Big Baby Double Barrel tuning and maintaining heat

jmoss · 04-19-2013, 10:44 AM

So I have a big baby double barrel I built. This is the first smoker I've ever owned and while I'm loving it, I'm hoping I can get some tips here to help maintain the cooking temps in the upper chamber.

My first question is around sealing the door. I chose to go with the design of cutting a door size hole out of the top barrel and then hinging a seporate piece of a 3rd barrel overlapping by 1" all teh way around as my door. My problem is it leaks pretty bad. I first tried rope gasket and that seemed to work until a storm blew the smoker over and the rope gasket fell off... I tried putting it back on but it wouldnt' stick... so I'm wondering if this is truly the way I should go for sealing my door or if there's another option?

Second is crafting a tuning plate. Currently I smoker is built in somewhat of an S design. I have a single flu leading up from the fire box into the smoking chamber on the right side (looking at the smoker) then I have a single smoke stack on the left side for the smoke to exit. I have dampners on both the flu and the exit stack but current my smoker cooks very similar to a normal offset in that where the flu comes in cooks really hot, the middle cooks about perfect and the left where the smoke exits cooks cold. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions around tuning plate designs. I considered using the scrap from where i cut the door out of the smoker, turning it curved side up and drilling holes to try and dispate the heat evenly through out the smoker... is this a good option or are there some other craftier ways to handle tuning my smoker?

SmokinJohn · 04-19-2013, 12:19 PM

I, too, have a big baby.
Mine leaks (Problem: I learned how to cut the door using a sawz-all and failed, requiring a door made from a non-matching barrel).

I am trying to use RTV Caulk on the outside of the door to close the gap. My first two attempts minimized the leak, but i want it as close to zero as possible.

I used the scrap metal from the damper holes to create my plates. It worked with some success. If it hadn't, my next move will be to use the jacked up door to create the plates.

jmoss · 04-19-2013, 03:18 PM

Can you show me a picutre of what you did with the scrap to make your plates?

SmokinJohn · 04-19-2013, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmoss

Can you show me a picutre of what you did with the scrap to make your plates?

I have a two damper system

04-19-2013, 10:44 AM	#1
jmoss Found some matches. Join Date: 04-16-13 Location: Castalian Springs, TN	Big Baby Double Barrel tuning and maintaining heat So I have a big baby double barrel I built. This is the first smoker I've ever owned and while I'm loving it, I'm hoping I can get some tips here to help maintain the cooking temps in the upper chamber. My first question is around sealing the door. I chose to go with the design of cutting a door size hole out of the top barrel and then hinging a seporate piece of a 3rd barrel overlapping by 1" all teh way around as my door. My problem is it leaks pretty bad. I first tried rope gasket and that seemed to work until a storm blew the smoker over and the rope gasket fell off... I tried putting it back on but it wouldnt' stick... so I'm wondering if this is truly the way I should go for sealing my door or if there's another option? Second is crafting a tuning plate. Currently I smoker is built in somewhat of an S design. I have a single flu leading up from the fire box into the smoking chamber on the right side (looking at the smoker) then I have a single smoke stack on the left side for the smoke to exit. I have dampners on both the flu and the exit stack but current my smoker cooks very similar to a normal offset in that where the flu comes in cooks really hot, the middle cooks about perfect and the left where the smoke exits cooks cold. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions around tuning plate designs. I considered using the scrap from where i cut the door out of the smoker, turning it curved side up and drilling holes to try and dispate the heat evenly through out the smoker... is this a good option or are there some other craftier ways to handle tuning my smoker?

04-19-2013, 12:19 PM	#2
SmokinJohn Babbling Farker Join Date: 10-15-12 Location: Anaheim, CA	I, too, have a big baby. Mine leaks (Problem: I learned how to cut the door using a sawz-all and failed, requiring a door made from a non-matching barrel). I am trying to use RTV Caulk on the outside of the door to close the gap. My first two attempts minimized the leak, but i want it as close to zero as possible. I used the scrap metal from the damper holes to create my plates. It worked with some success. If it hadn't, my next move will be to use the jacked up door to create the plates. __________________ Double Barrel Drum Smoker, UDS, ECB, Char-Broil gas grill & charcoal grills, Smokey Joe - Certified Moink Baller

04-19-2013, 03:18 PM	#3
jmoss Found some matches. Join Date: 04-16-13 Location: Castalian Springs, TN	Can you show me a picutre of what you did with the scrap to make your plates?