Another Newbie

[PVF&F]

Well here’s a couple pics. I had a look at ol Frankenstein this evening. Things pretty rough, considering covering the whole thing and have a square fire box, semi insulated. I really want a cooking grate on the FB. There are some designs that I have seen that have that so I guess I’ll research and find the one I like best. Here’s Frankenstein:

I also went ahead and split my CC. Kinda regretting it. It only opened up 3/8. Kinda halfway thinking about spreading it open to 1” so I can weld in some 1/4x1” strap. Thoughts? I don’t wanna create new issues by doing so.

[sandro]

Here are some pictures. It's a Cactus-Jack Longhorn ProSmoke edition on which I modified the baffle—it came from the factory with the standard baffle you'd see on Horizon smokers which caused a hot spot in the middle of the cooking grate, especially if it was drafting hard—and with that stack it often does if not dampened

Measurements are 1/4" thick 16x36" CC and 16x22" FB; 33" stack (29" from the elbow) 4½" OD 4¼" ID

The open throat is 74in² (two overlapping 16" pipes), 217% of the recommended 35in²

The stack sits at 3" from the cooking grate, so I have no incentive to move it down and add a collector

I fabricated a Franklin baffle out of 13 gauge steel measuring roughly 15x7x2.5" and that moved the hot spot at 3/4 of the cooking grate with stronger convection

I have also fabricated a Workhorse Pits-style throat baffle out of sheet metal, which I now repurposed to cut the exchange area in half to 37in² but I don't see a considerable difference in how the pit performs

This pit being so tiny (32 gallons, AFAIK) makes it super important to optimize airflow and temps as much as possible. I found that running a fast fire (one you can hear the draw of) crisps up a brisket no matter what the Tel-Tru is saying; running a calmer fire seems to be the best bet here. I also moved the thermometer from the top of the smoker down to grate level and switched to a Tel-Tru—the factory one was off by 12 degrees

[Brewmaster]

That's quite the huge throat, thanks for posting that's an interesting pit! Have you tried inverting your blocker device to block the top 1/2 of the throat, Workhorse-style?

[Olibinoui]

On my new build ill try different positions before the final weld and see what the temperature readings gives me

[Dirtytires]

Well here’s a couple pics. I had a look at ol Frankenstein this evening. Things pretty rough, considering covering the whole thing and have a square fire box, semi insulated. I really want a cooking grate on the FB. There are some designs that I have seen that have that so I guess I’ll research and find the one I like best. Here’s Frankenstein:

93ACFB42-B913-4027-8316-B9821F89C17A.jpeg
I also went ahead and split my CC. Kinda regretting it. It only opened up 3/8. Kinda halfway thinking about spreading it open to 1” so I can weld in some 1/4x1” strap. Thoughts? I don’t wanna create new issues by doing so.

Couple of thoughts on your build...

Insulation is your choice. It helps with safety and a helps decrease heat-loss so your pit uses a bit less fuel. Unless you cook in cold or extremely windy conditions, you will not notice much of a difference.

Everybody wants a cooking grate on top of the firebox but it is not typically a good idea. It gives one more place for heat to escape and usually ends up being too small and uncontrollable to be of much use anyway. You definitely cannot use it while smoking or your drafting will be screwed up so my recommendation is to build a separate grill as your next project.

As far as your pipe goes, I'm not really sure why people split them anyway as warped doors are less work to fix than cutting and welding. But anyway, you already cut so if your plan was to release tension than you have to fill the exact gap you have or you will just re-Introduce more tension. Spreading it 0.625" creates more tension than putting it back to the way it was.

Just my opinion....it's your project.

[sandro]

That's quite the huge throat, thanks for posting that's an interesting pit! Have you tried inverting your blocker device to block the top 1/2 of the throat, Workhorse-style?

I did; I used to have that sheet metal thing I'm now using to cover the bottom half of the exchange as a throat baffle—it's a Workhorse Pits' design, with a 20-30 degree lip pointing downwards. What I found while using that is that temps were extremely even across the entire cooking grate but draft was highly reduced, there was lots of backdraft when running it with the door open or ajar, only using the inlets it would not push so much smoke back out. Which is to be expected, having essentially the top half of the FB barred, and as far as I can see from other WHP owners' videos on YouTube that's how those pits are expected to behave with the FB door open.

I found that the meats I produced with such a design had a much more subtle smoke profile which is not what I'm looking for, I bet the end result is much different on a legit Workhorse Pits but I won't have the opportunity to try it out myself unless and until I move elsewhere—you try and hitch 800lb up 8 flights of stairs, doing that with the 400lb this smoker weighs was suicidal enough

[ThinBlue]

That's quite the huge throat, thanks for posting that's an interesting pit! Have you tried inverting your blocker device to block the top 1/2 of the throat, Workhorse-style?

I found that the meats I produced with such a design had a much more subtle smoke profile which is not what I'm looking for,

This one comment might have me making a last second change before I work on my FB.

[Brewmaster]

I did; I used to have that sheet metal thing I'm now using to cover the bottom half of the exchange as a throat baffle—it's a Workhorse Pits' design, with a 20-30 degree lip pointing downwards.

I saw that you used the old WH style baffle as part of the new throat blocker there, but was wondering if you've inverted that whole thing as it is now, blocking the top half of the throat rather than the bottom half as with WH design, regardless of the baffle. I'm just curious more than anything I guess. It's too bad your's didn't work that well, but really at the end of the day the stack will play a big role in draft and convection as well. I'd like to see you get rid of that butt-hole stack and install grate-wide plenum at grate level with it, I realize it's a lot of work and $, but just saying.

I can confirm the WH style cooker design drafts like a freight train if you so wish!

[Brewmaster]

That's quite the huge throat, thanks for posting that's an interesting pit! Have you tried inverting your blocker device to block the top 1/2 of the throat, Workhorse-style?

I found that the meats I produced with such a design had a much more subtle smoke profile which is not what I'm looking for,

This one comment might have me making a last second change before I work on my FB.

Not me! It may not work well in the 16x36 chamber with whichever way the throat was at the time, but it certainly does work as intended from what I've witnessed (if spec'd right I guess?)

[sandro]

This one comment might have me making a last second change before I work on my FB.

I believe the issue with the smoke profile is due to the pit's design being so different, as @Brewmaster said my 16x36 is another world compared to even the smallest of WH's lineup. I bet if I had even a 1957 I'd be telling a different story

I saw that you used the old WH style baffle as part of the new throat blocker there, but was wondering if you've inverted that whole thing as it is now, blocking the top half of the throat rather than the bottom half as with WH design, regardless of the baffle.

Oh I get you. Yeah I tried that as well but I had the feeling that heat almost completely missed the Franklin plate as it was rising a bit further down the cooking chamber than it did with the throat opening at the top. Man, it really is difficult to test these things out, fire is fickle and you can't really put a camera inside the chamber. Though I have an idea involving plastic wrap, wood chips, and a 9v PWM fan... Could make a video out of it. If I find the time

I'd like to see you get rid of that butt-hole stack and install grate-wide plenum at grate level with it, I realize it's a lot of work and $, but just saying.

I can confirm the WH style cooker design drafts like a freight train if you so wish!

I'd love to do that too, and I'd get started right now but I don't have an angle grinder nor a welder, so it would be quite the investment. And I know that once I have a grinder and a welder I'll build my own pit directly... Point is I'm living at the topmost floor of a building with no elevator. Ya wanna help me out hitching pipes and steel upstairs? Cause I'm ready to go haha

And yeah I have no doubts WH pits cook amazingly well, JD put in some serious effort and research behind them, it's just that it doesn't work as well on a tiny 32 gallon offset. I will definitely import a 1975 or a Primitive 250 the day I move, those things are a beaut

[ThinBlue]

I agree with DT. I wouldn't spread it open further than what it sprung, especially since you are suggesting to spread it more than the amount that it sprung to begin with. Cutting pipes is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. It's best to get yourself a narrow piece of flat bar and fill that gap as close to amount it opened up as possible.

Because of the way your pipe was welded in strips it's entirely possible that you cut the door opening after filling the gap and it could still move on you. Although I do think it's unlikely. I'm just saying so you're mentally prepared for that being a possibility. Metal does weird stuff man. If you read through enough posts you'll find all kinds of stories of metal moving anomalies.

[Olibinoui]

Well here’s a couple pics. I had a look at ol Frankenstein this evening. Things pretty rough, considering covering the whole thing and have a square fire box, semi insulated. I really want a cooking grate on the FB. There are some designs that I have seen that have that so I guess I’ll research and find the one I like best. Here’s Frankenstein:

93ACFB42-B913-4027-8316-B9821F89C17A.jpeg
I also went ahead and split my CC. Kinda regretting it. It only opened up 3/8. Kinda halfway thinking about spreading it open to 1” so I can weld in some 1/4x1” strap. Thoughts? I don’t wanna create new issues by doing so.

Couple of thoughts on your build...

Insulation is your choice. It helps with safety and a helps decrease heat-loss so your pit uses a bit less fuel. Unless you cook in cold or extremely windy conditions, you will not notice much of a difference.

Everybody wants a cooking grate on top of the firebox but it is not typically a good idea. It gives one more place for heat to escape and usually ends up being too small and uncontrollable to be of much use anyway. You definitely cannot use it while smoking or your drafting will be screwed up so my recommendation is to build a separate grill as your next project.

As far as your pipe goes, I'm not really sure why people split them anyway as warped doors are less work to fix than cutting and welding. But anyway, you already cut so if your plan was to release tension than you have to fill the exact gap you have or you will just re-Introduce more tension. Spreading it 0.625" creates more tension than putting it back to the way it was.

Just my opinion....it's your project.

By cooking grate at firebox, do you mean at the outside? Line some Oklahoma Joe model with a plate for cooking on the top of firebox? Im curious about this one. Thats seem

[PVF&F]

The fire box would have a lid that could be opened up and you could use it like a grill to do steaks and such. If you look at the Workhorse 1975 that’s a good example of what I’m talking about. They call it a cowboy grill.

[Olibinoui]

The fire box would have a lid that could be opened up and you could use it like a grill to do steaks and such. If you look at the Workhorse 1975 that’s a good example of what I’m talking about. They call it a cowboy grill.

Thank you for the example, ill take a look

[PVF&F]

Yes Oli, like the pic that you added. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.

[PVF&F]

Progress.

[PVF&F]

Opinions on one vs. two lids on the CC? I ended up at 56” so I can do one 48” or make a couple little guys. I’d like to hear some pros and cons.

[Big T]

I like the look of 1 large door over 2 small doors. I also like having a single full length rack that slides out better than 2 short racks with a filler rack between them. There's really not a wrong answer, it just comes down to how you plan on using your pit.

[SheffSmoker]

Opinions on one vs. two lids on the CC? I ended up at 56” so I can do one 48” or make a couple little guys. I’d like to hear some pros and cons.

I've only done single doors so far, but that's due to the size of the CCs I've been working with.

Single door pros:
Less cutting, less hinges to make, less sealing strips to fab, less racks and shelves to make
Cons:
Can get heavy depending on pit size / thickness, may need a counterweight to make it manageable.

[Dirtytires]

Single door is always my preference unless it is so big you can't lift it. I just hate all the little partitions and separate racks with multiple door pits.

[PVF&F]

Thanks fellas. 3 advise single lid, so single lid it is. I don’t think a 48” door at 1/4 inch will be too unreasonably heavy. If it is, it won’t be hard to throw a counter on. Thanks for the replies.

[Dirtytires]

Silly to make such a small door a double. Would benefit from a counterweight as it will allow you to open the door one handed....can't tell you how many times I only have one hand free for the lid! This would also allow you to hold the door partly open for a quick temp check and not have it be too heavy.

[PVF&F]

Mostly done. Just got to make some handles and figure out the trailer situation.

[Big T]

[PVF&F]