Reload a side fire box

[scotth]

I'm using a Chargriller with the side fire box as my smoker. Previously I used a gasser with chips. The chips lasted a few hours and the heat lasted until I turned it off.

I did one smoke with the Blue Bag, it ashed like mad, I had trouble keeping temps up, and when I reloaded the smoker, nasty smoke bathed my food.

So now I'm using RO lump with chunks (hickory, apple or cherry depending on food/mood). I can get and maintain 250º for a while. But then the fuel runs out, luckily it doesn't ash up, so I can add more fuel, and the smoke that comes out when the new lump catches on fire is no where near as nasty as that from the briquettes, but it's still not the sweet thin blue that you get 30 minutes later.

Is there a better way with a side fire box?

[Capt]

I use the same unit. I start with a chimney full of lump charcoal, then it's only wood splits from there on out. Your wood should be well seasoned to avoid the thick white smoke.

[Richtee]

I use the same unit. I start with a chimney full of lump charcoal, then it's only wood splits from there on out. Your wood should be well seasoned to avoid the thick white smoke.

And if you need additional heat use the chimney to fire it until it's all grey...or not visibly smoking.

[scotth]

Thank you Capt and Rich, I had no idea . How big a split, how many splits at a time do you use? I have plenty of white oak from Irene in 2011, but need to find a source for some of the other woods I like to use:

[Richtee]

Thank you Capt and Rich, I had no idea . How big a split, how many splits at a time do you use? I have plenty of white oak from Irene in 2011, but need to find a source for some of the other woods I like to use:

Those...are a bit big...
About half of what you have in the wheelbarrow....maybe a third.

[MrZip66]

And if you need additional heat use the chimney to fire it until it's all grey...or not visibly smoking.

that's what I do on my offset. I'm able to hold my temp, but I go through 3/4 of a bag of RO to do it at 250, and have to watch how much I empty out of the chimney to stoke it. I'd love to hear how the splits work for you and what you find out.

[Fire it up]

I use the same unit. I start with a chimney full of lump charcoal, then it's only wood splits from there on out. Your wood should be well seasoned to avoid the thick white smoke.

And if you need additional heat use the chimney to fire it until it's all grey...or not visibly smoking.

Great advice from both.

I also have a couple of CharGrillers and that's how I do my smokes.
I still use the blue bag because I only use it to get things started then as a heat booster when I need to throughout the smoke but otherwise it's 100% wood using splits no bigger than 1/3 the size of my fire basket.
I also pre burn every single piece of wood I am going to use in a little fire pit at the beginning of my smoke, I have found that burning them first helps them catch quicker so the temp stays perfectly steady when adding new wood and keeps the smoke thin and blue.
Also make sure that wood you're using is properly seasoned

Oh, and I also remove the bark when I am burning my splits.