We still have a lot more to do but the work we've been putting into this project is starting to show. Thanks again to everyone for the encouragement and advice. I couldn't have gotten this far without it. Y'all are awesome.
I've been looking at you cooker since you posted the pics of the WC. The WC is twice as big as the CC, I'm guessing. I've never seen this done before. I hope this all works out, but the taller the WC the harder it is to get a controlled temp. Considering the FB was based on a really pretty small CC. This could be the exception to the rule of the WC is a free heated source for cooking. Being this tall you may have to damper the opening between the CC and the WC so you can cook in the CC and use the WC as such. But on the flip side if you put racks on all those shelves you will for sure be able to make great jerky and lots of it. I say that because it only has to run 155 or so to do it. If I had known the WC was going to be so tall and wider than the FB I would have suggested something else. I hope this works. I good sketch is always worth the effort.
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
I know that its been awhile since I have had time to post any pics but we have been making some steady progress since my last post. We still need to make the cooking grates and design a damper between the FB and the WC, and install a shadow plate above the inlet to the WC from the FB.
My apologies RC. I am not ignoring you. I honestly thought I had addressed your concerns about the WC. I must have forgotten to submit that post.
Anyway, the original intent was to use the WC to keep things warm not to actually cook. That being said, I have installed a damper between the WC and the CC. Here it is in the open position.
She is far from being complete but we fired her up this morning for a test run. It seemed like a shame to waste a good fire so I threw a couple of racks of Baby Backs on this temporary grate.
The test fire went really well. I am really stoked about this smoker (pun intended).
I started with about a half a large chimney of coal and a small log of pecan.
I hung a cheapo temp probe where the cooking grate will be and opened the intake all the way. Within 15 minutes we were up to temp in the CC.
I don't have a damper between the FB and the WC yet so I put a chunk of half inch plate over the opening and I closed the damper between the FB and the WC.
An hour and 10 min after starting, I added another log. The temp in the CC hovered between 225 and 235 with little adjustment over a six hour test run.
It looks like she is going to be efficient, each small log lasted more than an hour.
Before I put the ribs on I decided to experiment with the WC.
I opened up the WC to CC damper all the way. I removed the plate from the FB to WC opening. I closed the CC chimney and opened the WC chimney.
Within 10 minutes the temp in the WC was almost 325 and the CC temp was 230.
I'am really excited about this because even though I did not originally plan on cooking in the WC, it looks like I now have a lot more capacity. When I get the FB to WC damper installed I think I will have precise control over the WC temp.
Looking good brother. Glad the first test went well. I was concerned that you were going to have to run multiple mass air flow sensors, but it sounds like you are good.
I haven't been able to post my progress in awhile, but I have been making progress.
I'll bring y'all up to date.
As it turned out, we had a problem with the door on the horizontal cooking chamber warping due to the thin metal. We couldn't get a good a good seal.
We had some scraps of heavier angle laying arround so we decided to build a frame for a flat door.