Pit build - firebox questions

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Crazy Tex

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Just got my trailer that I'm gonna build my pit on... and now that I see what I am working with as far as dimensions, it has brought up a question I have..

Can I mount the firebox at a 90° angle to the cooking chamber instead of having an inline box? I hope this is making sense.. here is a rough sketch I did in paint...

The arrows represent what I think the flow would be...

fireboxat90.jpg
 
imfree2q said:
Why dont you want to put it on the end? Like most are..
Click to expand...

I've got a couple of different scenarios on how I want to mount things on the trailer, and if I mount the firebox at a 90° , I think it is the best utilization of space...
 
Keep in mind that heat rises.. With that box on top like that I would think that heating the bottom food trays will be an issue.. Keep the firebox on the bottom of your pit..
 
It will work fine. Just make a baffle at the inlet between the firebox and smoking chamber to eliminate the obvious hot spot where the smoke enters.
 
imfree2q said:
Keep in mind that heat rises.. With that box on top like that I would think that heating the bottom food trays will be an issue.. Keep the firebox on the bottom of your pit..
Click to expand...

No, the firebox will be offest to the side...not on top.
 
sdb25 said:
It will work fine. Just make a baffle at the inlet between the firebox and smoking chamber to eliminate the obvious hot spot where the smoke enters.
Click to expand...

Thanks... a baffle will be installed no matter which way it is mounted.
 
I am no genius, but my judgment says it would work.
 
I've seen the same design with the firebox in the middle and on the end like yours. Worked great either way
 
If I can add to or maybe but hope not hijack. I have a 250 tank grill that i want to add a fire box to. Does anyone have plans on how to do this?
 
I think you will need tuning plates or you are going to have one heck of a hot spot just inside the cook chamber. the smoke/heat isn't going to want to make a smooth turn and go through the cook chamber by itself. I think it will want to come in and straight up. Tuning plates will keep the smoke/heat down and allow you to distrubute the smoke/heat more evenly throughout the cooker before going to the exhaust.
 
River City Smokehouse said:
I think you will need tuning plates or you are going to have one heck of a hot spot just inside the cook chamber. the smoke/heat isn't going to want to make a smooth turn and go through the cook chamber by itself. I think it will want to come in and straight up. Tuning plates will keep the smoke/heat down and allow you to distrubute the smoke/heat more evenly throughout the cooker before going to the exhaust.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Do you think a water pan would work the same way... I have been debating that as well..
 
You will learn to adapt to the misgivings of your design, principally the tendency that your smoker will have a hotter spot from of your smoke and heat flow having to slow down from both entering a larger body of containment AND having to make a turn. The turn, be that as it may, does not occur in a strict 90 degree fashion, It will swirl and billow a pit, which will affect the new vapors from coming in before it eventually goes on down.

That being said - we go to the beginning if my statement. Your smoker is your smoker, YOU will be the pitmaster of it, knowing its little quirks and overcoming them. So in essence, regardless of the unorthodox design, you and it will eventually make a good pair. In addition, I don't see anything serious enough to cause a novice to your pit to be throw either. I personally prefer pits with a hot spot.
 
what does a texan need water pan with that damn set for?
 
barbefunkoramaque said:
You will learn to adapt to the misgivings of your design, principally the tendency that your smoker will have a hotter spot from of your smoke and heat flow having to slow down from both entering a larger body of containment AND having to make a turn. The turn, be that as it may, does not occur in a strict 90 degree fashion, It will swirl and billow a pit, which will affect the new vapors from coming in before it eventually goes on down.

That being said - we go to the beginning if my statement. Your smoker is your smoker, YOU will be the pitmaster of it, knowing its little quirks and overcoming them. So in essence, regardless of the unorthodox design, you and it will eventually make a good pair. In addition, I don't see anything serious enough to cause a novice to your pit to be throw either. I personally prefer pits with a hot spot.
Click to expand...


I know all pits have quirks... this is the reason I am asking about the design. Sometimes hot spots are good, I'll agree with you there. But at the same time, I dont want to have a flow problem. You guys (and gals) are a lot more experienced than I am... I got lucky building the first small pit and getting it to cook as good as it did..

I am going to sit and think about a different way to utilize the space on the trailer... I'm sure I haven't come up with all options yet. I don't want to have to sacrifice cooking area if I don't have to.

As for the water pan... I thought the whole point was to keep more humidity in the cooking chamber to help keep the food more moist... that and it will catch drippings into the water, having a seasoned steam bath of sorts, right?
 
A water pan will only hold your temps down and add some humidity to your cook chamber. It will not rid you of your hot spot. The 90* turn is a lot of work for the heat/smoke like Popdaddy said. IMO, you need to keep the firebox at the end of the pit or make it go along the entire length of the cook chamber. Any way you go, I think you should consider the tuning plates. It will make your pit a more efficient machine.
Tuning Plates
24-tunung-plates.jpg
 
So are tuning plates just sheets of steel that you can adjust the gap between them? What are the nuts on the edges of the plates for?
 
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