IMO RF isn't needed in a vertical cooker. Overly complicated and no real benefit. I'd also use the steel inside and the stainless outside, if you're set on using stainless. Stainless expands more than steel with heat so it can be problematic. Once the interior has seasoned there's no need of stainless. 2 intakes on opposite sides help with fighting wind direction. I'd make it a little larger but if that's the size you know you'll be happy with, go for it.
Oh, and welcome!
If it's tourist season, how come I can't shoot 'em?
Welcome & G'day! I've just finished my insulated mini gravity feed cabinet smoker & it's a corker, the plans are available from smokerplans.net(which is a sister site to this one) &, except for the conversions, I could not fault the plans & could not fault the unit. It's easy to use & stable as all hell in the temp department. I fired it up this morning before work, got the missus the whack half a wallaby in at 10, wrapped it when I got home in the arvo, pulled it off when my mate & his missus arrived, rested for an hour & it was awesome, simples!!
I'm sure whichever way you go will work & these guys will keep you on the right path but seriously consider one of the mini GFs as an option, well worth the effort.
Welcome to the crew!
As Pete said vertical insulated smokers, don't really need the pit calculator those are based on offset smokers. That being said it would still work just fine as long as you seal the FB and have ball valves as intakes so you can really control the air you can use it just fine
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Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
Hey guys, thanks for the welcoming and feedback. I like the idea of the gravity fed smoker; I will definitely look into it and see what I can find. Didn't think about the stainless steel expansion, actually makes sense for everything inside to be the one material for even expansion.
I'll come back once I've thought it over further. Cheers,Mike
As far as stainless goes Smoker Tom aka Tom Heath told me that he rather had made his big GF out of mild steel because the seasonings don't stick to stainless.
Just a thought
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Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
Ok well I've modified the plans and am now looking into a gravity feed concept. I've used 250x150x10mm RHS steel for the gravity feed section, with some 10mm plate down the bottom for the ash tray. I've noticed that most coal chutes are not straight but inclined on at least one side, I assume to prevent the coal bridging on the way down. Has anyone tried a straight chute and failed?
I've scrapped the stainless steel from the plans and am using 1.6mm mild for the sheeting.
In order to put something different into the build I decided to look into a recessed door frame so all the doors are flush with the body, I think I'll probably shy away from this complication but I wanted to see how it improved the aesthetics.
I would suggest you get the already proven plans for this design from our sister site. Smokerplans.net
The money isn't much and the actual function is great. The reason the top door isn't flush is to help prevent rain from getting in the shoot. The straight sided coal shoot is a big mistake. The way your design shows the smoke coming into the CC will cause that side to be hot and the bottom opposite side cold.
Making memories!
Current Smokers: Backyard RF Offset and Hybrid RF Offset trailer rig with Cowboy cooker and fish fryer, always room for more........
& the reasons the side door isn't flush is there will be a lot of heat coming out that when you are lighting it & adding chunks, that will either discolour or burn the side of the smoker & if you're going to spend all that time making it only to ruin it with a simple design fault then I know I'd be pissed off with myself.
Also, as RC mentioned, the transfer tube where the heat comes out of the FB is definitely needed to even out the heat in the CC.
You'll also want to keep the ball valve on the inlet outside the smoker in case it breaks or seizes, can't imagine the amount of work it would take to replace it when it's inside the unit like in your design.
Oh yeah, & there's no stack to let the smoke out of the CC, might need one of those.
Thanks for the feedback guys, some of it I think is personal preference so I think I'll hedge my bets with the flush doors and see how it goes. For me buying the drawings doesn't really solve much as they're all in imperial which means I have to redraw them all myself anyhow.
As for the gravity feed section, I agree the straight design is asking for trouble so I'll amend that.
The ball valve needing a service is again another gamble, I personally think a ball valve hanging out in the wind just isn't that aesthetically pleasing and the lack of actual workload means a fault is highly unlikely.
Oh and yeah a chimney and a bunch of other things are still missing, still a concept but that's a notable omission.
Thanks for the positive comment rouletterun; I knew there had to be at least one at out there ;)
The key to success on a vertical is a well-sealed cabinet and accurate air control going in and out - otherwise they are stupid stable on temp - especially if they're insulated. I really like the 'Ely' I built like this - that build is on here somewhere. Very similar layout.
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
RC is my court-appointed forum guardian - see how he snapped that link right in here?
Thanks RC!
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
RC can you remind me of the picture posting process? I remember something about photobucket then I'm lost.... sorry
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)
Sorry, when I try to attach the old pics I discovered they are now too large (2.3M) apparently the photobucket was sizing them for me back when and now I need to re-save them smaller...? 1M?
And on the eighth day God created barbecue …. because he DOES love us and he wants us to be happy.
Current smokers: Egor (trailered RF) and Easybake (tabletop pellet drive)