Great build. The paint will change color as it goes thru heat cycles and weathers a bit. Nobody will notice.
I do think it’s funny that we are our own worse critics. I always start showing my smoker by highlighting the cool factors and nobody sees my many flaws after that.
Finally got some food cooked on it. It came out great but I’m have big temperature differences from one side of the grate to the other. When I did a test run there was only 50° difference. When I put meat on it I’m getting over 100° from one side to the other difference. I really don’t understand it. At times it’s 130°.
You could cut some tuning plates from 1/4'' plate about 6'' wide and long enough to reach across the CC just above the throat. I would put one right above the throat, tight against the end of the CC, leave about 1/2''-3/4'' gap and put another one, about 3/4''-1'' and then another plate. Normally you would build a system to support them and lock them down once you get the tune that you like but since this is a patio cooker you could probably get by with sitting them in there.
I would try some different fire tests too. It’s interesting how a small fire with just enough air entering the FB to keep it burning clean can change everything. It seems like you have a lot of air moving through the CC. I would try several burns to learn how to control this rascal.
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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........
A standard offset is always going to be hotter on thefirebox side. I never was able to use the rack within 12 inches of the firebox on my old unit. I was able to play with baffle plates and a few firebrick to block some heat but spent a lot of time rotating meat to compensate for the temp swing.