Does Stack Size Matter? How I increased airflow on the Oklahoma Joe's offset smoker

[@kenzaleski5198]

I realize this vid is 2yr old, but why does it seem nobody has tried insulting the exhaust stack? Think about fireplace flue pipe, it’s double wall stainless insulated. Having the stack retain its heat will do way more than just adding lengths of pipe that get cold, it’s the heat in the stack that makes the draft, same as when you start a fireplace cold, smoke can back up into the house, but once the flue warms up now you’ve got draft. I’d like to see a comparison adding 1 stack extension, then insulate that same stack with and inch or 2 of fiberglass insulation with a layer of flashing around it. I bet you’d see a better result.

[@awfletcher711]

I just did a stack extension on my brazos. It doesn’t do much until you close the fire box door, which I always kept wide open without an extension. The increased draw from the taller stack allows your fire to burn with the door closed and decreasing the size of the air intake increases the velocity of the air passing through your fire box, thus becoming a little more like a wind tunnel and the splits catch super fast and you don’t need to add charcoal.

[@tomferrel7017]

I heat my house with wood and as you described, this is exactly what you do. Get the fire started, close the door until it is just open an inch or less and the ram air effect blows the embers hotter. Similiar to these guys when they use a leaf blower, but obviously not as much air flow but same principle. After it's roaring, close the door and use the air intake to control the temp (my wood stove that is, not the Oklahoma Joe).

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I'll play around with it but its a bit of a different beast than the Brazos. I only have a 3 inch diameter stack and whenever I close the inlet door tge flame goes out

[@awfletcher711]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ good point. It’s hard to know which variable effects other variables and I wasn’t taking the stack diameter into account. I saw the fire box door wide open the whole time so I wasn’t sure if you had tinkered with that yet. Awesome videos man! Keep it up.

[@apaterson2441]

Diameter would play a large roll. Cut the old stack out and replace it with a larger diameter exhaust. 4'-6" and 24'-36" long.

[@robfreeman5783]

Or....just get a Brazos. Or a Franklin or a 1975 Workhorse.

[@alcredeur]

@@robfreeman5783 you got $5k just laying around that I can borrow? lol

[@thelibertyghost1776]

I cut my stack off welded a collector on and my smokestack is 4 inch ID and 39 inches tall works pretty good

[@leedoss6905]

That's what I'm doing now with 4" pipe.

[@BigCarmine]

On my OKIE JOE pit, I removed the factory stack and capped the hole. I replaced it with a 4" Dia pipe that reached to 7' from the ground, and mounted it centered on on the barrel. World of difference. Cooks more like my 350gal pit. Diameter increase is more effective than trying to extend into class D airspace.

[@joshp3994]

"extend into class D airspace" 🤣

[@michaelwatts2221]

Keeping my lid and firebox leaks sealed as well as insulating the fire box and adding baffle plates have really made my secondhand OK Joe perform unbelievably well this summer. Took 3 years to finally get everything tweaked and learn how to manage a fire, but I’m producing such high quality que and clean smoke at this point that I can’t imagine upgrading to a $2,000+ offset until she just a rusts in two.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Sounds like an awesome set up!

[@simplec6]

How did you insulate the firebox?

[@mr.m8539]

@@simplec6 I don't use an Oklahoma Joe, but I used wood stove gasket around the top flap and side door of my fire box. It did the trick.

[@AshGreen359]

@@mr.m8539 I insulated mine and I can't seem to keep temps up. I used a leaf blower to get enough air in it

[@dakotaplatt6619]

Keep a jar of lard in yer beer fridge and give'er a nice season once in awhile....keep the rust at bay

[@michaelliese3809]

Okay, I have a Oklahoma Joe highland smoker. I also put the high temp sealer around my firebox and also between the firebox and cook chamber.theni put the sealer tape on the cook chamber and drilled a hole on the side of the cook chamber for the temp probe and installed the silicon insert. I also bought the smoker defuzer for inside of the cook chamber. Now what I do differently. The grate for the firebox, I do not use.i use the cooking grate that fits on the top of the firebox, but I place it in the firebox and then the metal box. I use regular charcoal. Since I'm on social security, have to watch every penny. I fill my Oklahoma Joe chimney with charcoal and light the newspaper under it. I let my charcoals get bright red then pour then into the metal box, which is sitting much higher with the grate turned the other way. Then I fill my metal meatloaf pan with water and put two pieces of wood on top of the charcoal. Then I spray Pam on my cooking grates. And close the cook chamber door. Then next to my my fire I place my box on the floor and place my small electric fan on top of the box. Leaving the side door wide open on the firebox. And I open the damper all the way on my chimney. Then once all the white smoke is gone, I wait till the temp gets way up, only because when you open the door the temp will drop. I open my cook chamber door and placey ribs or brisket or pork on the grate and close the cooking chamber door. Now your temp has falling down to around 200 degrees. So you only have to raise it up 25 to 50 degrees. Now I keep an eye on the temp gauge on top of the cook chamber. When it starts to go down, I check the firebox and move the wood around and add only one medium wedge of wood. The woods that I use is Oak, Cherry and Pecan. Those I get for free. Also my metal wood rack sits in my garage. Let's my wood dry out quicker. And each flavor has there own shelve. But one shelve holds all my smoking tools like, the fire chimney, latex gloves, my different rubs, temp probes, knives, and a large cutting board. And I have a friend that has cats, so I use the large plastic tubs for my ashes and one for the water for my pan. Even my charcoal is in two buckets. Everything is semi neatly in my garage, including my smoker. It used to be on the back patio, but once I had to use a wheelchair my neighbor moved it to the garage for me. My smoker sits in front of my John Deere mower. But I control the air flow with my fan, if the fire is burning great, I turn it off. If it's kinda slow, I put it to 1. And when I first put a new price of wood into the firebox I put the fan on 2. Gets the fire going quick. No need to buy a long pipe. I save my money for more ribs, chicken and brisket.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Great method!

[@matthewmoore856]

When I run My Horizon offset Smoker I have a side fire in a cheep grill I found on the side side of the road. I shovel in hot coals and pre lit splits. That helps prevent spiking temps and dirty smoke. Also one of the easiest cooks I ever had was in a 30mph wind storm. I think the wind over the stack added to the draw. Good Video. Thanks

[@robertturley2974]

Thats a great idea, I usually just do like he does and light up a chimney every now and then, but just having a slow burning fire that I could pull from as needed would be way better.

[@smith8281]

I have the longhorn reverse flow. I just open the fire box lid for a few minutes when I add new wood. I usually try to run mine at 225 and it stays pretty consistent. Usually with new wood added it will climb up to 250 but I’ll just crack the smoke chamber open a hair until I’m back down to 225. I also have a water tray inside on the right hand side by the fire box. Glad I watched this before ordering an extension which I’ll now pass on and just leave it the way it is. I have the felt on my smoke box (burnt off the fire box). Fire box is sealed with high temp silicone when I put it together

[@CookingwithChris1]

Love your videos man. Always in depth and you invest ALOT of time that saves us all a ton of time when looking at things in order to improve our BBQing. Keep it up man. One of my favorite BBQ channels on KZbin.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks Chris!

[@5316north6]

I just put a box fan in front of my firebox to help the air current. Then I just turn up the speed of the fan to get your splits to light faster. Then back down on low and the temperature is pretty consistent.

[@lamarwilliams185]

I’ve watched these videos for years and this is the first time seeing this video. I have a camp wood burning stove. After expanding the diameter and height of the chimney. I can burn fresh green wood with no problem. I also added a fire grate to keep the fresh wood off the bottom. I don’t know how much help this is to bbq. The exhaust was open 2 inches to 4 inches. The stack went from 6 feet to 9 feet. It is a big difference. Non insulated.

[@adamconley9732]

I have a Oklahoma Joe's longhorn and was having the same issue. Ended up replacing the stack with a 6in diameter one that is about 48in long. Much easier to maintain 240 - 250 temps. Although now it's hard to build a small enough fire to get those lower temps around 225. I always preheat splits in the fire box, makes a big difference in getting them to ignite right away. Great informative video!

[@hablep]

Tuck your next split into your firebox away from the coals, to either side of your fire box grate. Preheated splits catch fire much quicker.

[@cliffvictoria3863]

Best method for fire management still seems to be pre drying and warming the wood splits by building the fire near the door and placing a few splits next to the cook chamber (so they don't catch on fire too soon). These pre dried and warmed splits light much quicker when you add them to the fire.

[@fredgarv79]

that's something I never would have thought to do, until I saw his videos. I mean your thinking the splits you are buying are already bone dry right? but mine mostly would smolder. But saying that, for all the scare stories about how you don't want visible smoke, it never ruined anything when I would smoke but, I never ever wanted charcoal smoke like when you first light that stuff so I always pre fired them up and only added hot coals

[@sayhello203]

I use the baffle plate set up on my OK joe, adding those huge steel plates means the temp swings are slower and it needs a bigger fire to get the temps which is beneficial. Combined with always using two water pans and the fire box set up as you have here i dont have much issue with the standard smoke stack. I add a few extra lumps of unlit coal on each side of the split every other split added. This seems to keep feeding the coal bed making the new splits catch more easily. I might experiment with extensions but i am not convinced the data supports them adding much value as most of my cooking is lower temp anyway

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's basically what I found. The extensions do have an effect on airflow but I don't find any real difference or benefit when I'm cooking at around 250. I can't really say there is no benefit. Lots of people say it helps to even out the temps across the smoker and they feel splits catch faster etc. But based on my observations and tons of time managing the fire I don't see a benefit for me personally.

[@sayhello203]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I appreciate your pragmatic approach to the topic. Saves me spending the money getting an extension. I think I won't bother based on this, unless I start doing more hot and fast. Try adding coal as I described if you want an easier time managing the fire throughout, honestly it seems to keep temps more consistent. Adding full lit chimneys I find adds a big spike so I try to avoid it

[@liquiddreamification]

Why not go from the other end? Say maybe a 12 in extention tube placed over the damper on the fire box before the fire, with a small fan mounted to the tube like a like a fan used for cooling computers.

[@frostythemeatman7304]

I can relate to this issue. Thanks for the video. I thought about doing the stack extension. I think I will stick with my dryer elbow pipe in the cook chamber and adjust the flow from the stack vent. On cold and windy days I'll use a welding blanket to keep a even grill temperature.

[@ChrsGuit]

I was fighting the same battle with my Oklahoma Joe... I, by no means, want to take a dump on the OK Joe... I've made some of THE BEST bbq in my life on mine... My buddy Tim and I both started our bbq journey on Masterbuilt electrics. I had a Chargriller Akorn I used exclusively for grilling, and one day I dared try a low slow cook on it, using pizza pans and fire bricks as a makeshift difuser... It was a game changer... My buddy Tim also jumped on board the Akorn train... From there I took my old Chargriller super pro left at my grandparents and added a side box so I could dabble with the stick-burning arts...My buddy Tim followed suit with a cheap chargriller offset he found on marketplace... After I became comfortable with that I bought a new Oklahoma Joe Highland and felt I had reached the top... Well, about two years after I got the OK Joe, my buddy Tim decided to upgrade from his Chargriller. He was torn between an OK Joe and an Old Country Pecos ... He chose the Pecos.. I went over to help him break it in, it was cold, rainy, windy and trying to snow. That smoker held temp and worked like a champ... whereas I would have been really struggling to manage a fire in my OK Joe... several weeks went by and I went over to his place again to hang out and cook... a really windy, freezing cold day... Same thing... that Pecos handled it like a champ... My mind was made up... I went and bought a Pecos and passed on my OK joe to a coworker wanting to get into the stickburning game... I tell you this with 100% honesty... The Pecos runs like a dream, albeit it needs bigger splits to run, as the firebox is almost double the size of the OK joe... Way less risk of temp spikes, way less tending the firebox. The big 6" stack at grate level also seems to do a much better job of transferring heat and keeping things going more smoothly... I did add a small stack extension with black stovepipe, which helped keep a more even, consistent grate temp. If I had it to do over, I'd have probably spent the extra cash and bought the thicker, heavier Brazos, but I live in the South, where it usually doesn't get very cold... I know you're partial to the OK Joe, but Ive experienced your same frustrations, and would highly consider an Old Country Pecos. If you're dead set on keeping the OK Joe, I'd consider building you a small smoking shed. I made one myself, and it's been a lifesaver on cold and rainy days... Keeps me out of the weather and allows me to still cook when the weather is nasty... I'm on Instagram @ChrsGuit and would gladly show you my setup if you want any ideas. Cheers, and thanks for the great videos! I was perfectly content until my buddy was

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks man! Yea I've heard good things about the Pecos. Problem is I live in Canada and they're not readily available. I originally just got the okj because they sell it at lowes. I think it has its place as an inexpensive entry level smoker. It sounds like it at least got you into the game right?

[@ChrsGuit]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ Absolutely. Like I said, I've made some of my best bbq on an OK Joe, and it's a real step above the thin, flimsy nexgrills or the other entry-level stick burners... Personally I found the OK Joe ran it's best on chunks instead of small splits, but you have to constantly keep an eye on your fire... nothing worse than getting sidetracked and looking in your firebox to see ashes and no fire... I had good luck with adding some firebricks inside my OK Joe to help regulate the heat a bit ... let me run a little hotter fire without burning anything, as well as not losing as much heat when opening the lid

[@Galatian1]

OMG Steve your videos get funnier and funnier yet still informative. The piss jug joke made me spit my drink outta my mouth.......funny as shit. Love the bbq channel and your humor.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks Keith!

[@jgo304]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6fVZqOqnJ1qoKs

[@nastasedr]

So as an Aerospace eng., before watching the video, the longer stack will slow the airflow, so in theory it will help smoke the protein better. However, this may have unintended consequences like an unhealthy fire. To solve that problem one must make the stack with a larger cross-section.

[@nastasedr]

Interesting, I forgot to think about the fire itself powering the airflow. So his conclusion makes perfect sense.

[@nastasedr]

For next experiment widen the cross-sectional area of the stack.

[@waynegranzin3824]

try the test again with food. if you have faster moving air, it's easier to burn-due i assume to less convection-your food product at the same temps. if avoiding swings and quicker combustion is your goal. just preheat your wood.

[@scrapson8789]

I put my next few wood pieces on the top of my firebox to preheat it

[@nick_805]

Great video. I use the extension, a Smoker Mods tuning plate and a water pan to get very consistent 245-250 degree temps. More of the 80's/video game/epic journey into the mists of Avalon thematic music please. Love it!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Lol the mists of avalon. Thats an oldie!

[@johnlaine6259]

Got the same setup, works good for me.I point my firebox towards the wind.

[@davidbrown9390]

I tried this experiment too. I decided to place my GoPro inside the fire box to see exactly how the fire acts. I came back an hour later to discover that someone must have stolen it!

[@whatiswritten1579]

I put a 16 inch of ac duct on & found the draw to allow for a more consistent heat. meaning it was easier to control the cook chamber temps. that seems to be more important than how long it takes new splits to light. fyi, i have found coal beds make the temps too high. i start the fire like i would for a campfire & maintain from there my next experiment is to attach a 4 inch stove pipe around the exhaust hole of the joe to see what that does

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

The stove pipe experiment sounds interesting!

[@whatiswritten1579]

ok.. i took several pics of my latest experiment but i can't see a way to share them via comments i removed the entire stack that came with the Joe. and replaced it with a 4 inch type B gas vent adjustable 90 degree fitting & a 36 inch long 4 imch type B gas vent. this pipe isnuses for venting gas water heater exhaust & other things. Obviously 4 inches is WAY bigger than the exhaust on the Joe so i cut strips of dryer vent to match the width of the exhaust & wrapped around the outside of the exhaust as a spacer. I thought I could use pipe clamps to hold it on but the gas vent pipe is too rigid. I ended up cutting a single slice in the 90 & using a wood working bar clamp. this holds it on beautifully Everything was so much easier to manage & i never had white smoke in the cook chamber. It almost didn't matter how big or small my fire in the fire chamber was, the heat was consistent, very easy to increase or decrease the fire, the temp in the cook chamber & everything about the smoke. It drafted so well I walked away from it for almost an hour, the cook chamber temp dropped to 198 & was still producing clean smoke Of all the mods I have tried this is the only one that has allowed me to get the cook chamber temp to a consistent 225-240 for a long period of time and i was able to make adjustments to the size of the fire with the vent door closed & using the vent itself, even with a larger fire the temps were able to get low enough & produce clean smoke If i can figure out how to send you or share pics I will

[@whatiswritten1579]

btw, when i say the temp in the cook chamber I put a probe at the far end away from the firebox next the exhaust at grate level where the food would be. I do have a couple other mods that seem to help but the diameter size of the exhaust seems to make all the difference

[@whatiswritten1579]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ please see my latest replies... I'd love to. share pics but KZbin comments doesn't have that. Anyway I can share these with you? I can post them on my FB page or Something

[@whatiswritten1579]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ I found your Facebook page & sent you a DM with the pics. My name is Daniel Hedges

[@timcorwin6126]

Just like the chimney on a natural draft water heater, if the stack is too large (diameter or length) it will cool stack temps down enough to condense inside the exhaust. Taller will bring the exit to a different pressure zone giving it draft so higher will give a stronger draft. Aside from maintaining temps I would imagine you would get the cleanest smoke from the tallest stack possible without condensing the exhaust inside the stack

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Sounds right!

[@harleystreetglide1576]

Hey I did the v grate and it clogs with ash and no air flow . You should do it again with the grate flat . I did and with a 18 inch extension it's better. I agree the oaklhoma joe struggles to get up to and main temp. I think it is the 3 inch draft hole is small, when I look at other and expensive smokers you see a big manifold at the end with the pipe on top and that creates lift. I did a review to years on my highlander saying that why do we have to spend a extra $250. On mods. I would have settled on paying $500. On it know it worked fine and gave me enjoyment out of the box instead of putting extra money in fixing it coming out of the box. Enjoy hope you can fix it. Let us know .

[@glennmcdonald4557]

In construction we have what is known as a bell reducer. With the stack situation one end of reducer would fit factory stack with other end larger for obviously bigger pipe stack extensions. Hope this makes sense.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I've seen it the other way around where there's a large diameter collector and then it narrows. Not sure if going from skinny to large would do anything but ill be on the lookout for a 3 inch to 4 inch reducer. Problem is I want to use things anyone can buy and easily install

[@anthonysalazar2852]

5" stack width seems to be optimal on smokers. Many smoker builders will go from a 4 to a 5 right at the elbow to create the best airflow. Just my .02

[@geraldbyington6836]

I followed your information and added a 36 in long 3in diameter gas pipe as a stack vent extension to my pellet grill. At that height I should increase my exhaust flow about three times. I also added a felt seal on my door. I need to cook a brisket to be sure but I am seeing a much more consistent temperature control. Thanks

[@arileonmaggi5980]

Hey smoketrails, You’ve got a lot more variables in your experiment that could be preventing you from maintaining good temperature conditions that don’t involve the smokestack. Here are things you should consider: -You live in a colder climate, so you should be keeping the wood that you are going to throw on next warm. Throwing cold wood onto the fire increases the time it takes to ignite -Your smoke box triangle method isn’t that bad, but I feel like using a fire box from Amazon is better for maintaining a wider coal bed. You don’t necessarily want coals stacked on top of eachother. You want them spread out

[@terrestrialsoup]

you should try extending the stack from the interior of the smoker. People say by lowering the internal stack to grill level it helps them keep temperatures steady. I have seen a few products for the OK joe available to buy, or what I did was use a 3 inch diameter elbow vent for a dryer. In my experience it didn't do much and was causing smoke to stick around too long along with making my fires a bit more picky. Keep it up. bubble ketchup.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks! Yea I've tried an elbow and half loaf pan. It just takes up too much space for me

[@BarHRanch]

I literally spit my drink out at the piss jug. 😂

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha!

[@jacobfox6838]

Preheat your splits on top or if you use a fire basket you can put you next split in on the side to preheat the wood so it ignites faster

[@tomcat7843]

I have the reverse air flow model I live on a farm with ALOT OF TREES. I have a huge supply of would so I never use charcoal just dried wood. Some of it split some is not. I do have a 60 inch extension that I out on just to keep the smoke above face level. I have a family of seven a and weekend can bring 15 to twenty people over. I have every inch of cooking space covered with meat and have three Dutch ovens going for side dishes. I usually just light do chores and feed the fire ad needed. I just star early in the day and have the whole family trained to keep the fires going. It takes patience but damn we eat good.

[@paulbecker7266]

Best mod I did was making it into a reverse flow with 5" exhaust elbow just above grate height and a 3 foot stack

[@mujiworld3739]

I am not sure this would apply to the reverse flow Oklahoma Joe smoker though due to the flow but in my case i run everything wide open most of the time and control the temp by controling the fire size , if it spike up -which sometimes you get that really dry split - i open the fire box for 5 to 10 sec then dial the top airflow on the stack down by 1/8th to 1/4 and i keep it for 5 minutes and that usually save my hassle. For the splits to catch , especially if i think it is not that dry , i just use low speed leaf blower for 5 seconds . I have an old bouncy castle blower that i just aim towards my smoker .

[@AntsBBQCookout]

wow! science, singing and midriff.. this video had it all! 👍

[@fredstone9016]

Solid vid! Wood starts faster when dry and warm with a hot coal bed. I work with a garbage Dyno glo offset and work completely off of wood after my single chimney of coal.

[@mr.m8539]

Thank you for making this video. I often wondered what the hype over stack height was about. It looks like my concern about smoke stagnation is realized after 90 inches of extension.

[@Mattscreative]

Use a wider stack should bring in even more flow or a thinner stack to Concentrate the airflow

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Harder to go bigger diameter than taller though!

[@tjm7275]

Dude good video I am cooking to briskets on mine as I write this.. I extended my stack and I’m happy with it. A thing I learned from Chuds BBQ is the mini leaf blower. Theirs one on Amazon made by Abeden. Complete game changer for me, my temp has been steady the whole time because it’s so easy to control the fire.. just a thought for you.. be good dude!!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Nice! Me and my buddy used a Dewalt leaf blower back in the day to get the fire going if it started smouldering too much. It works well. The only problem we had is if it's too fast it can blow ash into the cook chamber and onto the meat.

[@Tcflohr]

After using my OKJ for a few years, I gave up on splits. I went back to chunks and managing temperature is alot easier. I don't think the firebox is big enough for most store bought splits. Also, the wood needs to be warm before added to the fire. Either resting the wood on top of the firebox, or keeping the fire to one side of the box and dry wood preheating on the other side. Awesome to see your experiments! I gave up on mods and just run it as it is.

[@matthewwarren7879]

I started using my ok Joe's I had trouble with a huge roller coaster in temps they would shoot up to 350 when I added a split. But I started using my charcoal basket and treating it more like a charcoal grill. When I add my splits it does give off white smoke but I just ignore it and a few minutes later its burning good. I'm using kiln dried wood and it's never given me a bad flavor. So I keep the door closed with much less air flow. This last time I cooked the charcoal lasted 8 hours and it produced great results. I used full size splits and with the firebox damper nearly closed. It worked great. And it didn't go higher than 280

[@willhaney96]

You should reduce the aperture of the inlet. This will slightly decrease the flow rate due to constriction but increase the velocity of the air hitting the fuel, giving it more Oxy and removing CO2 faster. Also adding insulation to the stack will also increase airflow, since the heat of the air is what powers the flow in the first place.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Something to try!

[@Hfd4478]

I have an Oklahoma joe longhorn reverse smoker. When i cook my brisket at low temps I've observed that thinner splits are the only way. It's much easier to control a low temp fire on a large pit vs a smaller pit like mine. The key is active fire. You must always have an active fire or you'll smoke the hell or if whatever your cooking and taste very bitter, especially long cooks. So same length splits but thinner. You're going to have to play with how thin the split should be, but remember surface to mass ratio. A piece of paper will ignite faster than a log. You're also going to have to tend to the fb a hell of a lot more than a 300 degree fire

[@tonykowalski9411]

I think the V-shaped fire basket may be part of the problem. The coals made from burning wood looked like they were falling through the basket so they weren’t able to be close enough to the new splits to ignite them. Just a thought.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Good catch Tony. I've suspected that as well. It seems to be a hotter fire when the ashes build up

[@tonykowalski9411]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ yeah but at the same time you have to give the fire room to breathe. I use smaller splits in a criss-cross pattern to keep them close/touching while still allowing space for air.

[@efernandez2]

This was awesome! Good experiment! That music chime was hilarious- added value to the content for sure.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks!

[@billfreeman685]

I wonder what would happen if the extensions were a bigger diameter?

[@KieranShort]

Awesome video! Why is the coal bed set up in a Vshape? I'd be cutting that out with an angle grinder for a start. I'd also weld the fire box top lid shut. Start the fire with wood stacked vertically then just feed it slowly. With a higher stack if you insulate the extensions you'll get increased air flow. It'd be good to have the data of the grill temp as well. Great video, get the nephew back and keep tweaking. 👍

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Just the way I run it! I like the airflow underneath.

[@KieranShort]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ but does that air get preferentially drawn through and up the chute instead of passing over the coals and heating on it's way through? I'm just curious. I've seen other offset smokers like the Franklin that don't have that basket. So just wondering.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

@@KieranShort i don't think so it's all grates so the air can get in between. Its not a solid chute

[@RaleighSmoke]

Too funny! Love retro the music video and the green screen roller coaster. Like you, my anemometer melted when I used it for my video. Not sure if you’ve seen it, but I’d think so. Great job as always!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I did see it! That's why I bought what I thought would be a better one. But apparently this one also sucks. I think I'll put it in the freezer for a few minutes next time before I use it. Thanks for watching man!

[@TxBoi4891]

This is cool for air flow only. Totally disregarding the fact, too much flow takes away from flavor of food. I'll tell you something SIMPLE that'll blow your mind. Take the goofy V shaped rack out of the fire box and put in a flat grate. The V shape keeps all the spilt flat against each other and your air flow mostly goes around the wood. Flat grate give more uniformly THROUGH the wood giving better burn. And run no more than 1 extension on stack. Ideal, stack should be ⅓ the length of cook chamber.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks man! How does too much airflow take away from the flavor?

[@TxBoi4891]

@SmokeTrailsBBQ if it passes too quickly, it won't impart the flavor as it should. It'd be a lighter smoke flavor.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

@@TxBoi4891 gotcha

[@TxBoi4891]

@SmokeTrailsBBQ it might honestly be had to tell, but to solve the burn issue, flatten the grate the splits are on. If possible, cut at bottom where they form the V, and spread the bottom out a few inches so it'll still feed downward to a flat bottom

[@avantmarine4011]

I would love to share my stack mods using heavy truck chrome exhaust hardware, sleeves and a trick methode to stabilize the extra length... Love your videos, very through and scientific!

[@jdawg1835]

This got me thinking about the Venturi effect: the diameter of a pipe is reduced which increases the rate of flow. I wonder if this principle could be applied with success to this situation.

[@willhaney96]

It does not increase the flow rate, it increases the flow velocity. But since you reduce the cross section the amount of air passing ether stays the same or goes down due to drag/constriction.

[@Ryan-yi6su]

Another great experiment thank you I do have a suggestion I found another KZbinr measured the amount of pellets it took per hour to cook food What does it cost to cook a brisket Let's say a reasonable 12 hours How much of your time how much charcoal and how much wood. I'm not sure to purchase an offset smoker or to get a pellet smoker they each have their drawbacks I hope you can figure something out

[@BernhardSchlegel]

Another reason for diminishing returns may be fluid / air friction inside getting stronger.

[@SirVivalDotKom]

I sit splits on top of the firebox to preheat them. Catches quick with clean smake

[@tomferrel7017]

Seeing how we're in Alberta, hard wood isn't easy to find and it's expensive. We have plenty of spruce, pine and poplar. So I use pine just to get a good fire going and and a bed of coals. Then I throw in small splits of poplar which light fairly quickly and then put the hardwood on top of that. If the hardwood starts to smolder the poplar that's lit will burn the smoke. I keep the fire near the damper to get a ram air effect and the door closed and the damper wide open. I don't have to use charcoal at all and burn an all wood fire.I cooked a brisket once with only poplar and found it didn't really have much effect on taste but was hardly smoky flavor. But in the end it's an Oklahoma Joe's and finicky as heck. It's a full time job...

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I live in alberta as well. Never used softwood for startup but that's a great idea. One day I'd like to test whether the rule that you can't cook with softwood is true. I wonder if the wood is very dry and not sappy it won't be an issue

[@michianabaddriversin4690]

A simple sheet of foil over the first coal grate in the cook chamber ( closest to the fire hole ) will make the cooking temperature even from grate to the top of smoker with the Joe's thermometer. Less than a 5 degree difference. Try this before buying plates or stack extensions..

[@markennes5208]

Hey Steve - I watched this video a loooong time ago and decided to add an extension way back then. So I bought an 18" extension at Advanced Auto, a tailpipe extension, on sale for $8. I liked it and so bought another. Then another and another, gradually lengthening the stack. And the final one was the one on bbqsmokermods with the damper which I can reach with an old telescoping flag pole from my tailgating days. So now I'm at 90 inches of extension excluding the stock 17" stack. It seems to me it has to do something good if the flow rate doubles with the first extension and comes close to quadrupling with all the extensions, even if the splits don't burst into flame without opening the door. Another advantage is it puts the smoke up high so I can see the color of it easier against the green of my stable roof rather than against the white of my stable wall. One thing I don't think you mentioned directly is ambient temperature. Seems to me that could have an effect since the stack would cool more quickly in winter than in summer. Cold ambient air could promote problems with a long stack relative to summer temps which could have unrealized benefits. I also wonder how much better the fire might have behaved with the charcoal basket you use now - which clearly is a better system than the stock grates or the V shaped grates. Anyway, due to many of the mod suggestions from this channel, my OKJ cooks very nicely now with even temps from right to left and no undeserved temp spikes or drops. Belated thanks for another great video!

[@Red8675309666]

I personally am having trouble getting the 225-250 temp range. my cook chamber gets so hot whenever i add even wood chunks or small splits. I have 1 18" extension from autozone already. maybe its time to add another. i live in AZ so outside temp is warmer almost always.

[@frobo512]

Great video! I got baffling plates and a built in water pan that helped a bunch. I can have a way bigger fire without heating up the smoker to high heats. So a lot easier to keep at 250-275. Also I think having a good coal Bed with logs directly on top helps instead of on a rack

[@Red8675309666]

did you notice less smoke flavor by using the baffles?

[@ascendedvegeta]

I think it would be more worthwhile to try to mod the firebox to be bigger. A bigger firebox would let you have a larger fire and more room for the hot smoke to cool down before entering the smoke chamber so you wouldn't be cooking at 350F or higher just because you wanted a larger fire/coal bed

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Great idea! Bigger mod though

[@Red8675309666]

what about a firebox spacer mod? I''m curious if by moving the fire box away from the cooking chamber more, how that would impact it. Less temp blead between the two.@@SmokeTrailsBBQ

[@thesmokingplank]

You should spray your firebox with oil before and after cooks it keeps the rust away and seasons it too.

[@derheeheehee6941]

The aftermarket heat plate mod and water pan mod is really awesome

[@bobroberts5074]

Dude you're videos keep getting better. What about if the diameter was bigger? Also, do you use tuning plates on your Highland. I have a reverse flow Highland never use the reverse feature. Felt air flow was robbed. Thanks man.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks Bob! No I don't use tuning plates. I feel like they limit airflow and I don't cook on the right side anyway most of the time. Yes I think the diameter being bigger would have a major impact but that would be a more difficult mod. I might do a video on it though.

[@boxingdonk8647]

This was the question I was going to ask. My smoker has a shorter 5" stack. Wondering how much impact a taller stack would do. Very interesting video and I enjoy the testing/teaching you do.

[@BackyardSmoke614]

Awesome experiment, I been debating on getting a stack extension. This helps my decision.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Whats your decision?

[@BackyardSmoke614]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ The stack extension may not be as worth it as I originally thought.I OK Joe just need better air flow into the firebox. This if I can improve that I will be ok. Just like when you opened the firesbox in the beginning to increase flow, I have to do the same. I sometimes just leave a stick or something in the lid to keep it cracked and Im fine.

[@brianveestrom6784]

I tried extending my stack but the missus still goes to the night table. Maybe a bit more prewarming would help. Speaking of which, have you tried putting the splits under the gate to preheat? Great science Steve.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Haha! Thanks Brian! Yes I put splits under the grates if I need to preheat them fast. Just need to be careful they don't light

[@alexisroofing]

I did one extension and it’s great Second my prevailing wind comes out of the west directly into the firebox and out the stack

[@mlindsay527]

Try pulling the wire rack out and just building the fire on top of a nice layer of ashes. I have good luck with one or two larger splits to hold the coals and then smaller ones to keep the heat up.

[@SnipezTTD]

Keep in mind, this is a bolt-together unit with leaks all around. I had one, was a decent smoker, just very difficult to work with

[@e39_money17]

I welded my highland all together every last seam I typically run it at 225 but I find it fairly easy to run consistent temperatures 225 being the lowest I can consistently achieve

[@yondego4733]

I notice your house is near your exhaust pipe, Houses always have the top of the chimney above the highest roof peak to make them properly draw.

[@FissileThomist]

Stack extension for increased O2 + more solid fuel surface area = hotter burn

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yep but for what purpose?

[@johnnyblaskowski]

Great experiment in flow dynamics. Flow and ignition rate are not really measurable due to wood needing be upwards of 1000f to ignite. Warming the wood prior to adding to fire box will ignite quickly, and the add stack will allow to burn clean. Keep it up.

[@jonarmstrong6214]

Have you tried using flat bottom V vs. the V you're using in the firebox? It allows you to have a larger coal bed, which I find helps with fire management. I run my joe like that, along with an 18" stack extension.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Like with the V going down to the bottom of the firebox? Not yet but I will try that!

[@aroldovillarreal7442]

I wonder if the manufacturers at Oklahoma Joe's See all the modifications out there on KZbin. I just bought my 1st offset smoker and I would imagine that Oklahoma Joe's has experimented with all these modifications and concluded that the way they manufacture them is she best (perfect stack height, dimensions, exhaust positioning, etc).

[@waynegranzin3824]

the only real mods that need done are to seal up the gaps and for the owners to learn how to properly manage a fire. the rest are people just fiddling around for the sake of fiddling around.

[@aroldovillarreal7442]

@@waynegranzin3824 I assumed so. So many mods make it seem like the smokers are unusable straight from the factory.

[@Steve.903]

Do you preheat your splits on top of your fire box? As I’m cooking I have 4-5 splits on top of the fire box every time I add one to the fire a new one takes it’s place on top of the box. In my experience when the splits are hot they go up in flames instantly but when cold it takes a few minutes with the fire box door open for them to light causing my temps to drop to much 😫

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yep! It works awesome

[@tommygollick5322]

Interesting. I run an OK Joe Longhorn reverse flow and have about the exact opposite problem when only using splits. My splits tend to burn too hot and fast, and I seem to go through a lot more wood than I should. I usually have to somewhat restrict the air flow to slow down the burn lengths and keep the flow running through the chamber and not backdraft out the firebox. I usually run around 225-250 grate temp. Maybe my splits are just really dry (cherry and some hickory). Tough to call, but interesting view, non-the less. But then again, I started using a Chargriller offset for about 10 years, so my OK Joe seems like a dream comparatively, LOL!

[@TheTheRanger1]

My biggest issue with your test is the firebox grating. You’re likely having issues getting your splits to catch is because the surface area is so small it takes the air a long time to reach the new spilt to provide proper combustion.

[@Matthlanning]

I'm able to keep under 300 with my highlander on post oak splits 1.5 2" splits. However... I need to leave the firebox open for a looooooong time (10min at least, sometimes almost 15) this drops my temps down to ~ 180 - 190° durring that time. I'm shooting for 225° and I can normally get it once the split is going. I wonder what the low temp swing is doing to my brisket?

[@billtankersley3373]

I enjoyed your episode. I have found that the draw of the firebox is also about location. As I moved further away from dead air locations near a structure or fence, it improved. I also have the same issues with 225-275 degree fires catching the next split of wood. I was going to experiment with split size as if it was a mega size pellet smoker.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Funny enough I hooked a pellet smoker augur into the firebox once and it ran pretty good

[@E3fieldservices7144]

I have a small fan that I turn on blowing into the firebox for a few minutes after I put a stick of wood on to get the fire going

[@BlackTieKitchen]

I think you need to try making an organ style stack where it splits into a few stacks. Then, use the smoke to play the music of the smoke gods 🎶🎶

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

That's just crazy.....so crazy IT JUST MIGHT WORK!!!!

[@BlackTieKitchen]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ *queue Phantom of the Opera music*

[@robfreeman5783]

I'm disappointed we didn't see ads for manscaped or Roman to start this vid. But seriously....any stack that length has to be insulated, or else any wind whatsoever will cool it off and then you get a down draft that works against you. The taller it is the more insulation needed imo.

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I agree it's like a chimney needs insulation. I cut that part out of the video for length (no pun intended) but I was going to say something similar but suggest if you need to insulate it, it's probably more work than it's worth

[@davei1469]

Awesome! Great job 👍 I always look forward to your new videos. Keep them coming!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Thanks Dave!

[@rickylaw8187]

Diameter of exhaust plus height should be larger in diameter compared to intake ports.

[@Darkness_Actual]

Seeing the Lone Star beer made the video legit.

[@daveh4988]

At lower temps would it help if you necked the pipe down to a smaller size?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

I think it needs a bigger diameter tbh

[@brandonwaddell2583]

Did the amount of time each split lasted at 225-275 change between stack/no stack?

[@scottstewart5136]

Add a 2nd OEM stack, extend both to 36 inch Qty SKU Product Price 1 1884043 Smoke Stack 22.99 Bi-Metal Hole Saw Drill Bit HSS Hole Cutter with Arbor for Wood and Metal 2-15/16’’

[@Saltlifebtc]

Why has no one thought of putting a thermoerter on the fire box then when the fire drops to a certain temp you add a split can you do a video on this and do fire managment by tempature you get more sleep it it is bluethooth and sends a alarm to your phone its alway better to be proactive then reactive to the fire tell me what you think thank you

[@Hyrulemaster21]

I be curious to know if you replace that stack elbow with another one that went around the little nub and you only extended it say about 30 in but with the diameter of the elbow and stack being maybe about half an inch bigger.

[@dougdavidson9333]

Where are you buying/getting your stack sections?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Home depot

[@vandykeshouseofsmoke8382]

I plugged some measurements into a bbq calculator and for the size of the okjoe it said it should have a 4 inch diameter stack..would be interesting to modify. I have 2 small children so it may take a while. Lol

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes I would like to try that mod as well!

[@cirrus820]

Maybe insulate the stack to keep the air from cooling down?

[@Texican_Guitars]

Any thoughts on the length of the stack in comparison to the length of the cok chamber or maybe the over all length of the cooking area and firebox?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Apparently there are some rules of thumb but I think it depends on the diameter of the stack as well

[@Texican_Guitars]

@@SmokeTrailsBBQ a smaller stack would provide more resistance potentially, I'd thjnk. Its be loosly similar putting your thumb over a garden hose. The sick part of me wants to take the measurements of your model and try a fluid optimization analysis to see where the curve plateaus given various lengths and diameters. Thank you, this video has started a thought process and is really making the hamster actually get the wheel in my head spinning. Its a good feeling and the only smoke I smell isn't from my head!

[@AZRob.]

This was great! I enjoyed the content, and can relate, as I have a Char Griller, which is just as big of a piece of crap as the Oklahoma Joe's. Like you, when trying to cook low and slow, I was struggling with wild temperature swings. Finally, after trial and error, I found solutions that work. First, I bought a charcoal basket from BBQ smoker supply, and I spent the extra bucks for the minion method maze bars. Then, I only lit part of my chimney, and let it follow the trail of unlit briquets through the maze. Then, I got wood chunks, and learned how many to add to raise my temps and get good thin blue smoke, without getting a temp spike. Side note- another tip- I keep a tin can nearby, and if I do add too much wood, I just pull the flaming chunk out, and throw it in the can for a while until my grill calms down. Now, even with my crappy little grill (5050 Duo), I can hold temps right at 225° all day long! Cheers!

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Awesome tips! I have a basket/maze as well and love it for long smokes.

[@BradBrother]

I wonder if you ran a small fan in the exhaust? Like a turbo or something!

[@RobertMoore-pt9ep]

Instead of massively tall what about going from a 3 inch stack to a 4 inch stack and possibly only needing 1 extension?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

If I could I would! I'd have to cut out the fitting and weld a new stack on though

[@RPPerry1984]

to do that you'd have to use a torch to open the outlet from 3" to 4" and then weld a new elbow and exhaust stack on. But, it should be a huge improvement.

[@soumynonareverse7807]

Great video, if you make a follow up, I'd like to know if it makes a difference if you add a 45° T-junction to the stack to increase airflow. Will the airflow increase in the cooking chamber aswell?

[@billsa-bob8945]

Would love to see a diameter smoke stack test. I did a modification to a cheap smoker(Broil King you need a new designer) and I feel I should have went with a 6" diameter instead of 4".

[@masaigeraghty3525]

I was thinking the same thing ...a 5 " stack n 6 inches shorter than the cooking chamber is what a guy on this channel did n seems to work but that's on a Brosos.

[@fredyow5395]

What if your stack diameter went from 3" to 4" and added extensions? 🤔

[@DanielKoch87]

someone has been watching Project Farm! Great video

[@miguelmoreno6558]

I got a interesting question. Might be dumb 😂 What if you keep the stack height not so tall and have the diameter of the stack larger ? Would that even work ?

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Yes it would work

[@craigwilliams1577]

Did you try a bigger diameter stack

[@SmokeTrailsBBQ]

Not yet. Still trying to figure out the best way to do it