mason.paige•1mo agoProlific Poster

Talked to an old pitmaster at a gas station in Kansas City last Tuesday

I stopped for gas off I-70 and this older guy saw my smoker in the truck bed. He asked what I was running and I said a cheap offset from Walmart. He laughed and told me to go grab a roll of high temp gasket tape from a hardware store for 8 bucks. Said it would fix my temp swings better than any mod I could buy online. I did it last Saturday and my fire held at 250 for almost 4 hours without touching it. You ever get a random tip from a stranger that just worked way better than you expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_campbell1mo ago

Man 4 hours at 250 without touching it is basically a dream for anyone running a cheap offset. I bet that old timer has forgotten more about smoking meat than most of us will ever learn. Did he tell you anything else about the gasket install? Like did he say to put it on the lid or the firebox door? I'm definitely trying this on my rig this weekend because my temps bounce around like crazy past the 3 hour mark. Makes me wonder how many other simple cheap fixes are out there that nobody talks about.

the_dylan1mo agoTop Commenter

You ever notice how most problems come down to air gaps, lol? Like every cheap offset is just a series of little leaks you gotta find and seal. @parker_campbell he said to put the gasket on the lid since that's where the most heat escapes, but he also mentioned throwing some on the firebox door if you see smoke sneaking out there too. I did both on my old brinkmann and it honestly felt like cheating how steady it got after. Makes you wonder what else we're overcomplicating when the fix is just blocking some air.