First time build..firebox to insulate or not to insulate

[ChieffaninL.A.]

Hello I’m having a hard time trying to decide whether I should insulate my firebox or not to. This is my first build and never considered insulating my firebox, but after seeing a few builds on YouTube it seems commonplace. I plan on using 1/4” steel and adding another wall to insulate even if it is 1/8” would add more weight and cost to my build. My question is what am I gaining if I add an insulating wall? Will I regret not doing it. Is it that big of a difference if I do not add an insulating wall? Appreciate your help.

[Back9Q]

I cooked on one offset non insulated and Then tried one insulated. Ill never not insulate a FB again. More heat makes its way i to CC so you can burn smaller fires saving fuel. Also there is a big safety factor if you have kids running around


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[Big T]

I live in lower Alabama and I've built several non insulated pits for friends and family and they all perform flawlessly. We don't really have any cold weather to deal with so I've never considered a fully insulated pit. They burn 2-3 small spits every 45-60 minutes depending on how much food is in them and the weather conditions. My current pit has an insulated top on the FB but no where else and it burns the same amount of fuel as the others. I can't say that say that a fully insulated pit wouldn't use less fuel but 2-3 splits per hour(ish) isn't too bad in my opinion. I don't have any small kids so I wasn't concerned about the safety standpoint but I could certainly understand that.

[hogaboomer]

I've built 7 smokers and sold 6 of them, none insulated. I haven't had any complaints yet.

[Dirtytires]

Safety was the biggest driver in my decision to fully insulate my firebox. I can touch mine hours onto a smoke and not end up with third degree burns. I can't tell you how many times friends and kits have bumped into it soI feel it's worth it.

As far as fuel goes, my fires are always small and typically I burn 2 small splits every 45-55 min. I would say it's a bit more efficient but not enough to ever pay for itself with the price of steel these days. A big drawback is that I actually have a hard time keeping temps at 250 during a hot day as it requires the fire to be so small that it's difficult to maintain.

Totally your choice....the 0.25 inch firebox is plenty thick enough and will work great for you.

[Devin&Bobbi]

How big is this pit you're building? Imo, if it's smaller than a 250 gallon insulation is not only a waste of time and money it's likely counter productive.

[ChieffaninL.A.]

I forgot to mention, I'm building my smoker off a 60 gallon air compressor that is also a .25 thick. Appreciate all the replies so far.

[Iwishicouldcook41]

Been battling the same question in my head. At what point are you burning such a small fire that it becomes difficult to maintain a good coal bed?


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[Dirtytires]

Been battling the same question in my head. At what point are you burning such a small fire that it becomes difficult to maintain a good coal bed?


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It's a valid concern. It was 75F outside on Sunday when I smoked baby back ribs. My hot coal bed could easily fit in 2@ 20 oz solo cups and I was adding 2 wood splits that I could (just about) wrap my hand around every 45 min and the temp stayed happy at 250F all day.

I REALLY have a problem when my weather hits 110F outside it becomes almost impossible to keep the fire going. It will definitely be a learning curve to re-learn how to make a fire and keep it small.

However, wind does not affect me much and it heats up and recovers temps very quickly. As always, it's a trade off.

[ChieffaninL.A.]

Safety was the biggest driver in my decision to fully insulate my firebox. I can touch mine hours onto a smoke and not end up with third degree burns. I can't tell you how many times friends and kits have bumped into it soI feel it's worth it.

As far as fuel goes, my fires are always small and typically I burn 2 small splits every 45-55 min. I would say it's a bit more efficient but not enough to ever pay for itself with the price of steel these days. A big drawback is that I actually have a hard time keeping temps at 250 during a hot day as it requires the fire to be so small that it's difficult to maintain.

Totally your choice....the 0.25 inch firebox is plenty thick enough and will work great for you.

thanks leaning towards non insulated, steel is just so expensive right now.

[Brewmaster]

I'd go un-insulated on a little 60 gallon as well, just my 2 cents after having used both in smaller size offsets. Echoing what others have said - gets almost too hard to keep the fire going, or since you burn so much less wood you end up with that much less flavor.

[Iwishicouldcook41]

Any thoughts on semi-insulated/air gap insulation?Wouldn’t save much on materials, but if the air gap keeps the exterior cool enough to be safe, while letting the firebox operate more like an un insulated box, it could be a win/win


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[ThinBlue]

I'm new to the game so I can't say too much on the effect of air gap vs insulation but I have been cooking bbq for some time now and I can't recall a single instance when I, or anyone else around me, has burned themselves on a grill or smoker. I think, generally speaking, most folks big and small have enough sense about them not to press their cheek to the metal. And like a pot of boiling water, you can sense the radiating heat before you get too close so it's not exactly a surprise that it's hot. Even my 2-year-old knows to be cautious around hot items that I have not told her are hot. It's an innate self preservation instinct I guess lol

In my opinion the safety concern is kind of a non-issue UNLESS you plan on taking your cooking vessel to an event with lots of people that will have access to the area in which your cooker will be. And that's only to protect you from some idiot that didn't want to keep their hands to themselves and touched your property and wants to file a lawsuit against you for not telling them that the thing that contains a live fire that is used to cook food with smoking coming from it is not as cold as an ice cube.

May I offer a hybrid solution for you if it is a concern though? What if you tried using plate steel with some rebar or round bar standoffs to create a 2" gap around the firebox but you do not fully seal it and leave a good size gap where there would otherwise be corners. It would keep hands and cheeks at a safer distance but it wouldn't actually be insulted; just heat shielded. I've never tried this before myself so I'm not positive on how effective it would be, but I thought I'd toss out the idea and let the more experienced weigh in on if it may or may not work. It would be kind of like the knuckle heat shield on a charcoal starter chimney. I image it's hot but not nearly as hot as the chimney itself. It could be a half-measure thats not worth the expense of materials and effort.

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[Brewmaster]

Any thoughts on semi-insulated/air gap insulation?Wouldn’t save much on materials, but if the air gap keeps the exterior cool enough to be safe, while letting the firebox operate more like an un insulated box, it could be a win/win


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Basically all the same thing - semi, non-semi Wouldn't bother on a cooker that size, just my 2 cents.

[Frank_Cox]

This is a great topic!
So I lean towards what dirtytires said.
One thing that never seems to come up in these conversations that I’m paying more attention to these days is the ability to “sweat” heat.
Back in the early days you’ll see some conversations between us and gizmo about some of his insulated builds.
If you don’t insulate your firebox you can sweat heat and run a larger fire.
This yields a less efficient burn but still complete combustion (Thin Blue Smoke) which gives more intense flavor.
Running a more efficient burn and smaller fires makes a more mild flavor. Almost to clean for my tastes These days.
As I build more Smokers, my designs are heading that way.
I’ve noticed a huge return in flavor but very little impact on amount of fuel consumption and time to manage the fire.

Like I always say, there’s no wrong way to build one… just opportunities to learn.
Also, it’s just metal. We can always add insulation later.
[emoji481][emoji481][emoji481][emoji481]


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[Iwishicouldcook41]

This is a great topic!
So I lean towards what dirtytires said.
One thing that never seems to come up in these conversations that I’m paying more attention to these days is the ability to “sweat” heat.
Back in the early days you’ll see some conversations between us and gizmo about some of his insulated builds.
If you don’t insulate your firebox you can sweat heat and run a larger fire.
This yields a less efficient burn but still complete combustion (Thin Blue Smoke) which gives more intense flavor.
Running a more efficient burn and smaller fires makes a more mild flavor. Almost to clean for my tastes These days.
As I build more Smokers, my designs are heading that way.
I’ve noticed a huge return in flavor but very little impact on amount of fuel consumption and time to manage the fire.

Like I always say, there’s no wrong way to build one… just opportunities to learn.
Also, it’s just metal. We can always add insulation later.
[emoji481][emoji481][emoji481][emoji481]


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The man has spoken! Confirmed my thoughts, and saved me a few bucks. All in one post!


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[Dirtytires]

Im just going to add a few cents thoughts on Franks comment of sweating heat. I put a warmer box with direct vents from the firebox so I can bleed of heat when I want a bigger fire (assuming I don't have anything heat sensitive in the warmer). So I agree with his assessment but don't feel I'm trapped into small fires with the insulation.it just depends on how you run your pit and what outcome you are looking for.

With that said, my boy is older now so probably would not insulate the next one.

[ThinBlue]

Im just going to add a few cents thoughts on Franks comment of sweating heat. I put a warmer box with direct vents from the firebox so I can bleed of heat when I want a bigger fire (assuming I don't have anything heat sensitive in the warmer)

I dig that idea for those that want/need to live in both worlds at the same time.

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