Why does nobody talk about how long it takes to properly season a new offset smoker?

Spent the whole day last Saturday getting my new Oklahoma Joe up to temp and fighting temperature swings in my driveway in Tulsa. I figured it would be an hour thing, not a six hour thing. Anybody else have a shocker their first time firing up a new pit?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_wesley3d ago

Geez, six hours? I mean, I get it's a process and all, but maybe it's just me wondering if people overthink this whole seasoning thing. You're basically just burning off factory oils and getting a little patina going, right? I've seen folks act like it's some sacred ritual you gotta get just right or the smoker is cursed forever. Idk, I just crank it up, spray it down with some canola oil, and let it rip for a couple hours while I crack a beer. Probably not the approved method but it's always worked fine for me.

charles_baker283d ago

Nah man, the real secret is seasoning with lard instead of oil, gives way better flavor and sticks like crazy.

hugotaylor2d ago

You ever try crisco instead? That’s what I use on mine, works perfect and never had any rust issues.

brooke_jones2d ago

Heard a guy on a barbecue podcast say you gotta think of it like breaking in a cast iron skillet, not just burning off grease. He said if you rush it and don't let the oil polymerize right you'll fight rust and hot spots forever. I followed his advice and did thin coats of vegetable oil every hour for like five hours straight. Pain in the butt but my offset now holds temps way steadier than my buddies who just do one quick burn. That podcast guy also said the factory coating on new pits is thicker than people think so you really gotta cook it out slow or it'll smoke like crazy later. So yeah six hours sounds about right for a proper job even if it feels like overkill.