Centre feed reverse flow build (for Metric meat only)

[Pete Mazz]

Pork puller??? How big do those pigs get over there???

[dwwantasmoker]

Nice! Can't wait to see it with paint and Rolling smoke

[PetesMeat]

She's alight!!! Been burning oak for the seasoning. Going well held at 170c to help season it for a few hours now bringing it to 120c to try and hold it there. The glass window is cool.

[PetesMeat]

How's this for even heat... One probe in centre of the smoker over the fire and one right at the edge.

One degree!

[PetesMeat]

Things are going well. I think I may have built the best barbecue in the world (by accident of course)

Its holding temp amazingly well, its not eating much fuel, I have closed one of the exhausts and I have closed the vents down to about 1inch each (normaly 8inches wide) and its sitting perfectly with a 1-5degree ish temp variation between one end and the other.

Everyone should build a centre feed, you wont go back to side firebox!

Its amazing.

[PetesMeat]

It's running great, stuck a load of cheap sausages in all sorted around and they cooked dead evenly. Got two chicken halves now on differnt racks and ends to test heat evenness again. Having fun

[Chris22]

Wow, looks great, good job. Thanks for all of the pictures.
Chris

[Pete Mazz]

It's a beauty!!

[PetesMeat]

So, everything is eaten, and the smoker is cooling down. I learnt some stuff today, that would be useful for people maybe.

1.
There is a reason why they are called stick burners, and not massive hunks of log burners. I dunno why but i was putting huge logs in, then I was struggling to get temp, and I axed up some wood into small 2x2ish inch chunks and put maybe 6-7 of them in and it helped a lot, at one point it shot up to 375f.

2.
The glass observation window is well worth having. Its only a 3inch diameter circular window. I used to open the door on the FB on my other smoker all the time to have a look but with the glass window, you don't need to. When you open the door you do need to give the window a quick wipe to get the dust off though.

3.
The temperature in incredibly even. literally 1 degree difference. I put one sensor over the fire, right in the middle, and one at one side (i assumed that the temp side to side would naturally be the same) The temperature tracked within 1-2 degrees! I also put sausages in it, dotted all over both racks both sides, and they cooked evenly at the same time, absolutely perfect. I could never have dreamt of an even temp spread like this, so im very happy about that.

4.
Preheating logs on a centre feed is not that easy. On my offset, I stack the logs up on top of the firebox and it works well. On a centre feed, you can't do this. I think im going to make a box on either side of the firebox welded on with a door on the front (like a mailbox) to put the wood in to preheat it.

5.
Centre feed works. Its a good idea, and im amazed there arn't more of them. It didn't use much fuel today in its 8 hour burn and it holds temp well, although i do need to do a bit more fiddling to get the hang of temp control. Its also much more compact than an offset of the same size, and as heat naturally likes to rise, at no point do you ask the heat to go sideways, and the draw on this thing is amazing, it shoots smoke out like there is a huge fan inside it.


So in conclusion, if you are thinking about building a smoker, please consider a centre feed. If anyone wants to copy mine, I will give you all the help and information you need, id love people to make their own.

I might host an annual centre feed awareness event.


Pete.

[Big T]

It's good to hear that you're finally reaping the benefits of your hard work.

[DUAYNE B]

I really enjoyed this thread Pete, I, m even more happy of your results so far. Cant wait to see it loaded with meat to see how it acts, I bet awesome.. the decision on stack direction was cool too, actually the whole project turned out awesome. What is the glass from and what holds it in?

[Gizmo]

Then it's official!

From this day forward I declare May 3rd as: "International Center-Feed Awareness Day"

Very nice job Pete - I am SO GLAD you got 'er done and got the performance you wanted.

Now start a cook log and keep notes. IN a few months you'll be scary accurate with that rig…..

[PetesMeat]

Duayne,

The window is standard 4mm stove glass. I plan on putting a big window in the door but im running a test with the small bit to see if it tars up and becomes unusable, so far it looks OK.

I found a company online who cut it to size, so I ordered a 100x100mm square and it was about £4.

When I was building my sliding vents, I had a local company make me some steel rail stuff, and they made me loads more than I needed, so I used some of this to hold the glass in. The stove glass company said to make sure it was mounted in such a way that the glass and steel expansion would not pull on the glass or it would crack. I used some 15mm wide self adhesive seal tape and then welded some of the air damper track down to hold it down lightly and welded a nut on to hold the glass in to stop it slipping down. Here is a photo (hopefully this link will work) I posted it a few pages back.

download/file.php?id=16372&mode=view


It works well but it does require a quick wipe every few hours and then it needs a bit of a going over with wire wool after each cook, but as the glass slides out its very easy to do this.


Pete.

[DUAYNE B]

I remember the pic now, didnt dawn on me what I was looking at, cool idea. I had thought a pot belly stove door with glass would be cool looking on a theme type smoker build.... great job on your unit.

[dwwantasmoker]

Pete, You built one fine Q house!!! It looks great and I'm glad your happy and when I get some time if I get some time I may take you up on the offer because I really like your design. Thanks for all the pics and keep the smoke Rolling.

[Puff]

Agree with Big T.... You have put a lot of hard work into it and when it pays off like this...it's terrific, Like pulling the handle on one of the big jackpots in Las Vegas ... You've won

[PetesMeat]

Ohhhh I'm not done yet!!

Thermometers here, tested for accuracy and repeatability, and installed. Also laser cut some cool handles for my oak handle rod. Gonna look good with that handle. I have one problem though - the lid won't stay open and I can't think of a realistic way to hold it open yet....

[Puff]

You might look into those gas assist automobile hatch lifts. Gizmo used them and apparently with good success

[Brewery]

Very nice bro! This is one of my favorite center feed smokers I've seen! Kudos to you sir

[PetesMeat]

I thought about those gas lifts, but due to the design of the smoker, they would have to go inside and im not sure they would take the heat. My current favorite idea is to have some catches on the top that catch with hooks on the lid so you lift the lid up then it clicks in and holds, then you release it somehow then lower it down.

Thanks for the kind words, im doing four pork butts in it at the weekend, cant wait to get a long cook going.

Pete.

[Puff]

As for those gas lifts.... Just thinking aloud, could you find a good balance point on the cover and weld on an extension bolt to span the space created when the lower mounts are added to the outside of the CC? Maybe what looks like 2-3 inches

Again just thinking

[Gizmo]

One-handed operation is nice but not always practical…..

With the shape of what you've got there….. maybe a prop rod hinged on one end of the door inside - and a storage hook on the inside the door toward the other end that the rod will just drop into to hold it out of the way for closing the door. A simple pocket in the bottom of the CC at one end as a place to "park" it to hold the door up. You'll be running this rod with gloves on so weld an appropriate metal knob to the rod if necessary to always grab to operate.

[PetesMeat]

Overnight cook is underway

[PetesMeat]

The ribs are a midnight feast

[Big T]