Need all the advice and help I can get

[Shawdawg74]

First off hello everyone and thanks from the start. I am new to smoking and building smokers and grills I been welding for awhile now so I am a little bit mechanically inclined nothing to brag about. Ok to my point I have acquired this tank and would love to build a reverse air flow smoker with a functioning insulated vertical smoker also instead of it just being a warming box. I'm just trying to see if it's possible to build and will it function properly. I wanna keep it full size and not cut it down and it will be trailer mounted of course thanks again any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[Puff]

That is going to be a big project and after putting so much of yourself into it, you'll want it be be as near perfect as possible. You may find that a working plan is the best way to go rather than a seat of the pants build as you go which is what I've done on 2 of the 4 RF builds I'd made so far.

The plan worked out much easier. I had to buy two MORE UN-welders and a box of 100 4.5" unwelding discs

Is the vertical going to be an additional smoker built into the end of the tank and isolated from the rf functions? What size is this tank? Dual axle trailer?

[forty_creek]

Ditto puffs questions. Especially what size tank is that?
When you say vertical smoker are you wanting it completely independent heat source wise from your RF?
Reason for asking one of the benefits of a warming box (WB) on a RF is you can use the same heat source. You can steal/borrow smoke some heat from the main CC. Plus borrow heat from the FB. Look up Clover Ridge Smokers on here. He has a really nice patio version of what I'm talking about. Somebody will be along to post a link to it prolly.
Good Luck


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Shawdawg74]

Yes instead of it being a warming box I want it to be a fully functional smoker that has its on beast source. I've been trying to find plans of some sort to get a basic idea of the size of Fire box size of stackand ect. It will be a dual axel trailer. Length of tank inside seems is 95.5 inches and the diameter I'll have to get tomorrow. Just been doing research and getting ideas right now but it's about time to buckle down and start on it

[Shawdawg74]

It is 325 gallons and 115 inches long total

[Puff]

325 gallon tank will cook a lot of food. My first smoker was a 275 gallon and it REALLY should have been 75. If you're essentially planning 2 independent smokers, you might look into the gravity feed vertical cabinet and then separately run the tank measurements through the pit calculator making it a conventional RF smoker add both to your trailer and plan on a place to carry fuel for each. You're obviously not using this as your backyard cooker

[Shawdawg74]

I'm hearing and reading a lot of people saying that the tank is to narrow to make a reverse flow smoker. If it is possible I would love to keep it full size and yes I am still weighing all my options. Right now I'm planning and doing my research but right now it's looking like a bust on this tank. I don't want to cut it and make two out of it. Big toys for big boys

[Shawdawg74]

If it's possible is there any plans for one of this size

[mp4]

How narrow is it?

[Shawdawg74]

The diameter is like 27 Iniches

[Pete Mazz]

27" and 115" long is a 275 gallon tank.

[mp4]

27" is plenty big enough to install a couple racks and cook anything short of a full sized hog. Mine is 30" (but only 180 gallons) and comfortably fit an 85 lb hog and 3 whole chickens.

[Rodcrafter]

That diameter will work fine as an RF. My trailer rig is 26", and it works great.


Making memories.

[Big T]

Mine is 25''

[Puff]

Ok....mine is 26"

[Shawdawg74]

Please forgive me for all the the questions and thanks everyone for all the replies this is my first build and I wanna take my time and make sure it is right and will function properly. A lot of people have been saying is the overall Legnth is to long there is to much surface friction to have good air flow for a reverse flow. I have been also considering the option of a hybrid smoker

[Rodcrafter]

What sorta Hybrid?

I have never made one that is that long, but I do know if you leave it that long you must set it up level or the non-FB end a little higher or it will not flow correctly. Now if it was mine, I would cut about 2' off of it and build that baby. If I needed more cooking space I would put an vertical over the FB and it could serve as an warmer or more cooking space.

jm2cw

[Shawdawg74]

Is there any kinda basic blueprint to go by for the size tank I have. I guess it's that I've read more negativity about this size tank that's has me doubting it. But if it's possible that's what I wanna build is a rf with a vertical smoker over the firebox. But again thanks for the patients with me as I take all of yalls advice and opinions in. It's very much appreciated.

[Rodcrafter]

I'm not sure about the plans, that is Frank Cox's area. But Shirley Fabrication in Alabama builds some long ones. You may want to go to their web page and steal some ideas.


Making memories.

[Shawdawg74]

Ok been on the calculator that Pete posted and to Felton's bbq calculator and and I've come up with about the same measurements off both sites. yes I went and got all my measurements again lol because I was guessing on the diameter but it is 30in and the tank is 115 in long. Here is what I came up with
Tank-325 gal=cc size of 75075.00 cu in and recommended fab of 25025.00 cu in
FB 30x30x30=27000.00 cu in and will be a 107.9 differential
8 in stack = 1350.00 cu in and will be 26.87 in tall debating that 6 in diameter will have to be 48 in tall
I know what these measurments are for except the 216% I'm guessing the opening at the end of the baffle plate
???????? Round opening 16.69
half moon 23.45 recommended fb to cooker opening 216.00%

[Big T]

It sounds like the opening from the FB to CC (throat) is twice as large as it needs to be.

[Shawdawg74]

Idk I am new to this that's the measurements I plugged in and was given so I have no clue

[Big T]

I plugged your numbers into the pit calculator on this site and a cylinder that's 30''x115'' comes up to 81,288 cu. in. and that doesn't count the bell ends. A 30''x30''x30'' FB is 99.64% of the recommended size, so it's going to be less than that if you figure in the bells. The 216 that you were asking about is the throat size in square inches, 216'' the shape doesn't matter that much. Here's a set of plans for a 30''x100'' propane tank http://www.smokerplans.net/index.php?ma ... ucts_id=25 . I would recommend that you take a look at them, you can cut 15'' off of your tank and add the WC over the FB with a little effort. These plans come with tech support and they are very detailed from what I've been told by the guys that have bought them. There's a lot of work that goes into building a big RFS and these plans take all the guess work out of the build. The guys on here will gladly answer any of your questions to the best of their ability but having a set of plans REALLY helps out 1st timers. jm2cw

[Shawdawg74]

So you plugged them under cylinder ok cuz I had plugged them under the tank and that's the numbers I had thank you very much for your advise and help I will defiantly give them plans a look at for sure.

[Shawdawg74]

The 115 inches is the total Legnth from end to end