, my drum smoker, my egg all because I could never get it right. Watched several videos, tried again, still was missing something. 21 minutes and 16 seconds later. You are my saviour. Seriously I wish I filmed it. We had family and friends over. They thought I was a pitmaster. The best Bark & Brisket I have ever done. Thank You
I've been smoking with the Oaklahoma Joe's smoker for a long time.and with great results. But you still gave me a good tip. I refill charcoal right out of the bag and leave lid open till it catches but never even thought about burning it in my charcoal starter stack first. Thanks for that.
Your experience comes through loud and clear.
I listened to every technical point you raised. I have the exact same grill and will put to practice what you mentioned.
It was so helpful!
Thanks for a great video!
The basics, delivered perfectly, spoken from experience. Love how humble and non-flashy this video is. Thank you 👌
You play a dangerous game with the crocs and lit charcoal. I dig it
I like to live on the edge
Hell I thought that was standard
And the whole time I'm wondering why he has socks on 😒
Nothing wakes you up on a 3am brisket than a hot coal between toes
I've gotten pretty good with my OK Joe using other fire management videos, but I'm really interested in the V shape. Hoping to try it out soon. Thanks for the awesome video
Hands down, best video about fire management in a small offset smoker. I've watched so many that talk about choking off oxygen to achieve the right temperatures at the expense of running a clean-burning and efficient fire.
Yea, even oklahoma joes themselves talk about using the vents. It might have its place for large offsets or if you're only running charcoal in the firebox, but nothing other than wide open has ever produced enough airflow for my fire. It would probably help if the exhaust vents were larger on these models.
I just picked up an Oklahoma Joe Offset Smoker from Lowes earlier today. So far I only made burgers, lol. I gotta wait a couple days for my pork shoulder to thaw before I can really see what this baby can do!
Thanks for the tips, you really condensed years of experience into a short easily understood video.
This is amazing and I really like how you set up your firebox.
Like everyone else says, hands down the best video on fire management for a typical backyard stick burner. I used to have a chargriller stick burner and used to watch other fire management videos of guys saying to keep the temp within 5 or 10 degrees. That was basically impossible for a 12 hour cook on that thing and I figured I just sucked at fire management. I’m glad you kept it real. The tips you gave were spot on. Several of which, I wish I had known back then. Would have saved me a lot of frustration. Lol.
Just finished my first brisket after watching your video. Turned out AMAZING!! Thank you for doing such great videos.
Great video man I've owned and molded my Oklahoma joe smoker for 5 years now thought I knew my smoker rather well but you've given me some new info I will definitely use
This video is exactly what I've been looking for. The detail and knowledge this man has given me is priceless. Well done on creating a great channel.
Clear. Quick. No BS video and straight to the point. My kind of video. Very informative.
Practice makes perfect. It took me some time and many beers to learn this skill but the meat tast so much better.
This saved me a ton of charcoal and a ton of time! I was wondering why I was having trouble maintaining temperature and your explanation made it super clear. Thank you so much!
A lot of great info here. Love the V shape idea in the firebox and the makeshift drying grate about the firebox. Very cool.
I buy a two-pack of Pure & Simple canola oil spray at Costco for my firebox. Spraying a light coat on the firebox at the beginning of each cook:
1 - seasons the firebox,
2 - protects the paint and
3 - prevents rust from forming.
I buy kiln-dried maple splits from a local firewood seller and cut them in half with my miter saw. I start the wood with a single "tumbleweed" fire starter.
We had an awesome Costco prime rib for Christmas on the offset smoker.
Great tips! I use plain canola oil. Just slather it on.
I absolutely agree that this is the best fire management video on RUclips. Especially if you are using a cheap, $200 thin walled offset smoker. There are tons of videos for the more expensive units. You can produce an amazing backyard cook with a cheap Char Broil offset smoker but doing so is a way different animal from doing so with a far more expensive, well built smoker. This is pivotal information for those of us with the less expensive models for sure.
Yea its alot harder on a less expensive unit
Absolutely one of the best fire management videos I have ever seen. Thank you!
No problem! Thanks John!
Thank you so very much for taking the time in sharing your thoughtful ideas and concepts. It's amazing how the grate parts fit in the firebox and make a baffle plate without us having to buy more parts. Thank you so very much for the entire video. If you're ever in Spicewood, I'll buy you a nice cold beer!
Dude.... using your electric smoker to "kiln" dry your wood is friggin genius..
I have one that I bought years ago, I quit smoking cause I hated using it...
Thanks to you I finally have a use for it again... thanks man!
The Oklahoma Joe's firebox basket fits in perfectly too. Just load it with wood and pop it in
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I don't have one of those but thats another great tip!
One of the best BBQ videos I’ve ever seen, really, really helpful, thank you a lot!
You are the one to get me going on my journey of smoking meats. Never done this before. Wife bought a big hunk of lamb to smoke on the Oklahoma Joe's Longhorn. Using hickory chips. Shout out from a guy in shorts in 92° FL.
This explained a lot of the problems I've had when trying to use my side smoker, especially on long cooks. Thanks very much!
Awesome video, this one is going to be my #1 preset in my saved videos for smoking. I have a Oklahoma Joe Longhorn which I'm going to convert the gas side to be a smoke chamber as well! Im in South Florida where we have alot of humidity and moisture so the part about putting the splits in the electric smoker is a great idea for me as well.Thanks for the video brother.
Excellent video! I have just finished assembling my first Oklahoma Joe and am in the process of curing it before my first cook, so I thought I’d check out a few videos. Your video has now taught me the right way to cook on it from the very start. I’m even more excited now that I have the confidence how to use it properly. Thanks mate, from Melbourne Australia!
This is the best video for fire management I have seen! My husband and I've really been struggling with our new Oklahoma Joe's offset smoker. I feel confident we can make this happen now! Thanks so much! Point
I've been so frustrated with the trial and error process for the last Year or more! I normally never let anything defeat me, but my offset smoker nearly did!😂 Thank you for this amazingly detailed video!
So glad I clicked on this video! My girlfriend got me an offset smoker and until just now I hadn’t a clue how to use it!!
Thank you for the detailed, yet simple lesson - Legend 👍🏼
You're a lucky man. I'm saving to get mine lol
In my short experience using splits that size my first few cooks I really struggled because the small splits I've used shot my temps up to 300-350. I started using a charcoal basket. And adjusted the firebox side door to keep temps down so far the primary combustion from kiln dried smoldering has turned out great. My last cook never got over 290. Which is awesome compared to my first 3 cooks.
Thanks for the tutorial! Wife bought me the Oklahoma Joe's Highland (with some strong hints) for Father's day, so I'm newer to the smoking world. I do use the V shape in the firebox and it works EXCELLENT! Keep the posts coming!
Thankyou so much for this. Had a vertical charcoal smoker before my offset. Didn't even know that you had to burn wood in them. Had been using a lot of heatbeads and charcoal. 1/2 way through a lamb shoulder atm. Got my hardwood splits done as well and have them heating up on the outside ready. Working a treat . Thanks from Australia
I always had a hard time and still learning to maintain a fire. His setup is a turning point of what I was wanting to do but I wasn’t sure about it. Me thinking about is a start to the right direction from his way of doing things. Learned a lot from this.
You'll get there Jon i know it!
Great video! I love my Oklahoma Joe. It takes a lot of patience, trial and error to learn the in’s and out’s on an offset rig. I still use charcoal as my primary heat source and add chunks of wood throughout the cook. It is very labor intensive on long cooks, specifically when dealing with managing ash build up and it limiting your air flow. I have a bucket on the side of my fire box as well, and use one of those little fireplace shovels to scoop out ash underneath the grate. I’m really digging how you used the grates that were already supplied with the unit to make your baffle plate and V shaped rack in the fire box. I am definitely going to try those tricks as well as use some bricks for retaining heat. I remember the first time using this smoker I was cooking baby backs. It was around the 3-4 hour mark when I would typically wrap them, they just didn’t look ready. Long story short the cook took way longer than expected because I was going off the temp gauges on the lid. The next cook I had probes at grate level and was shocked at the difference in temperature. It was easily 75 degrees or more cooler at grate level. Thanks again for the video. Smoke on brother!
Thanks Rob. I did the same thing going off the dome thermometer. 50 degrees off for me!
Excellent setup, and your explanation is wonderful. Looks like you got this figured out. Used to grill a lot with charcoal but switched to gas 20 years back. Got to learn how to use a proper smoker now because we just slaughtered out our first small pig. Got her resting in the fridge right now. Gonna cook her in a week or so. Thanks for all the details.
Hey there, thanks for the video man!
I'm from Holland and so glad to finally see and hear how to operate and maintain the temperature in my offset smoker.. If been doing it wrong for several times but now I'm going to set it up just as you did.. Thanks again 👍
I too have an Oklahoma Joe smoker and have had to learn how to manage that difficult firebox. Really liked the V shape idea with the grates, I'm going to have to give that a try. Nice video.👍
It makes a night and day difference
Did you use the original grate and cut in and half or buy a second grate?
How did you do the grates that way?
Are these the grates that came with it? Can you please tell me how you did this arrangement?
@@TheBuelliganRidesHow did you do the grates that way?
Are these the grates that came with it? Can you please tell me how you did this arrangement?
My man! You dropped it like I’ve never heard before! Outstanding video!
Thanks!
I am so glad i came right to the correct video first time as I am new and yet to start using a smoker for my small business. The learnings make more sense. I am sure to get it almost right from the first time.
Thank you for putting up a fire management video that really explains it properly. I was having a lot of trouble with my Oklahoma Joe, keeping temp and not having the fire go out. After watching your video I no longer have any problems with any of it. Really broke it down and made it understandable. Thank you for putting this up
50° temp range, wiggle room makes alot more sense, and takes the stress off the pitmaster , of worrying aboit exact temps 😊. Thanks for that tip.
Watched A LOT of videos trying to figure out fire management on this smoker, this is only video to keep my attention till the end. Great info, thanks!
Thanks Jody
I gotta agree there...
Kept me watching till the end.
Very rarely would I sit through a video this long, but when you really want to learn something and the teacher is good 🤷🏾♂️ great vid.
Recently moved to and offset from and electric, and been looking for more tips, this is first I have seen giving advice just for an offset that felt good for beginners. Look forward to using tips for next cook
I really like that V idea for the fire box. Just bought my OJ Highland this weekend, after seasoning I smoked a pork butt. I had a hard time with fire management, which lead me here. Thanks for the tips!!!
Is it a reverse flow? How much sealing have you done?
Great video, thank you for putting the time into it that you did. Frustrating that you didn’t get as much love from viewers as one would have thought for this caliber of content. Highly informative, useful, and to the point.
1.1 million views,14 k likes Is not too shabby!
Just goes to show, no matter how long you’ve been doing anything, you can always learn something new. Thanks for your video and efforts, I’m going to try your rack set up as well.
By far this is the best Fire Management video ever made. Now to master the heat transfer throughout my smoker using the firebox door. Thanks Smoke Trails BBQ
I watched your video right before I started my taino Yuma smoker for the first time which is my first smoker in general (I bought it second hand so it was already ready to use). Since my neighbors are all pretty close, I was really worried about the smoke it would produce. Because of your instructions I had thin blue almost invisible smoke throughout the whole process. The pork ribs I made were just fantastic. Thank you for this video! You seem like a great guy. Love from Germany!
How did you do the grates that way?
Are these the grates that came with it? Can you please tell me how you did this arrangement?
This was an exceptional video. I have been using an offset smoker and have just been using charcoal briquettes for my temps. Only recently I learned to use coal & wood and this confirms my suspicions. Highly detailed and very educational while not being boring in the least. Exactly what I needed to watch. Will favorite. Thanks for all your hard work making this video.
Glad it was helpful!
This video taught me a lot. And I've been using my side smoker for 4 years now. Thanks for the education. I am going to try out some of these methods.
This was fantastic. This covered every single question I have just starting out with an offset. Awesome and thank you!
Love the tips on this!! I have the same BBQ and have been making all the mistakes!! looking forward to trying all the suggestions and doing proper BBQ meats. Thanks for sharing much appreciated
Thanks Nick!
This is the video I've been waiting for! Great video thankyou . As a novice BBQ guy I've been trying to master the technique but it is challenging, but I learned alot from this video and now my ribs will be the best on the block
Thanks Matt! What are you planning to smoke this spring/summer?
The best videos I’ve seen in fire management. I’ve been smoking for about 4 years now off and on. I’ve searched far and wide when I first started, for that one video to aid me in managing a fire. I gathered bits and pieces from various other videos to culminate what he has created here in one videos. He did an excellent job at pointing out all of the trial and errors and remedies to those errors. I have personally ran into everything he mentioned and had to figure out how to remedy them on my own. I highly suggest this video and concur with all of his methods.
This is one of the few guys who seems like he actually knows what he’s talking about. Keep the videos coming!!
Smoke Trails - excellent commentary and guidance. Been using stick burners for 20 years and this is exactly how you do it. Stick burner is the way to go for the best true tasting bbq.
Thanks Brian
Hard to beat a rib cooked on a drum 🤷🏽♂️
I’ve been Cooking on BBQ,s for years, but ventured into off set smoker type recently, I have the same type in this video and these techniques will definitely help!
Happy smoking Gary!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Best of the best video that I have seen that told me everything I am doing wrong. I am a novice & had a lot of questions which you answered. Your tutorial is clear, informative, & easy to understand what i was doing wrong. I will follow your advice. Thank you again.👍
Great video, I’ve been researching Kamado smokers for a couple of years and have now just started on off sets. This was a great starter vid. From what I can gather here, the quality of your fire and wood choice is equally important as the quality of your meat… maybe even more so, as a bad fire can ruin great meat. Cheers.
I wanna say thanks. Ordered my first offset smoker just two weeks ago and I went for some pulled pork to get my feet wet.
Made some mistakes-bark wasn’t set enough before I foil wrapped. Probably went a little short on the resting time.
Fire management was very much on point due to this video, though. No white smoke, no big dips or spikes in temp. Splits were uniform and dried on the top of the firebox. Thanks for the content.
Awesome! Thanks! Yea pork butts take a long time to set up bark because there's so much moisture in them. Like big water balloons
Best offset smoker fire management video I’ve seen and I’ve seen em all
Thanks Steve!
Most appreciated this has helped dramatically. Majority of the battle is ensuring there isn’t too much moisture in the wood
A huge THANK YOU from Germany. This was the best explanation I could find in 2 weeks of daily research. Well Done Sir!
Thanks for doing this video. Being a rookie, my first brisket was a disaster! I just kept tossing wood into the box and didn't understand how low and slow was REALLY low and slow. This makes perfect sense! I have the same smoker I got for $20.00 used and I have a lot of new set up to do! You're the best!
Thanks Matt glad it helped
I have been cooking briskets for at least 40 years now. The initial smoke is all the smoke flavor you will get. After that the meat is sealed and will not absorb any more. So I wrap it in heavy foil and continue to cook at 225 degrees for about 12 hours.
@@JohnnyUmphress It takes time to get that smoke ring.. ONE hour per pound at 200 degrees then wrap in butcher paper and then foil.. check my brisket out it speaks for itself.
Gotta make bad bbq to make good bbq -bbq jesus
@@sypandacat7236 Truth.. it takes practice..once you got it you got it
You saved me as i am smoking a brisket. Thank you
So awesome to find a video of fire management with the same smoker I have. I've struggled with fire management, Really informative video man. Thank you
I appreciate the content been having trouble controlling temp on my okj I think this will help
Hope it helps. Thanks Mike
Yesssss brother! Been searching for this video for so long. This is perfect. Thanks so much for your effort and expertise. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks Matthew!
Probably the best explanation I've heard regarding smoking using that style smoker. Very well done.
Finally, a good tutorial!! Thank you!
Best fire management video on RUclips and I’ve watched them all! This is almost exactly what I do. Only main difference is that I add a piece of lump in along with each split to help keep the coal bed going. Most of the impurities in the lump were burned off already in the charcoal creation process, so I find that burning black lump in the firebox in small quantities doesn’t affect the flavour of the food.
Great idea! I do something similar when I only have wood chunks and don't have splits. I have an old milk carton. Half full of lump, half with chunks. I add it every 2 hours or so.
@@SmokeTrailsBBQ h÷
Definitely the best video! I’ve watched about 8 videos and he explains everything like a true bbq master! Thanks you sir. Definitely subscribing !
Thanks for this. Today was my first cook with the Oklahoma Joe barrel and hitch smoker. I'm new to smoking but have used a wood stove for years so I figured I'd catch on quickly. silly me. It's been an all day lesson of all mistakes. Your video helped answer my questions. I seasoned it yesterday with charcoal and it was beautiful and perfect with no white smoke so I thought I'd have an easy time. I've never used lump charcoal either so... all around disaster. I'll try again tomorrow and think I've got some hurdles crossed.
Great information. I really like the brick idea. Thank you.
It works well for me! thanks for watching!
DUDE.....you're like a smoker guru. 👳♂️ Thanx a lot.
Thanks for watching!
Fantastic video! Thank you. This is by far the most informative video I’ve seen about fire management and I’ve watched a lot of them
This has got to be the best video I have watched for fire box management. Great job!!
Just threw a brisket on my highland now. Watching this as I maintain temp
Nice! Let me know how it goes
I went through like a whole big bag of charcoal and bags of wood chips in one smoke but now I know I need real wood logs
Yea that was a big lesson for me. I felt like I was just constantly shoveling coal
I did the same thing I guess it must be a learning step
LOL, 😆 me too, it was more like working on a locamotive, than cooking. Have been using a Weber kettle for years, always produced good bbq, even thru trial an error. 😁 . Now adding a Oklahona Joe offset smoker and these tips should make the process more efficient, tastier, and enjoyable cooking.
Who uses word chips in a smoker like this? 🤷♂️
@@Icutmetal it was all I had at the time and didn’t know where to find real logs
Just got a COS a few weeks ago and this video was super helpful! Really appreciate the info - thanks man!
Great tips 👍 the mirror idea sounds great I will definitely be doing that
My goodness, did I bite off more than I can chew? I knew this was a serious time investment, but right now I am thanking God for men like Smoke Trails BBQ to lead this blind, deaf & dumb fella to something even remotely eatable.
Get prepared to get a lawn chair and set alarms every 30 minutes to wake you up from those naps
You the man. I know nothing about smoking , I feel I just went to college . Thank you