Cook Temps

[Roadkill]

Ok guys,here goes..... I just got in a convection plate from horizon that fits my offset smoker(Oklahoma Joes 20x40 offset smoker).Seasoned it last night for 4 hours. I am cooking with it this morning for the first time. I got up at 5am and put on a nice 8lb pork butt(injected and rubbed it last night).After the heat being on for 4 hours,the temps have an 80degree swing from about 4 inches from the fire box to about 4 inches from the smoke stack end. How much difference does 80degrees make? The reason I bought the plate was to be able to use the firebox end of my cooking chamber( I need more room).Is 80degrees about to be expected or now that I have the plate should I be getting a more even temp? If it takes 12 hours to cook a butt at 225-250f how much does 275-300 change my cook times?Any insite will be helpful. Thanks guys!

[Mic]

Roadkill, can't comment on the characteristics of your pit, but 275*-300* is too high for butts, IMHO! Seems to me you're doin more grillin than smokin at those temps! :shock: :wink:

Mic

[1MoreFord]

Roadkill,

I remember you got the info about the Horizon plate from me.

Now that I've had more time to play with mine I too am still not fully satisfied.

My first mod to the pit was a simple sheet metal baffle and then I added the diffuser plate in conjunction with the baffle. Initially I cut off my baffle and placed the plate against the firebox retained by the remains of the baffle. This brought the heat and hot spot much further down the chamber than the baffle alone. I've now welded the baffle back together and moved the diffuser plate away from the firebox a couple of inches. This has helped some but I still seem to be getting radiant heat coming off the diffuser plate and a resultant hot spot. Gonna try moving the plate a little further away from the firebox on the next cook and see if some tuning will help. It does seem the mass of the diffuse plate has helped retain heat and smooth out spikes and dips in temps. Also the temps from the top of the pit down to grill level are very close together just to the left of the handle where my thermometers are mounted.

I've got an additional problem since I grafted an old upright on mine and the upright isn't cooking to my satisfaction either. May try fitting tuning plates but am concerned this pit is too small for tuning plates to work either. May have to be content with the upright as more of a warming/holding chamber than a cooking chamber. Might also work well as a cold smoking chamber later on.

Sorry I don't any hard and fast answers for you but I'm still trying to learn this pit too.