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So after reflecting on my first few cooks and learning how to manage the fire, I'm a little unhappy with how well the smoker draws. Managing the fire was very difficult and it seemed like unless conditions were perfect, the fire seemed to be lacking new oxygen, even with the door open and or cracked...

Here’s a pic of what I did. I spent some time listening to Frank Cox’s podcasts and did some looking at what professional pit builders are doing and decided on a Jambo stile throat baffle. It redirects the heat and smoke directly up to the top of the pit. According to Frank, the standard offset coo...

When I was designing the smoker, I suspected that I would need some sort of baffle plate right near the throat to prevent the heat from the firebox from directly entering the CC. It turns out I was right. Without the plate, my temps between the 3 thermometers read 265, 275, ~400 respectively from st...

Hey so my first few smokes have gone well! Im learning a lot about how to manage the fire. Ive used the smoker 3 times now. I did those chicken thighs about a week ago, did a test butt on Monday and finally, did 3 butts for New Years eve. Each time, I was able to keep my temperatures closer to what ...

There’s just something about watching a fire...

Hey guys, I have another update! I don’t think I’ve mentioned this on here yet but building this smoker was my 2020 New Years resolution. In January I had never even picked up a welding torch and didn’t know anything about smokers other than I wanted one that produced better smoke flavor than my egg...

Just a small update. I managed to enlarge that drain hole in the firebox and prevent any water from draining into the insulated cavity as well as do a couple other odds and ins on the firebox. Firebox Drain Hole My plan was to tap the hole with a 3/4 -10 tap and use the corresponding bolt to plug it...

First test cook went well!

I made some chicken thighs and sausage.

Everyone said it had great smoke flavor and no negative notes so I’ll call that a win!

If you leave the door wide open, smoke gets out. I run mine with the door open about 1-1/4 inch, no smoke gets out and the fire stays lit. Hey thanks for the advice. That almost immediately fixed it now I hope my fire doesn’t go out LOL. Thank you When I closed the door to leave about an inch and a...

hogaboomer wrote: ↑

December 26th, 2020, 7:11 pm

If you leave the door wide open, smoke gets out. I run mine with the door open about 1-1/4 inch, no smoke gets out and the fire stays lit.

Hey thanks for the advice. That almost immediately fixed it now I hope my fire doesn’t go out LOL. Thank you

Well I’m halfway through the first burn and things are going okay. After all the hard work I was super happy to do it fired up for the first time! Admittedly I am very much an amateur when it comes to maintaining a fire on a smoker but I’m seeing a little bit of an issue. The Stack has lots of smoke...

Merry Christmas!

Quick question:when y’all coat the smoker with Pam, do y’all coat the inside of the firebox too or just the CC?

Hard not to take the bait on that one ... Here’s a pic: BC7E6FF1-630F-4A31-B5F7-34DD49A68A3E.jpeg Haha! Didn't realize I was setting you up so nicely. After reading y'alls posts above, I am a little worried about the hole getting clogged with ash so I want to make it bigger and want to make sure it...

You might be able to use a short nipple and add a cap at the end: Drill a hole through both skins and weld the nipple inside of the FB and outside of the second insulated skin, and attach a cap on it..... Done..... You may want to go bigger so that it doesn't plug up I might go bigger, good point. ...

Is the plug going through your insulation? How will you avoid water from getting into your insulation? I know you cut a hole in the bottom, just seems like you’re increasing the risk of mold buildup inside the walls. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk So the end cap isn’t insulated so there’s just ...

So I did some finishing work on the smoker this weekend. After 4 months, its finally done and ready for the first burn! Firebox hole The first thing I did after putting the smoker on the frame was to drill a 1/4” hole in the bottom, outside wall of the firebox to relieve any pressure that builds up ...

Awesome build on this thing. Can't wait to see the first meat off of it. The style you ended up with is more like Mill Scale Metalworks out of Lockhart, TX which were the 2 brothers that built all of the pits at Franklin's BBQ with Aaron Franklin when he would go to their shop. They designed it tha...

Awesome build on this thing. Can't wait to see the first meat off of it. Wish I would have seen this earlier, but I just joined the forum. You guys were talking about the stack and its airflow and restrictions and having a stack that folds. I follow a lot of builders on Instagram and have watched a...

No doubt! Wood racks look great. Do you have plans for a cover? A little cedar shake would look sweet on that. I actually had planned on getting a full cover for the rack but I like the idea of the roof. That obviously wouldn't cover the sides though. Would I need something to also cover those so t...

Wouldn't bother me. Ditto! Get it stacked properly as soon as you can but no reason you can’t use it. Thanks! I actually built a firewood rack over the weekend to store all of it on. It holds a face cord and is 4' by 8' by 14". Turned out really nice. Material is 1.5" square tubing, 1/8" wall. That...

Thanks all! Definitely getting close to fire-up time! It is and im getting really excited for the first burn and the first real cook! I have a question for those of you experienced in smoking. I just bought some really good, seasoned 20%-25% moisture content wood. It was dry, no bugs, split, optimal...

Hey guys, I have another build update and this one is a good one. I thought it was about time to give the smoker some new shoes! Now that the thermometers are on and I am nearing the end of the build, it was time to fab a more permanent frame for it. As mentioned in my last post, I purposely didn’t ...

Thanks guys! How do y'all typically prepare your smoker for the first cook? How do you season it? I have kept the metal shavings vacuumed out of the CC and firebox but don't know if any pressure washing or cleaning is necessary to remove any remnant oil or other stuff before I do the first burn. Aft...

Hey guys, I have another build update! I got some time this past week to cut the holes for the 3 Teltru 3” thermometers that I planned for this build. The packaging says that the threading on the back is 1/2” NPT but its actually 3/4” NPT. Beware if you buy the same ones that I have. Link below. Als...

After thinking about it, I didn’t want the heat and fumes from the insulation to vent into the CC and affect the flavor of the meat so I ended up welding that seam up fully. I knew it was going to be a true pain (and it was) but now it’s done. I am going to cut a small hole in the bottom of the outs...