Started the brisket in the offset yesterday evening. Low-temp alarm got me up at about 5:30am (after having had a few times before I had to wake up and stoke the fire). I had about 7 pieces of wood on top of the firebox pre-heating and drying (3/8" steel). Low temp alarm went off again at 8:30am, went back to my offset smoker to see that the stack of wood on top had turned into a pile of ashes and coals. Only the piece closest to the firebox door wasn't burned.

I don't have a lot of experience with the offset smoker (about 1 year). Never had this happen before. I guess a piece got super dry and reached a combustion point. I suppose that maybe sparks could come out of the door and flown up and above (I did have a round log of mulberry in, which can spark). The wood that burned up was oak. But still with the door mostly closed and the air draw sucking in, that doesn't seem likely.

Looks like I'm going to have to be much more careful about putting wood on top of the smoker. Maybe just a couple of pieces at a time. Maybe none. Another thing I have done is stake a couple of pieces of wood diagonally near the door, kind of standing up, where they aren't in the coals and can pre-heat. That's a lot safer, having them actually inside the fire box.

If it's a non-insulated fore box it's a bad idea to put wood on top to dry unattended.

Just like it's a bad idea to keep an offset under cover if you've ever seen a pit greese fire.

I can understand what you were doing and why, but I don't think its making much difference. No data or knowledge of wood combustion to back that up, just a guess. Either way I'd stop doing that.

RCR06 said:

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I can understand what you were doing and why, but I don't think its making much difference. No data or knowledge of wood combustion to back that up, just a guess. Either way I'd stop doing that.

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Theory is that there is less time to full combustion when the stick is already hot, more good smoke, less bad smoke.

But yeah, I'm done leaving wood on top.