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July 19th, 2016, 9:49 am
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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Before I ask my question.......I LOVE MY PIT. I saved up to purchase this and it is so worth the $....


So i have done 4 cooks on my smoker and the food has turned out great. The one question i have experienced is that i seem to have to cook more with door open most of the time (think 80%). This isn't a heat issue, this is an air flow issue. If i don't open the door, m fire tends to smolder and my smoke is really billowy.

I thought this was a wood issue initially but my oak is a couple of years old and i keep each piece prepped by putting on top of the smoker box.

My last thought was....will this level out as the smoker gets used or am i do I need to do something different.

Thanks.

Caleb

July 19th, 2016, 9:54 am
#2
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This can be as easy as moving the cooker to make sure that the wind/breeze is blowing in the direction of the normal draft of the cooker, i.e., from the firebox toward the chimney. If the wind/breeze is blowing in the opposite direction of the normal draft of the cooker, it can create back pressure that the draft can not overcome to allow the cooker to function properly.

Yoder_Herb
July 19th, 2016, 3:19 pm
#3
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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I am a new Loaded Wichita owner as well and initially had the same issue. As Yoder_Herb mentioned, it was just a matter of airflow. I live out in the country and it can get a bit on the breezy side. I had my pit sitting in such a way that the air was swirling around it and causing some back pressure. Once I corrected the positioning of my pit everything has been great. Couldn't ask for a better pit! It cooks like a dream!

As someone in this forum mentioned to me, I just had to take a bit of time to learn how this pit cooks. I've only been cooking on it for a few months, but I have cooked in some pretty nasty winds and even in the rain and it has been a champ. It produces some of the best food I have ever cooked.

July 20th, 2016, 12:56 pm
#4
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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Ok, thanks. i will look into the area i placed it.

July 26th, 2016, 11:46 am
#5
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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Image

So here is my smoke

July 26th, 2016, 11:49 am
#6
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: July 6th, 2016, 12:26 am
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Actually here is initial smoke

Image

Here is how my damper is
Image

And here is my fire


Image

When I open up my damper door I get clean smoke like the first pic. As soon as I close it I get the more sense smoke.

I am cooking with pecan today.

I did move the out to another location in order to get better airflow but still experiencing the same type of issues.

July 26th, 2016, 11:53 am
#7
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You need a much larger charcoal bed before putting wood in the cooker. Have you watched this: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=132

Yoder_Herb
July 26th, 2016, 11:54 am
#8
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I always debark the wood as well. If the bark is hard to remove, the wood may not be seasoned enough.

Yoder_Herb
July 26th, 2016, 12:43 pm
#9
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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I have watched the video before and i have walked through some of that.

So what i am hearing you say is that the charcoal bed, (which his came from the chimney starter and lump coal) is where to go. Does he continue to add lump coal throughout the process?

July 26th, 2016, 1:00 pm
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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ok, i rematched it. Thanks. i understand a lot more about the fire management.

I think i was relying on the wood vs the coal bed

August 7th, 2016, 12:36 pm
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None of the Yoder Smoker cooker are designed to be air tight or sealed. The cooker will work fine without the door being sealed up tight.

The more the cooker is used, the better it will work. The cooker is made from new steel, and the heating and cooling of cooking will allow the metal to "cure". The more it is used, the less the metal will move over time, which is the "cure" process. The cooking process will also seal up any leaks, as the inside of the cooker becomes "seasoned" from smoke and cooking debris. This is normal and a natural process all cookers go through.

If the cooker is properly leveled, so that the grease drains properly to the bucket, there is no need to worry about a grease fire, especially one externally. Keeping the cooker clean is also a must to prevent grease fires.

Yoder_Herb
August 8th, 2016, 12:28 pm
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The gap will not affect the functioning of your cooker. The Yoder offset cookers are all made by hand, and as such, sometimes have tooling marks like what you show in this picture.

If you feel it is necessary, take a dense block of wood and put it on the hinge, and hit it with a dead blow hammer, but do this at your own risk. The cooker is within build specs, and will function properly, and as designed, without doing this.

The other solution is to use a nomex gasket material around the door to seal it. Again, this is not needed, and will not enhance the normal functioning of the cooker.

Yoder_Herb
August 8th, 2016, 2:39 pm
* Kingman ** Kingman *
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Nomex isn't for a fire door. It's rated at 800f, lemme get a link
High temp Nomex (800 deg)
It's from Amazon, and from the major supplier of gaskets from smokers

I have a pellet, can't help with the rest.

August 8th, 2016, 2:43 pm
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With all due respect, the cooker was designed to cook in a specific manner, and it does an excellent job. Nothing about the cooker has changed in years, which is a testament to the design. To address your question on firebox design, there are huge differences in how a round firebox functions, as compared to the square firebox that you show in your post. There are trade offs for both designs.

The best manner of addressing your concerns, is to share a video from a fellow Wichita owner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS1veMrDOC4

The number one key to fire management in any offset cooker, is the coal bed. In the video above, as well as our Kingman video here on the forum, a very large amount of lump charcoal is used, and then 2 large splits of debarked wood are used to get the coal bed ready for a cook. If you use briquettes, use a lot and use 2 or 3 times the number of wood splits to create the coal bed.

Yoder_Herb
October 19th, 2016, 2:21 pm
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We appreciate the feedback and will share your experience with our design group. We are always interested in our customers feedback and will take your input under consideration. If you would like a custom door built you can email jphillips@yodersmokers.com, and I will be glad to try and accommodate you.

October 19th, 2016, 3:12 pm
* Wichita ** Wichita *
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Interesting thread. I do have to give slamkeys mad props for his ingenuity and persistence. Only goes to show that the folks in Texas are serious about their smokers!

Wish you well and hope there is a happy ending.

January 2nd, 2017, 12:25 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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So this must explain why our Kingman is ok then with the door closed. I do have some scorching near the top vent on my kingman. There is no way I am moving the Kingman to cook. Its been in same place since I purchased it

Marbque Midwest Backyardoasis
January 4th, 2017, 10:08 am
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We appreciate the testing you have performed and will take this into consideration moving into the future. There is absolutely a mathematical formal between intake and exhaust that has proven to be very reliable over the years. This formal was developed over many years of testing and building product to specified customer needs. We are always willing to take advice and are committed to product improvement. This post has been heard and will be taken into consideration moving forward. We build hundreds of custom products each year that are too customer specification in cooking style and temperature ranges. There are various theories and mathematical possibilities that are out there, some are better than others. This subject has been debated and discussed for as long as people have been putting logs in a piece of pipe to cook. We think we have found the best compromise, as with anything there is always room for improvement.
We have offered to build you a new door or would be open to any other modification that you may suggest. We are here to help.

Thanks for the post.

January 6th, 2017, 6:21 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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This has been a brilliant thread, and I have really enjoyed watching it evolve over the past few months.

Well done Slamkeys, and kudos to you on your efforts. Really thoughtful, considered and thorough.

I also commend Yoder Smokers - especially if they subscribe to an evolution of their products. Always be raising the bar to provide the very best - not only in quality of manufacture - but in design and development.

January 6th, 2017, 6:25 am
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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...and I'm no thermodynamics engineer....but I'd consider experimenting with lowering the firebox, getting rid of the butterfly vents and using a slotted slide style vent used on the square fireboxes.!

January 6th, 2017, 8:24 am
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Robcapp wrote:...and I'm no thermodynamics engineer....but I'd consider experimenting with lowering the firebox, getting rid of the butterfly vents and using a slotted slide style vent used on the square fireboxes.!


We are always willing to work with you, or anyone, on a custom configuration for your dream cooker. Call 877.409.6337, extension 1 to discuss.

Yoder_Herb
January 10th, 2017, 7:58 pm
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: August 24th, 2016, 3:58 am
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Yoder_Herb wrote:
Robcapp wrote:...and I'm no thermodynamics engineer....but I'd consider experimenting with lowering the firebox, getting rid of the butterfly vents and using a slotted slide style vent used on the square fireboxes.!


We are always willing to work with you, or anyone, on a custom configuration for your dream cooker. Call 877.409.6337, extension 1 to discuss.


Thank you for the response, Herb.

I live in Australia and am limited to buying what the local Yoder distributor imports.

Not intending to be inflammatory, but reading Yoders comments on the matters brought up in this thread makes me believe that Yoder believe their design to be infallible. All issues seem to be assumed as user error and inexperience - as Yoder is confident their product is perfect and without need for any improvement. Really? Imagine a world where a company didn't change their designs to be better than the previous models.

I know you're not that stubborn type of company though.....You improved the YS640, and continue too.... And it's getting better every year. I'd suggest the same happen with the Wichita.

I have been liaising with the local dealer about a Wichita or Kingman purchase....but must admit I am somewhat hesitant about moving forward. You have fans who want your product to be amazing, and be the best that it can be..... at this stage I am not confident that it is.

I'd rather not have to design my own dream cooker.... I'd rather Yoder do that. That's your area of expertise, not mine.

January 11th, 2017, 12:40 pm
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In final response to this topic. We have and always will pursue to build the best product we possibly can. We value customer feedback and continually evolve our product lines based on this type of communication. We are not interested in being right, in our business the customer is always right and we do everything we can to accommodate any and all issues or suggestions. This kind of commitment is rare in todays fast pace world. We have made the commitment to evaluate this section of our product line and see if we can improve the overall experience. We are currently doing this. We have sold thousands of wood pits across the world and have done so with great success. Nobody ever suggested that our product is infallible nor are we going to provide affirmation of something that we haven't tested to determine the source of the complaint. The customer experience dictates that we need to have a look at the product and see what if anything can or should be done. If we have given the impression we are not listening that certainly isn't the case. These kind of changes can be complicated and we need to be sure that we aren't going cause another issue down the line.
Our product couldn't be such a success without our customers. We appreciate the business and will always work hard to make the best product possible

January 25th, 2017, 7:15 pm
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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fwiw - I never had an issue with a clean fire on my Cheyenne, always ran firebox door shut with vents halfway open, and my Kingman is a thing of beauty, worth every penny

January 26th, 2017, 11:42 am
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