Just tossing this out here ... Instead of aluminum foil over the water port, try using a boat drain plug. If you look into it from the top, while it is square - there is a round hole just smaller than a garden hose opening in size.. Great video as usual bossman! Keep em coming!
Man I truly appreciate this video only been using a smoker for 2yrs and always been a pellet smoker but wanna get into competition so need to learn how to use stuff like this and looking heavily at this smoker specifically and ur video was very educational
Thanks for the detailed video mate. I have a different brands vertical smoker but the majority of the information still applies. Good luck with your business!.
Right on explained a lot to me in this video. I hope you get your food trailer. I’m hoping to start small and sell barbecue in South Dakota. I enjoyed watching your videos. Thank you for all you do.
IVS4lyfe! Love it bud! Thanks for sharing. Good tips all around. My best tips is to try to avoid overshooting temp. Ease into it even if it takes longer than you'd like especially with a PID. Much easier to raise temps than it is to decrease them in an insulated smoker.
Hey buddy! Great video and love my ivs. I found some magnetic fibreboard mounts on Etsy. They have been amazing and they are cheap. Please go look at them. It will solve many of the issues you mentioned as I use to deal with them on my IVS. Keep up the great work.
@@FatEsBBQ Please let me know if you If you get anywhere with it. I smoked Salmon yesterday morning. The coals were still too hot to put the cover back on when it started raining here last night. First thing I thought of was putting a tinfoil cap over that vent to prevent water from getting in, which I did. I'd definitely pay for a cover if Chris made them!
I went to my local Ace hardware and bought rubber plug for $1.00 it works great. Shaped like a cork and plugs it perfect. The hole you need to plug is 3/4"
Great Video. I have a new IVS Large smoker and have been having problems over shooting the temps, I also have and use the fireboard fan. I would of loved to see when you close down your ball valve and how much you close it, to just let the fan control it the rest of the way. Thanks
I only close the water valve once I start the fan up. The actual inlet where the fan is mounted is left wide open. The smoke stack is about halfway open and the water stack is completely covered with the foil.
@@FatEsBBQ Very interesting, thanks for the reply. I thought for sure you'd over shot it leaving it wide open like that. But I'm going to cap my water filler on top and try it this weekend. Thanks again.
l got my IVS a couple years before you. Best built smoker on the market in my view. This year is my 50th year smoking meat, started at 19 years old with my dad. Also 6 smokers under my belt. Offset, cabinets, gravity and even the old bullet smoker. Anyway meat has never touched my racks. I cook in foil pans with stainless cooling racks inside and 1 inch balled up tin foil under each corner for smoke circulation. Virtually no clean up. Wife runs racks through dishwasher. I'll even line pans with tin foil until they get to bent up to use. As far as coal placement I just banked my coals along the sides of the fire box about 4 to 5 inches wide. 3 sides will get you 12 to 15 hrs cook time at 225 to 250 degrees. That's about 10 or 12 pounds of briquettes. Well I guess I can carry on as long as FATTY. 😊😋 Keep da smoke roll'n thin and da video's come'n heavy.
Hey Bro. E, I really appreciate this video. I own a vertical smoker that is kicking my A** trying to manage my temps, hopefully your info on the amount of charcoal will help me out…
Really appreciate your videos, I've learned a lot from them. I order my IVS and trying to learn not the hard way for once. Have you experimented with widening the first run on the coal bed and adding more wood than coal? Was wondering how the temp held and It seems like the first few hours would benefit with more wood for a good smoke ring.
Great video! One question about the ramps you use to level on the driveway. I saw the same question and you mentioned adding a link. Were you able to find it? I don't see a link.
I run a Gateway Drum. I usually fill the coal basket up all the way and then just torch the middle of the coal basket till it’s good and lit. Then everything just slowly burns outward. Couldn’t you just do the same thing with this? Just fill the basket full and light the middle real good?
I’ve never tried that. I know when I accidentally got my whole basket lit, my temps went skyrocketing. I had my coals up too high over the edge of the snake pattern/ metal dividers. So it ignited the next path and then that one ignited the third lane. So pretty much all the coals went up and burned at the same time. lol. But I’ve never tried just lighting the middle. Might be a good test to do.
Can you use lump in these? Im not a big briquette charcoal guy. If i can use fogo premium in this,even if i had to break it up a little id be 100 sold, want to purchase a new cooker this week but i have 5 im looking at and trying to learn as much as i can about them to help decide. This one checks most of the boxes so far
I have used lump in these before, but I do notice lump burns a little hotter and faster. But yes it can be done. I just use the post oak briquettes because they are more consistent and steady burning and don’t tend to jump in temp as much as I had with the lump. I don’t use regular charcoal though because the flavor profile is not there at all with regular char coal. That’s why I use the post oak mixed with actual large chunks of post oak wood. As far as lump again I would definitely use the snake pattern and not let it burn all at once.
Great video bro! Question, do you leave that air intake valve wide open with the fan on it the entire cook? If so, does that effect the temp if you are trying to stay around 250?
yes, the air intake ball valve will stay wide open the enitre cook. If I notice things getting too hot, ill close it a little, but I wil say 95% of the time its wide open. The smoke stak is about halfway open. water ball valve completely closed. Water stack completely covered with foil.
I’d like to know I’ve started watching you and following you I’m thinking of going into business selling barbecue and buying a Lonestar grill wanted to know if you have a restaurant?
I would say you can snuff them out, but it does take longer than my offset. I close all my ports and take off my fan and close the ball valve and smoke stack. Usually still takes about a good hour before I feel safe. And then after cleanup I make sure they don’t reignite then put pit away. I check the coals too because you never know about a rekindle. But usually in my cooks I have kind of figured out how much fuel to use for my cooks. So I’m usually all burned out and ash after I’m done cooking. So if my cook takes 20 -22 hours on average. By the time I have taken briskets off and put in warmers and then cleaning up my trash putting tables and probes away and washing them. Sweeping my concrete floor and putting everything away. Sometimes my canopy etc. All this work usually takes me another 2 -4 hours of me taking my sweet time and relaxing lol. Then the fire is usually all burned out. I’ll dump my ash and clean the inside of the pit and then oil hinges and put away. But when I fully load the fuel tray (snake pattern) I tested it and it burned for 34 hours at 225. Total time to be completely burned out and cooled off to be safe to put away was 40hours. I did this on purpose to see what the longest it would go. Hope this info helps. Good luck! Hopefully you enjoy your investment. It’s awesome!
Just tossing this out here ...
Instead of aluminum foil over the water port, try using a boat drain plug. If you look into it from the top, while it is square - there is a round hole just smaller than a garden hose opening in size..
Great video as usual bossman! Keep em coming!
Man I truly appreciate this video only been using a smoker for 2yrs and always been a pellet smoker but wanna get into competition so need to learn how to use stuff like this and looking heavily at this smoker specifically and ur video was very educational
Awesome! Good luck bud! The IVS is an AMAZING pit. If you ever have questions hit me up.
Thanks for the detailed video mate. I have a different brands vertical smoker but the majority of the information still applies.
Good luck with your business!.
Recommendation, go to Harbor Freight and buy their magnetic folding shelf for your fire board to sit on.
I went but didn’t see it. :( I’ll keep looking.
Best thing I have found for getting the LSG up to temperature quickly is to light half a chimney of charcoal inside the cooking chamber
The one and only downside on the IVS. Takes a while to get up to temp. Other than that. I love my IVS. I do the exact same thing to get mine going.
Right on explained a lot to me in this video. I hope you get your food trailer. I’m hoping to start small and sell barbecue in South Dakota. I enjoyed watching your videos. Thank you for all you do.
IVS4lyfe!
Love it bud! Thanks for sharing. Good tips all around. My best tips is to try to avoid overshooting temp. Ease into it even if it takes longer than you'd like especially with a PID. Much easier to raise temps than it is to decrease them in an insulated smoker.
Looking forward to more vids. Good luck with your trailer.
Thank you! I am seriously working hard on this and its a dream of mine. Hopefully we can all finally make it a reality.
Hey buddy! Great video and love my ivs. I found some magnetic fibreboard mounts on Etsy. They have been amazing and they are cheap. Please go look at them. It will solve many of the issues you mentioned as I use to deal with them on my IVS.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you for the experience and education! Tips are valid for many brands of vertical smokers!
Much appriciated. If I can help even 1 person, this video was worth it.
@@FatEsBBQ You are reading my mind!
Awesome man, I've been waiting for more of your videos. Thanks a bunch
More to come!
Have you talked to Chris about possibly making a stainless cap for the water port?
Ill send him that info, great idea.
Or just make a damper for that port just like the main exhaust port. Seems simple enough.
@@FatEsBBQ Please let me know if you If you get anywhere with it. I smoked Salmon yesterday morning. The coals were still too hot to put the cover back on when it started raining here last night. First thing I thought of was putting a tinfoil cap over that vent to prevent water from getting in, which I did. I'd definitely pay for a cover if Chris made them!
I went to my local Ace hardware and bought rubber plug for $1.00 it works great. Shaped like a cork and plugs it perfect. The hole you need to plug is 3/4"
@@bryanrichardson4190 I purchased an IVS from a guy and he did same but put it on a bolt so weight keeps it snug and easy to take off and on
Great Video. I have a new IVS Large smoker and have been having problems over shooting the temps, I also have and use the fireboard fan. I would of loved to see when you close down your ball valve and how much you close it, to just let the fan control it the rest of the way. Thanks
I only close the water valve once I start the fan up. The actual inlet where the fan is mounted is left wide open. The smoke stack is about halfway open and the water stack is completely covered with the foil.
@@FatEsBBQ Very interesting, thanks for the reply. I thought for sure you'd over shot it leaving it wide open like that. But I'm going to cap my water filler on top and try it this weekend. Thanks again.
l got my IVS a couple years before you. Best built smoker on the market in my view. This year is my 50th year smoking meat, started at 19 years old with my dad. Also 6 smokers under my belt. Offset, cabinets, gravity and even the old bullet smoker. Anyway meat has never touched my racks. I cook in foil pans with stainless cooling racks inside and 1 inch balled up tin foil under each corner for smoke circulation. Virtually no clean up. Wife runs racks through dishwasher. I'll even line pans with tin foil until they get to bent up to use. As far as coal placement I just banked my coals along the sides of the fire box about 4 to 5 inches wide. 3 sides will get you 12 to 15 hrs cook time at 225 to 250 degrees. That's about 10 or 12 pounds of briquettes. Well I guess I can carry on as long as FATTY. 😊😋 Keep da smoke roll'n thin and da video's come'n heavy.
Super smart man... I will definitely try that with the foil pans.
Great video. Have a GREAT NEW YEAR 🎊 🎉
Just bought one, and algo serves this up. It's like the eye of Sauron.
Lmao!!! It knows!
A great video , thank you for sharing !
Hey Bro. E, I really appreciate this video. I own a vertical smoker that is kicking my A** trying to manage my temps, hopefully your info on the amount of charcoal will help me out…
Hey, thank you for all the info. I’m currently looking at this IVS model. I have a Yoder now, but I need something larger.
IVS is epic. I really love the flavor it is putting out.
Really appreciate your videos, I've learned a lot from them. I order my IVS and trying to learn not the hard way for once. Have you experimented with widening the first run on the coal bed and adding more wood than coal? Was wondering how the temp held and It seems like the first few hours would benefit with more wood for a good smoke ring.
Great video! One question about the ramps you use to level on the driveway. I saw the same question and you mentioned adding a link. Were you able to find it? I don't see a link.
This is great! Thank you for sharing!
I run a Gateway Drum. I usually fill the coal basket up all the way and then just torch the middle of the coal basket till it’s good and lit. Then everything just slowly burns outward. Couldn’t you just do the same thing with this? Just fill the basket full and light the middle real good?
I’ve never tried that. I know when I accidentally got my whole basket lit, my temps went skyrocketing. I had my coals up too high over the edge of the snake pattern/ metal dividers. So it ignited the next path and then that one ignited the third lane. So pretty much all the coals went up and burned at the same time. lol. But I’ve never tried just lighting the middle. Might be a good test to do.
You can preheat the cooking chamber with the torch and save allot of time.
I am doing this now. Working pretty well.
Can you use lump in these? Im not a big briquette charcoal guy. If i can use fogo premium in this,even if i had to break it up a little id be 100 sold, want to purchase a new cooker this week but i have 5 im looking at and trying to learn as much as i can about them to help decide. This one checks most of the boxes so far
I have used lump in these before, but I do notice lump burns a little hotter and faster. But yes it can be done. I just use the post oak briquettes because they are more consistent and steady burning and don’t tend to jump in temp as much as I had with the lump. I don’t use regular charcoal though because the flavor profile is not there at all with regular char coal. That’s why I use the post oak mixed with actual large chunks of post oak wood. As far as lump again I would definitely use the snake pattern and not let it burn all at once.
Great video bro! Question, do you leave that air intake valve wide open with the fan on it the entire cook? If so, does that effect the temp if you are trying to stay around 250?
yes, the air intake ball valve will stay wide open the enitre cook. If I notice things getting too hot, ill close it a little, but I wil say 95% of the time its wide open. The smoke stak is about halfway open. water ball valve completely closed. Water stack completely covered with foil.
Thanks bro! Amazing it doesn’t get too hot, unless that fan has a way to choke off the incoming air.
I’m in North Houston and have the same driveway issues that you have. What ramps are you using to level things out?
I will look it up for you. I have a rubber ramp I use that I got on amazon. Ill post a link as soon as I can.
@@FatEsBBQ I would greatly appreciate it!
@@FatEsBBQ Just a reminder. Thanks! 😎
Hi there. I’m in SA too. Thinking of getting this unit for our work crew. When do you add the wood? I have some questions. Can email you?
Sorry I didn’t see the comment. I add the wood and everything at the very beginning.
I’d like to know I’ve started watching you and following you I’m thinking of going into business selling barbecue and buying a Lonestar grill wanted to know if you have a restaurant?
Sorry for delayed response. No I do not have a restaurant yet. Hopefully in 2025 I will have my trailer ready to go.
How well can you snuff out the coals at the end of the cook to use on the next cook?
I would say you can snuff them out, but it does take longer than my offset. I close all my ports and take off my fan and close the ball valve and smoke stack. Usually still takes about a good hour before I feel safe. And then after cleanup I make sure they don’t reignite then put pit away. I check the coals too because you never know about a rekindle. But usually in my cooks I have kind of figured out how much fuel to use for my cooks. So I’m usually all burned out and ash after I’m done cooking. So if my cook takes 20 -22 hours on average. By the time I have taken briskets off and put in warmers and then cleaning up my trash putting tables and probes away and washing them. Sweeping my concrete floor and putting everything away. Sometimes my canopy etc. All this work usually takes me another 2 -4 hours of me taking my sweet time and relaxing lol. Then the fire is usually all burned out. I’ll dump my ash and clean the inside of the pit and then oil hinges and put away. But when I fully load the fuel tray (snake pattern) I tested it and it burned for 34 hours at 225. Total time to be completely burned out and cooled off to be safe to put away was 40hours. I did this on purpose to see what the longest it would go. Hope this info helps. Good luck! Hopefully you enjoy your investment. It’s awesome!
Fireboard has a magnetic holder if you haven't already picked one up
P.S. I also use a bbq guru fan system.
Are you running for president 😂
Obviously you want a free grill. Go yell at someone.
Quit pimping and work. REALLY. WITH WHATS GOING ON TODAY. SHUSH. DONT GRAVEL.