24x48 patio, Is it too big?

[kylersk]

Hello all,

I'm looking into building my first reverse flow smoker. I was thinking on making the cooking chamber 24 x 48 and a patio style. Do you think that would be too big for patio style? Also, would you put 1 door or 2? Will I need counter weights on the door? I'm building it from rolled 1/4" steel plate. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[Elmacho]

If you search for my build, I built a 24”x46” RF Patio with Rib Box.

I’ll post a pic when I get home. But I went with 1 door and needed a counterweight. Most I’ve had in it was 9 butts, 3 Briskets, and 4 racks of Ribs at the same time. Cooked like a Champ!






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[kylersk]

What about moving it around? Do you wish it was a little smaller/lighter? Or are you happy with the size?

[Dirtytires]

I picked same size and it’s perfect for a backyard pit.

With a 48 inch chamber, you get grates about 36-37 inches long. Plenty of space for 2 racks- main will get you about 23 inches wide and upper rack in the 18 inch range. It’s plenty of space to cook for a big gathering yet small enough to efficiently cook for just the 3 of us.

I feel it’s too small to mess with 2 doors but a single swing up door is going to be heavy. It can be opened without but I put a counterweight on mine which makes it much easier to work with.

It’s going to be heavy and you will need a way to steer it.

I built mine off of Franks plans (24x48 rf with warmer) and couldn’t be happier.

[towtruck]

Whatever you do if you put wheels on it go with metal wheels.....Pneumatic tires may seem like a good idea but they go flat and are a pain to maintain. Get some all steel wheels and be done with it. Also go with a large enough diameter so they roll well. 8" minimum on a heavy unit.

[Dirtytires]

Whatever you do if you put wheels on it go with metal wheels....

I don’t mean to argue but I partially disagree. Small pneumatic wheels can definitely be an issue. I agree that I don’t want to have to get out the compressor every time I want to cook but on grass they are awesome.

I do not, however, like solid steel wheels. They are fine if on a driveway/garage but never on my tiled patio. In my experience, even the rounded-edge steel wheels tend to cut into and leave marks on most flooring. The square edge wheels are even worse. Long story short, my wife would sell the smoker to save the floor.

There are countless other options out there and, once you decide what properties are important, you can easily sort out the perfect set. I chose a set of wheels with a spoked,cast center hub with a wide band of hard rubber fused around it. They are soft enough to not damage my floor yet hard enough that they don’t flat-spot, even when my 10000 lb smoker isn’t moved for several months. They come with needle bearings, a Zerk fitting and slip on any 1/2 inch rod.

Look up grainger.com and take a look at the wheels and casters that are available.

But just my humble opinion....

[towtruck]

Whatever you do if you put wheels on it go with metal wheels....

I don’t mean to argue but I partially disagree. Small pneumatic wheels can definitely be an issue. I agree that I don’t want to have to get out the compressor every time I want to cook but on grass they are awesome.

I do not, however, like solid steel wheels. They are fine if on a driveway/garage but never on my tiled patio. In my experience, even the rounded-edge steel wheels tend to cut into and leave marks on most flooring. The square edge wheels are even worse. Long story short, my wife would sell the smoker to save the floor.

There are countless other options out there and, once you decide what properties are important, you can easily sort out the perfect set. I chose a set of wheels with a spoked,cast center hub with a wide band of hard rubber fused around it. They are soft enough to not damage my floor yet hard enough that they don’t flat-spot, even when my 10000 lb smoker isn’t moved for several months. They come with needle bearings, a Zerk fitting and slip on any 1/2 inch rod.

Look up grainger.com and take a look at the wheels and casters that are available.

But just my humble opinion....

I should have expanded my post a bit........I was thinking metal for a wheel not necessarily the tread. But.....I don't have a patio nice enough to worry about scratching either

[Elmacho]

Here is the link to my build.



https://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewto ... =11&t=4675

I spent the last 2 hours updating all the picture links since Dropbox decided to kill direct links a couple years ago.

As for size, I have always felt it is too small. But I do not think I have ever cooked on a smoker I felt was too large... except for #LouAnne, and she was just right!

As for movement, I do plan to transplant this smoker to a trailer. Mainly for ease of moving around the yard, and also to make it easier to position for wind and levelness. Both of these are variables that will affect your cook on a reverse flow. If you are too close to your house or garage, the wind can swirl around and cause your cook to be inconsistent. I found I ended up always cooking out by the street to get a good stable temp.

But with all of that said, it is a damn fine smoker. It has smoked everything I have thrown in it and it all has come out delicious. You will not be disappointed, but I agree with everyone else. Go with Metal Wheels. Do not skimp. This thing weighs nearly 900 lbs and if one of these wheels were to break, I am pretty sure this thing will fall over.

[kylersk]

Here is the link to my build.



https://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewto ... =11&t=4675

I spent the last 2 hours updating all the picture links since Dropbox decided to kill direct links a couple years ago.

As for size, I have always felt it is too small. But I do not think I have ever cooked on a smoker I felt was too large... except for #LouAnne, and she was just right!

As for movement, I do plan to transplant this smoker to a trailer. Mainly for ease of moving around the yard, and also to make it easier to position for wind and levelness. Both of these are variables that will affect your cook on a reverse flow. If you are too close to your house or garage, the wind can swirl around and cause your cook to be inconsistent. I found I ended up always cooking out by the street to get a good stable temp.

But with all of that said, it is a damn fine smoker. It has smoked everything I have thrown in it and it all has come out delicious. You will not be disappointed, but I agree with everyone else. Go with Metal Wheels. Do not skimp. This thing weighs nearly 900 lbs and if one of these wheels were to break, I am pretty sure this thing will fall over.

Awesome build and thanks for updating the pic links.

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