What Does the Baffle Plate Gap Affect?

[DDave]

Okay, so as I understand it the area of the BP gap should be equal to 75% to 100% of the area of the firebox to cook chamber opening.

But how do you know if it needs adjusting? If it's out of whack does it effect end to end temp spread? Are there other symptoms?

[Big T]

The BP gap sort of like when you put your finger over the end of the water hose, it causes hot air to back up under the BP and then it rushes across the cooking grates and out the stack. So I guess when it's smaller than the throat it causes a little more radiant heat and a little more air flow across the meat. I've always made the BP gap equal to the throat or just a little smaller so I can't say what effect it has on the tune of the smoker but I can say that I've never had any issues. I've thought about building an adjustable BP gap just to see exactly what difference it makes but when something works this good I don't see any reason to change it.