Is my set up hurting me?

[bstory]

Hello all, new to the site. I purchased a RF smoker and have some questions about how it's made. It is 78"x36" and has a 20"x20" pipe that is 24" long for the firebox. According to the calculator the box is about 3x too small. I can't seem to get the temp above 200-225 and its is a lot of work to keep it that hot. Will I be able to get higher temps with such a small firebox with better technique, or should I build a bigger firebox. I have used a mix of lump and cut mesquite. I saw that one member recommended only using wood for a smoker like this, I would like to use some charcoal as wood is not very plentiful in the Texas panhandle, but am open to any suggestions.

Thanks in advance.

[The Czar]

The firebox is going to have to big bigger I'm afraid..... Because it's undersized it can't get enough draft and heat producing to flow through correctly through the cook chamber and out the stack… So I think that is going to be your only alternative is to make the firebox bigger… Can you take some pictures of it currently…??

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[bstory]

See if this works.

[The Czar]

My best advice is to cut that off and redo the fire box....

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[Clover Ridge Smokers]

Yes, that FB is way to small for a cooker of that size. You need to cut that one off and attach one the correct size based on the pitcalculator. I'm guessing the guy you bought it from never mentioned he had problems cooking on it.

[bstory]

Thanks, that's what I thought. So now I have a question regarding a new box. Set up like it is does it matter how tall the box is, I was using the calculator and came up with 36wide by 24 high so I wouldn't have clearing issues while pulling it behind my truck.

[bstory]

Thanks guys for the quick responses. I guess I have a new project for after I get the gate built to get it in and out of my yard

[bstory]

So while I am tearing stuff up, should I do any thing to the RF plate set up. It is build with a pipe that is about 16" in diameter that goes from inside the firebox to about six inches away from the end of the pit so the heat goes through that instead of under the heat plate.

[The Czar]

As long as your measurements come out to the right cubic inches ....doesn't matter the shape of the firebox… Now that pipe thing ...at this point I'm gonna pass on answering that one… That's beyond my knowledge....

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[maccas66]

...at this point I'm gonna pass on answering that one… That's beyond my knowledge....

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.............

[SoloQue]

Gonna weigh in from the cheap seats. If your heat is traveling through a pipe which is below your actual BP then you have a dead zone (open air between pipe and BP) preventing efficient heat transfer to the BP. Just eyeballing the size of the pipe, that looks to be a choke point as well for the air flow since it doesn't seem to be equal to the throat a cooker that size would have and the 6 inch space at the end of the pipe also sounds like a choke point. Even if you crank up the size of the FB, you are still looking at reduced effciciency in heat transfer because of that pipe IMHO
OK, now I will let the real builders chime in.

[TuscaloosaQ]

Just a very bad design. I would start over get that pipe out you r getting no radiant heat or very little
Firebox height does not matter so much let the top of your firebox and baffle plate be on the same elevation or very close
I would want my firebox a little over 100% of what the pit. Calculator calls for.

[Smokeone]

Pipe has got to go. Let the baffle do its job?

[bstory]

Thanks everyone.

[bstory]

Ok, let's see BP is baffle plate and throat is the opening from firebox to the CC correct? Well then is how big should the throat be and how far down and how long should the bp be...the cc is 75"x36". The tube is representing the bp so I shall remove that, build a properly sized firebox and cut a bigger opening for the throat. Sorry I am trying to learn the lingo.
Thanks for all of the help guys.

[Clover Ridge Smokers]

We actually have a site slang database that will help you with the lingo. Here is the link. viewforum.php?f=70

[TuscaloosaQ]

If you went with a firebox that was 102% you would need a throat of (209.66) if I were going with a warmer I make my firebox and warmer as one unit so my width would be 36" if you are going with a just a fire box then if you are going with a
half moon opening to cook chamber then it would be 9.5" high by 31.75" wide. You will have to tinker with the numbers on the calculator but if you stay at 102% and use a half moon for you opening then the above numbers will be spot on for you!!!!!

[Rodcrafter]

I know it sounds like a lot, and it is, we are just trying to help you get what you want out of this. The BP is one piece all the way from the FB end to the other end except the required opening to match the other opening to FB. This BP also has to have a (approx.) 2 inch lip on the end that is away from the FB, with a drain pipe almost at the end and under the CC is where the valve goes at the end of that pipe. I hope that helps.

[bstory]

Thank you that does help.

[alleyrat58]

Yowza! Everyone else had chimed in with sage advice. I used to have a firebox on my cooker that was about 3x too small but I compensated for it with 200 cfm fans. I would not recommend this however.

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