Can someone explain the pit calculator, please?

[Squiggle]

Hi, I have started my own fridge build & I thought I'd check it in the Pit Calculator & got extremely lost. I'm relatively new to the smoking gig & also, being in Australia, am not very good with imerpial measurements. Can someone one please put all the parts of the calculator into nooby terms so I can get my head around what it's telling me, lol.

[Rodcrafter]

How are you going to heat this fridge? I asked because I doubt that the pit calc will help you.


Making memories.

[Pete Mazz]

The PitCalc is really for reverse flow cookers. You don't need much for an insulated vertical. Make the firebox big enough to hold enough charcoal or wood. The chimney doesn't have to be any certain length but make sure you can close it off. The throat (opening between firebox and cook chamber) should be about 6" (15cm) square but you should have some way to adjust it for tweaking.

More info would help. I saw the fridge but don't know how you're intending to use it. Heat source, size, etc.

[Squiggle]

I'm probably going to use gas for my fridge as the frame of the fridge is wood & this way I can control where the flames are, but I've already had a few people ask about UDS or water heater smoker builds for them, which is why I originally checked out the pitcalc in the first place to see if I got mine right.

The fridge section is 800 x 450 x 350 & the area underneath is 300 x 500 x 450(after I finish the mods) with a tapered top area to funnel the smoke up. The throat is about 150 x 200 & the chimney will be 50mm diameter & about 600-700 long with a cone shaped hat on the top. I'll look at putting a butterfly in the chimney.

[Pete Mazz]

May want to increase the size of the chimney to 75mm or so. You can always close it off more.

[Squiggle]

Oh ok, the chimney dimensions are what was given to me by the pitcalc, I'll check out a larger one.

[Pete Mazz]

What size burner are you going to use?

[Squiggle]

I was thinking about a 180-200mm camping burner

[Pete Mazz]

I'd guess somewhere in the 12,000 to 15,000 BTU would be ideal. This isn't supposed to be a cold smoker, is it?

[Squiggle]

Heck no!! I'm making this one mainly for hot smokin some yummy trout from the river that runs across the back of my property.

[Pete Mazz]

Sounds good!!

You could probably make it into an insulated electric smoker as well. Just set a hotplate (single electric burner) on the bottom with some wood chunks in a small cast iron pan. Might be safer in what you've got than a gasser.

[Squiggle]

Hmmmmmm, you make a very good point Pete & the fuel would be more reliable if a beer or three decide to get involved.