Another mock up. Getting there. Mounted the FB door last night. Mounting CC doors next. They're nice and crooked (not square) though so I'm a bit disappointed I didn't catch that earlier. Oh well.
Hoping to fire it up this weekend for a test cook. The FB/WC won't be insulated yet.
I have a party next weekend to cook for.
So I designed everything to the specs of the calculator, but I feel like my fire burns hot. I barely need a crack in the air feed damper to sit at 225 deg. Is this normal? I opened it up to about halfway for a while and I thought my trailer tires were going to melt and the cooker was at about 400deg. I also warped the side of the fb / door frame a little later on during my cook, so I'll need to add some stiffeners.
Is it just a matter of putting less charcoal in the FB basket? Or using less splits?
My vents are slightly open too for 225°. If I have too much fuel loaded up I get a bigger temp differential from one side to the other and get some warpage too.
I too only need a little bit of intake air once I'm up to temp. But I run wide open until it's hot. But it does take some experiments to figure out how to get thin blue smoke and the correct temp.
Making memories.
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
It takes a few experimental burns to figure out how much fuel to burn and how much intake air you need. I like to start of with a small fire and ease up to my desired temp, if you get it too hot it takes awhile to cool back down. Once you figure it out it's like riding a bike.
YEP ! I actually used my 275 about 6-8 times or more ( can't remember ) and never put a piece of meat in it. All test burns to see how it responded. You must have gotten it VERY right since you can run a high temp and idle along at 225 or so.
While the comments above are right on target....The more important part of RC's post is the THIN BLUE SMOKE. Don't even consider adding meat until she has this commodity. I can reach high temps easily with it wide open but the temperature stability at 225-240 and then thin blue smoke tells me it's time.
Like Big T says...once you figure it out. My vents are full open until temp is right then in actual use, my damper on one side is 1" open. Out of a possible 10" and the other side is about 1/2" to 3/4". EVERY TIME
Ps: despite my correctly sized large firebox, a smaller 3-4 split fire is all I maintain on an initial 2 chimney bed of lump coals
Make no mistake, there ain't no powder in this Puff ! And... I'm not really a crazy person but I play one in real life
Thanks for all the input everyone.
Looking forward to "learning" my cooker.
I have another cook for family coming up a week from Saturday.
I'll have to get the trailer lights and safety chains on, finish the wood basket, and finish my welds up cuz I'll be hauling it about an hour away.
The place didn't have much for selection for fenders, so i got this kind. They don't go around the tire much. Should i mount them down the back more (2nd pic ) or center over center (first pic)?
I "need" them on there by next weekend and i would have to hit the steel supply place again for material. Not sure i have enough time to design and fab.
That's a situation I had with fenders. They were short semi circles but I found these and the look in my opinion ONLY, ..they look a bit more full.... Bad photo but they do have a rear side on them
Make no mistake, there ain't no powder in this Puff ! And... I'm not really a crazy person but I play one in real life