My ribs for tomorrow's first attempt at smoking!

[Stuarty84]

Yes the pink ring is a smoke ring.
As to the pictures they should only be thumbnails and when you click on them they should enlarge on your hosting site

Tried to edit the photos again Keith, but then they stopped showing up at all! So have had to go back to posting links

[gazz_46]

Go back a step the edited photos were showing up perfect, as Keith said they will enlarge when people click on them

[Pecker]

Has to be said, good work.

There's meat aplenty on those ribs, too.

Steve W

[Stuarty84]

Has to be said, good work.

There's meat aplenty on those ribs, too.

Steve W

Thanks Steve! Yeah I have to say I was pretty happy with them for my first try. I'm praying the weather is good this bank holiday weekend so I can get the baby backs smoking!

Maybe some of you guys could help me with a problem that I encountered on my first smoke..?

Ash build up
I went through quite a bit of charcoal (briquettes). But I found that when adding more, they wouldn't ignite properly and the ones on the bottom hadn't burned, but there was a thick layer of ash around them. This ash is obviously blocking the air from getting underneath the coals and this could be the reason why my temperature kept dropping. It wasn't until after the ribs were done that I was able to give the charcoal tray a good shake, and as soon as I did that, the heat inside was unreal! (even with very few coals left).

How could I combat this problem?

[gazz_46]

Hi Stu

Gonna be a little more difficult to help here only seeing pics unless someone has the same kit or lives nearby and can take a look, where are u based?

Looking at the pics online I can see the charcoal sits on what looks like metal plate with holes drilled in it at the btm of the smoker and the vents on the side of the chamber but again hard to see from pics.

Options to consider would be to drill more holes and or join the holes to make grooves?

These would allow better flow and clear some of the ash

Just guessing really

[Stuarty84]

Let me see if I can get you a better pic Gazz.

LINK TO PIC: https://www.dropbox.com/s/grbz0eg1m3ooh9x/DSC_6239.jpg

You are right, it is just a metal tray with holes in. (I have the tin foil there just to make it easier to clean afterwards). Those holes aren't a very good way to let ash fall into the bottom ask pan are they!? I would really need something that looks like the bars on a grill to the the ash fall through!

[gazz_46]

That's clearer now

Ideally a grill grate would be much better, either way the foil really isn't helping, I know it's hard when u want to keep ur kit clean but u will get better results without it..... Ash aint that tuff to clean up but grease is a bugger, try just foiling under the meat or get a foil pan.....cheap solution.....Give it go on ur next cook

[keith157]

Gazz isn't just a pretty face, he appears to have hit the nail on the head. I'd suggest a manic minute or 6 with an angle grinder or similar and turn your holes into long slots. You are trying to turn it into a basket so basically you want holes connected by thin strips of metal if possible.

[Stuarty84]

Cheers lads. I have a drip tray gazz, but I covered the bottom tray in foil because after the ribs were smoked I had burgers, sausages & kebabs on skewers to cook! lol. I'll know for again though, tin foil = no!

Yeah Keith I had thought about using a grinder to cut into long strips but I'm scared of wrecking it! You see that charcoal tray is part of a mechanism that allows me to raise or lower the tray with a winding handle on the front of the bbq.

[Stuarty84]

What if I found someone who was good with a welder and got them to make me a grill grate to fit, one that has feet/legs and would stand an inch or two above my original charcoal tray, then put my coals on top of that ?