Mario Stargard wrote:

> Dana mentioned a pie plate baffle in the firebox. My offset looks a
> little different from the picture I posted. The chimney enters in the
> middle instead of at the top and the firebox has a limited baffle
> already installed. I think the pie plate might further help to control
> the internal temperature by keeping the radiant heat out of the cooking
> chamber. Also, it's starting to get chilly here in Ottawa. Today it's
> 15C (59F). That'll mean I'll have to build a bigger fire to get the
> same ambient heat, but I'll also need to deal with the extra radiant
> heat. Pie plate sounds about right.

Hello Mario, sounds like you're climbing up the learning
quite rapidly - excellent. It's an enjoyable learning curve,
isn't it?

I intend to replace the pie tin baffle with a sheet of steel or
aluminum eventually, the bolts that attach the firebox to the cook
chamber look like they're ideally located for this. But, for the
moment, that pie tin is working great for me, dunno exactly why
it's made the fire so much more controllable but it has, and it
also helps out with radiant heat. I have to give credit to
one of the contestants at the KCBS West Coast Championships
for the tip.

Speaking of KCBS West Coast Championships, are there any other
BAers that want to give it a whirl next year? Looks like a ball of
fun and I learned a fair bit just hanging out. What a remarkably
great bunch of people.

So, we're having a "cool" spell this weekend, it's only 21C in the
shade right now, and there's a chance of rain tomorrow, but weather.com
say we're back into the low 30s next week, an encore for summer,
and I still have 120 lbs of lump begging to be burnt, as well as
100lbs or so of French oak barrel staves... mmmmm....

Dana