updates on my first build and a couple questions

[Neon.Dove]

Hey guys!
Been a long time since I've sent an update. Been trying to find as much time as possible to make it into the metal studio. Still been perusing the forums for ideas and advice. Great stuff on this site! It's almost too much, I get lost in these discussions... I'll post some photos in a minute (I only know how to do that with my phone), but I had a few quick questions.

For a quick recap, I'm building a rectangular standard offset smoker from scratch using 1/4" plate. 36"x20"x20". After a miscalculation, I had to extend my original firebox pieces and have no constructed my FB. 15.75"x16"x20".

I'm almost done with the main CC and FB, just need to weld on the top and the door pieces, throat and chimney hole are cut.

I had 2 quick questions on the door and chimney. First, for the chimney, could I use an A/C duct pipe? Would that work? I'm trying to cut back a bit on weight and I don't want to buy a long 4" diameter pipe from the hardware store when I need under 2 feet worth...

The next question is for the door, mainly around it's edge. If I weld on a 1.5" lip around the border of the door, will that be enough to keep the heat in? Or is it also wise to add gasket under this lip to guarantee a good seal?

For the hinges I was going to use 3 x 3" bullet hinges from BBQ supply.

Still need to come up with a good design for my door handles, stand, and some latches to keep the door open/closed. gotta work on that this weekend!

Anyway, thanks for the help guys, see below for pics of my progress.

Cheers from Brooklyn

[Neon.Dove]

Here's the CC so far...

[Neon.Dove]

And here's the FB with vents on sides...

[Rodcrafter]

This looks like an interesting build, keep up the good work. As for your question about the door and seal, I'm sorry but I'm not sure how your door is going to be established. Is it going to be the top or the side that is not on yet? As for gasket or seal I'm a believer of them at this point so I would say use it.

[TexasSmoke]

Hey Neon I have found to post pictures from the PC I just hit the Preview Button after I have my full post. The site will then give you two additional tabs at the bottom "Options and Upload attachment." Use the Upload attachment ===> Choose File +++> Place in line. That will place the picture right at the current cursor in your post preview.

[Neon.Dove]

Hey guys,

Thanks a lot for the advice.

Rodcrafter, to explain the door better: It should go on the side of the smoker. just above grate level and probably 32" long. I was considering actually placing the hinges of the door at the top of the smoker, so when it opens all the way the door could 'rest' on this top lip. I was just a little concerned about losing heat at those corner points. Which I suppose could be remedied with gaskets.

Any thoughts on the chimney? AC Duct pipe adequate? Or will I soon regret using that for it?

I'll send pix of my next bit of progress.

Thank you all again for the help

[Rodcrafter]

I tend to use heavier stuff than most folks. But I would try to get some pipe any where between 1/8" to 1/4


Making memories.

[Neon.Dove]

This post has been too long coming! I got so lost in too much work in April & May and in all my off time was in the welding studio working on the smoker. And finally, two weeks ago she got done!
Nonetheless, here are my progress photos sped up from where we left off to June 11th. Here's my last 2 months in a flash!

here's my firebox with handle fixed.

the night I closed up the cc

ccdoor

cc with door cut

stand

building out the stand (since I live in city, it would be relatively impossible to transport a smoker and stand through my apartment and into the backyard. so I separated the two)

cooker on stand

here's the cooker on the stand...

street chimney

the sweetest find of all! was about to get a chimney fabricated when I found this perfect pipe on the street, almost exact diameter I was looking for

cc & fb unite

Here's the cc and fb as one!

cc+fb 2

and another view, with fire basket on top of the fb

full stand

this is the full stand, with fb support

I'll post the final pics separately...getting maxed out.

[Neon.Dove]

And here she is in all her glory !

by

Took 4 of us to lift it out of a van, down a (way too) tight basement staircase with 90 degree turn, then through the basement to my backyard...but it made it!

Here's a view from inside the firebox.

sv

And there you have it!

Thanks to everyone on the forums for the assistance. Could not have done it without you!!

[Dirtytires]

Nice job. Impressive move, I know what they weigh!

When is the inaugural cook?

[Pete Mazz]

Nice!!! Congrats!

[Smurf]

[mp4]

Very nice!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Big T]

[Rodcrafter]

[Neon.Dove]

Thanks!

First cook was the day it got out there, I couldn't wait any longer. I seasoned it that early afternoon . Towards the end of the seasoning process I threw 2 burgers in the smoker for a quick dinner, didn't want to let that heat go to waste! Then the next day did a pulled pork and some ribs.

Definitely still need to get used to this cooker. I did another pulled pork this weekend and had a few troubles :
1. keeping the temp at a solid 225 was tough. 225 feels like the knife edge between dying coals and a blaze. It would be a lot easier to keep a 300 degree fire. I can only feed the fire 2" diameter logs, or it gets too hot...but as the fire goes down, I have to throw another log on at around 219 or the coals would die. And once I threw the log on, I have to keep the firebox door open to let out some of the heat, or else it jumps up past 300. It kills me to lose that heat, just seems inefficient.
Do you guys find you have to constantly open or close your firebox door to let heat out?
I did find it helped a little to 'move' the fire towards the door of the firebox and away from the cooker, avoided those really hot temps.

I had a few ideas for modifications:
1. build a smaller and taller fire basket. My present fire basket occupies practically the entire firebox. Because it's so wide, the coals are able to spread out, perhaps if I have a smaller basket the coals will be concentrated, therefore hotter and last longer. = less wood.

2. Pete, you mentioned when I was starting the build about tuning plates. I couldn't handle making this reverse flow, or fixing in tuning plates because it would have been too heavy. but I built in a shelf in line with the bp were I could put in removeable tuning plates. What advantage do tuning plates give you? Better heat control and more consistent temps?

3. I built my chimney a bit on the long side. The pit calc recommended a chimney of about 18 " and I have one that is about 28". Could a longer chimney be affecting anything? Should I trim it down?

I guess my question is, I'm trying to see if I can keep my cooker at a more constant temp for a more extended period of time. right now it seems to be fluctuating so much that I have to tend to it every 15 minutes, which seems hard to sustain. I know that I should be feeding the fire every 45 minutes or so, and I don't expect to totally set it and forget it. But every 15 minutes?...

thanks guys! you rock!!

[Squiggle]

From what I've read, you should be able to control the temp by closing down the vents & restricting the air feeding the fire. I'm pretty sure this will help make the sticks last longer too.

[Pete Mazz]

Pete, you mentioned when I was starting the build about tuning plates. I couldn't handle making this reverse flow, or fixing in tuning plates because it would have been too heavy. but I built in a shelf in line with the bp were I could put in removable tuning plates. What advantage do tuning plates give you? Better heat control and more consistent temps?

Tuning plates, once adjusted, will make for more consistent temps across the CC. They also help with heat retention if thick enough.

For the FB basket, instead of a flat bottomed basket, try one with a V shape. It'll help with a small coal base. You could just add a bent piece of expanded metal to your current box and give it a try.

[Rodcrafter]

I agree with Pete, I have the tapered basket on both of mine and as far as the stack closing it a little will limit the draft to match up with the closing of the air intakes. to "control" flow. The term you used to describe the wood "logs" I only use splints and find that if I dry them on top of my FB they work better.

jm2cw

[Neon.Dove]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll try that with the fire basket. I think it will help a lot. Might have to build a new one anyway though...my current one does not allow for easy ash removal...

For the tuning plates, what do you mean by adjusting them? Any recommended positioning in the CC? They'll be 1/4 inch steel.

And closing the stack should compensate for it's length? No need to cut it down for now you think? I didn't really notice any build up of soot. Here's the pork that came out on Sunday after an uncanny long stall. 7# shoulder cooked for about 18 hours.

[Dirtytires]

A tuneing plate is used to restrict/allow heat into the cook chamber. It s designed to eliminate the heat spots next to the firebox as well as force heat to the far end to eliminate the cold spot.

One idea is to use a long plate that has holes cut into it for the heat to rise thru. Generally, the size of the holes are smaller at the firebox end and get bigger as they progress across the cook chamber.

Another idea is to use several plates laid across the bottom. As the gap between these plates is adjusted, so is the heat in that particular area. Some like this because they can "adjust" the heat for a particular meat or create zones of different temps to cook several meats at the same time but a different temps.

Personally, I never messed with them on my old offset. However, I was unable to use to 1/3 of my cook rack closed to the firebox due to it being too hot and I had to rotate meats half way thru cooking.

My two cents, I would better seal up your firebox (if it has air leaks) and close off the intake air damper. Whatever you do, keep the door closed as an open door just allows the fire to take off again with an unlimited air source. So, even tho it appears you are bleeding off air, you are really just feeding your fire and making it worse. It is a learning curve but once you get the fire tamed, it will be easier to control.

Another thought is to switch to a quality lump charcoal. I have found it to be easier to control. I frequently filled my basket as far as I could and then just dumped 1 lit chimney of coals on top. The coals slowly light the ones below and (with my dampers almost closed) could regulate the temp pretty good for about 4-6 hours.