Check out these simple upgrades YOU can get for your offset smoker today. From ways to improve your heat distribution to simple wheel upgrades, here’s something for everyone looking for the best smoker for their backyard or patio.
Struggling to get good performance out of your offset smoker?
Or have you bought a cheaper model and don’t know where to start to tune it into a grill monster?
Offset charcoal smokers might not have the fancy attachments that gas or electric smokers do, but if you get it right, they sure make the best food. Not only that, the great thing about charcoal or wood burning models is that they are much easier to modify and upgrade.
You can add hundreds of dollars in value just by adding a handful of tweaks, and all for around $50.
Here are 8 simple steps you can take to upgrade your current model with these manual scroll smoker mods.
This item could literally save you thousands of dollars in necessary expenses, so pay attention!
Why Do you Need to Upgrade Your Current Smoke?
Everyone may have different motivations for looking for an upgrade, but there are always a few telltale signs that a grill is in need of some much-needed care. These are the most common problems.
Slim Steel Construction
Offset smokers are typically made from steel, which is thinner and thicker than electric smokers. It’s not uncommon to see materials about 1/8 inch thick or even thinner.
While this makes them easier to move, the thinner metal doesn’t retain heat particularly well.
High-end models are typically made from ¼-inch or thicker steel.
Heat Loss
Losing cooking temperature is the flow of life for any stove today, and if your smoker is likely to lose heat then you’re always going to have an uphill battle.
If your offset smoker’s construction is weak, you will likely experience heat loss between the firebox and the main chamber. If the door isn’t well built, you’ll likely see heat loss there as well.
When the firebox and doors are well sealed, you can control temperatures much more efficiently without fear of heat escaping as you cook.
Poor Quality Wheels
Most inferior smokers are built in part with construction cost savings. This means that “non-essential” components are outermost components.
Nowhere is this more evident than with wheels.
The vast majority of cheap smokers I’ve seen are built on very poor quality wheels.
Even if you don’t intend to move the smoker much, there will be times when you need to put it in or out of storage, or move it slightly to avoid wind or rain.
Having to do this with lower quality wheels is really frustrating . Fortunately, these can be updated very easily.
Here are the best offset smoker mods to use today to get the most out of your grill.
Tuning Plates
Adding shims is one of the easiest and quickest ways to combat heat loss from your cookbox.
Reed plates are steel plates that sit in the floor of the smokehouse. These serve a few essential purposes.
One of which is that it helps reflect the heat back into your chamber, helping disperse it from near the chamber to the other end of your chamber. This greatly aids in heat distribution and helps you have much more even cooking temperatures across the entire cooking surface of your workspace.
Its second important function is that it can absorb heat and block it when you need to open the camera.
This helps your smoker maintain cooking temperatures and minimize the shock of opening the chamber door.
This makes tuning plates a fantastic way to combat the ill effects of thin steel construction.
Recommended Tuning Plate
Take a look at These Oklahoma Joe Dishes to get a good idea of why to look out for them.
How to Install Tuning Plates on an Offset Smoker
Conveniently, reed plates are relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire. They can often be bought individually, so you don’t have to buy them in bulk.
Check if your smoker has slots for inserting reed plates and also check the height of the slots. In general, the height is between 20 and 30 centimeters, but YOU will pay attention to which panels you should buy.
Once you have your dishes, wash them thoroughly with commercial dish soap. This will help remove any grease or oil that may have stuck to the parts during manufacture.
Place each plate individually in line with the slots in your smoker. Do not leave gaps between them and make sure they are in contact with each other. This achieves excellent heat conduction between the plates.
Smoker Blanket or Cover
If you’re cooking at cooler temperatures ( winter grilling is great, by the way ) then I recommend putting a blanket over your smoker while you cook.
This retains heat much better, and since you don’t have to check after food every two minutes for too long, it doesn’t get in the way.
If your smoker is made of flimsy metal, then a good top will give it the boost it needs.
Make sure the cover does not rest on your smoker’s dampers as these are critical to airflow and cooking temperatures.
Do not buy a standard smoker cover as this is also meant to cover the mufflers. Instead, get a fiberglass welding blanket and just drape it over the smoker.
Smoker Sealant
One of the biggest culprits for heat loss in smokers is poor construction between the firebox and chamber, and the frame around the door.
It is recommended that a true high-temperature silicone sealant be used between the combustion chamber and the chamber, as well as any other connecting parts that may leak.
Be sure to use something FDA approved as it will be in indirect contact with your food. You don’t want anything that has an unpleasant chemical footprint.
Firebox Sealant
Most offset smoking fireplaces have a top door through which the embers can fall. Often this is another vulnerable spot where we can see heat leaks.
We don’t need to apply a food grade sealer here, so we can use something more permanent with a higher heat threshold.
Use a high temperature sealing material. These can often withstand temperatures of up to 1000°F, which is more than enough to burn charcoal.
This is to ensure that the firebox door is shielded from the heat generated by the embers.
Charcoal Basket
Charcoal baskets improve the flow of air and heat through your smoker, keeping the embers off the bottom of your firebox.
You ca n’t buy them ready made, but you can easily make them yourself.
Door Seal
Constructed Vault Doors are a point for heat to escape. Use a proper quality sealant that will help minimize heat loss when the door is closed.
Try this FireBlack door seal gasket
This Fireblack seal fits into the bracket around your door and can withstand temperatures of up to 800°F. More than enough for grilling.
Toggle Clamps
They may seem awkward, but using toggle clamps to firmly close the smoker door is an excellent way to maintain the temperature.
Buying a pair won’t cost you much and is a surefire way to ensure your door stays firmly in place.
New Wheels
Our beloved, often forgotten friend, the wheel.
Decent wheels might not be high on your priority list, but anyone who’s tried moving their grill with crappy wheels knows the pain they cause.
A decent set of wheels will only set you back $10-$20, but it will make a world of difference.
Look out for the air-filled and rubberized wheels for maximum maneuverability.
There you have it. Upgrading your offset smoker might seem daunting, but with just a few simple definitions, YOU can increase performance tenfold.
By improving heat retention and distribution, you’ve done enough for your smoker to compete with high-end models while spending less than $100.
Before you even consider getting a whole new model, try these settings and see how your smoker’s thermal performance increases.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
