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Reverse flow UDS?

Well after looking for a few i didnt really find any cabinet smokers that were true reverse flow smokers. I did find some that said reverse flow, what i noticed is the fire was still directly below and allowed heat and smoke to still rise straight up to the food, the only thing i noticed was the exhaust line was lower in the smoker and not at the top.

Not sure if i was missing something if there is another cabinet smoker out there i was missing with a diagram please post. But if these are the kind you were refering to think they could be mimicked as in my cheesy 30 sec diagram below. Heat and smoke rise to the top and fill barrel before exiting through the exahaust below the food level but high enough not to choke out your fire. Hey i could also be nuts but this seems the most viable to get what i think your after.
 

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tmehlhorn, I don't remember the maker, it was a couple years ago. The firebox was underneath with the heat riser being behind the cooking chamber and entering the cooking chamber near the top. The exhaust was near the bottom of the cooking chamber.
 
Might want to check with Mr. Moocow. He built a very impressive vertical reverse flow that appears to utilize the same thermodynamics that you're proposing Matt. When you break it down, the only real difference is box vs. drum.
 
With the right stack and lid, it should work, however a few thoughts:

Unless you insulate the outer shell, the reverse-flow design will be dramatically less fuel efficient.
Access to the cooking chamber will be difficult.
You’ll have to build an access door for the charcoal basket, which tends to make designs less air-tight.
Finding a cylindrical outer shell to contain a drum may be difficult. Making a double outer shell that will allow insulation will be even more so.

In short, the advantages of a drum are lost and you might as well go box-shaped.
 
Matt_A said:
tmehlhorn, I don't remember the maker, it was a couple years ago. The firebox was underneath with the heat riser being behind the cooking chamber and entering the cooking chamber near the top. The exhaust was near the bottom of the cooking chamber.
Click to expand...

SORT of sounds like a Ole Hickory. Although the exhaust stacks are still at the top, the firebox is indeed at the bottom and isolated from the smoke/cook chamber. The smoke and heat come up the back of the smoker and then roll around the meat and then out, but IT has a round top, and I assume it helps the direction of the smoke/heat?

You know.....this WOULD help with that whole direct heat, nasty smell of grease on coals problem.

TRY IT.....and follow up here!:thumb:
 
MG_NorCal said:
In short, the advantages of a drum are lost and you might as well go box-shaped.
Click to expand...

I agree, it was just one of those questions that popped into my head.... decided to see if anybody had tried it.
 
deguerre said:
I'm sure if your drum were horizontal and you added an offset firebox it would work, but then it wouldn't exactly be a "UDS"...even if it was ugly.
Click to expand...

You saying my baby is ugly?? :boxing:
100_0796-1.jpg
 
OK.....I have found a new project to work on....This sounds like a great project to try. I already have 4 55 gallon drums I had lined up for more UDS builds. I will now start looking on craigslist for a 30 gallon drums for the inner chamber.
 
nice work. takes the chore out of cleaning. i am interested in a design that would push the smoke over the top of the meat.
 
Mettle Man said:
could someone explain what makes a reverse smoker reverse? this is another approach to rerouting the smoke. i've not made it.... would it work? http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p300/readyreally/smoker.jpg
Click to expand...


A reverse flow smoker is not much more than moving the exhaust from the side opposite the firebox to the same side, and putting a baffle underneath that directs the smoke and heat (because heat rises) from the firebox to the opposite side of the smoker, then up, and reversing the flow back towards the firebox to the exhaust.

The exhaust, being on the side by the firebox, being slightly hotter, quite literally sucks the air up creating a very nice air flow, and in mine flows so well there's almost a convection going on with it. The baffle tends to even out the heat and the smoke...
 
Matt_A said:
Actually I was thinking about something like this. The cooking cylinder is suspended inside the outer drum, the smoke/heat travel up the space between the cylinders and then down the inside cylinder. The bottom of the inside cylinder also radiates heat from the fire basket.

reverse-flow-uds-concept.png
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, I say GO FOR IT!!
 
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