Got it - thanks! I was tempted to place them on top of the CC but didn't want them to flash up when I wasn't there. Will just have to sit in the garden supping beer.hogaboomer wrote: ↑July 19th, 2020, 10:16 amWhen you put a fresh log on, it starts out grey or white. Once it gets going good, it turns to blue. Only way to cure that is to start your logs in a separate starter barrel before you put them in. Or give them a shot with a propane torch.
Preheating your logs on the firebox also helps them get fired up quicker.
Cheers, it is white smoke definitely, I think Mr. Boomer has hit the nail on the head. It's bone dry seasoned oak from a reputable source here in the UK, it does seem to be when I add them so pre heating seems to be the way to go.
dacolson wrote: ↑August 18th, 2020, 11:38 amhey Sheffsmoker - how’s it working out? Are you finding a balance between airflow, charcoal, wood and heat? Preheat working out? If you have room in your FB, have you tried sitting a chunk or two off to the side inside the box?
On your comment about charcoal either being 300 deg or having white smoke, how long are you letting it come up to temp? I start with a chimney of charcoal that is good and hot - no longer smoking - and add it to the firebox. I can damp it down then without getting bad smoke. I add wood at that point and wait for it to stop smoking. I then put some wood to the side inside the FB and some on a rack on top of the FB (I’ve had wood start on fire sitting directly on the FB). I rotate wood through that way - wood pile to rack to inside to coals. I’m using splits, not chunks so I assume yours will heat up faster. I never add cold charcoal to a fire either. It will smoke. If I have to add coals - say if I fall asleep b/c I sipped too much delicious brown liquor and my coals die down - I always light them outside first, then add them after they stop smoking.
Not sure if you have access to charcoal chimneys there (I’m probably being wildly ignorant), but you can make one very easily with a big tin/steel can by punching big holes in the bottom and around the sides at the base. I have a buddy who has a fire pit next to his smoker and gets a big fire going w/ larger splits and just shovels live coals into the pit. He never puts unlit wood into his FB. He burns 3x the wood that I do though.