Turning my Chargriller into a reverse flow

[WvQ]

I was talking to a blacksmith friend of mine about making a tuning plate for my Chargriller. He didn't feel that once heated up a tuning plate would do anything. He said heat radiates from one end to the other and eventually would be the same temp. He instead said he would make me a steel channel that flared out into a U shape. He said the heat would travel down the channel and make even heat. After speaking with him I thought I should also have him change the smoke stack to the opposite side. I figure this would make it reverse flow?

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

If I understand you, you want to know if changing the exhaust to the same end as the firebox makes a reverse flow. If you do noting to force the smoke to travel down to the other end and then travel back over the meat to the exhaust, no it won't make it a reverse flow. You will then have a no flow smoker.

I don't understand his tuning plate comment or solution.

[dwfisk]

Originally Posted by HeSmellsLikeSmoke

If I understand you, you want to know if changing the exhaust to the same end as the firebox makes a reverse flow. If you do noting to force the smoke to travel down to the other end and then travel back over the meat to the exhaust, no it won't make it a reverse flow. You will then have a no flow smoker.

I don't understand his tuning plate comment or solution.

^ 100% agree and I don't understand his conceptual design or his comment either. Has your friend ever cooked on smoker with tuning plates or a RF baffle? There is a reason for the thought and experimentation has gone into different design concepts - they work!

[ButtBurner]

agreed

he doesnt understand how tuning plates or reverse flow works

for the tuning plates, sounds like he is thinking its a solid plate with no spaces for heat to escape.

Yes the plates get hot but the key is the spaces between them to allow the heat to move through the cooker

[BBQ Bandit]

If you are thinking of modyfing to a reverse flow - do not forget or scrimp on an efficient grease channel/drain.

[Cliff H.]

Extending the exhaust to grate level will probably do about as much good as anything as far as Chargrillers go.

[Bludawg]

Your making this harder than it needs to be. My outlaw has even temps all across the cook surface and it eats 1 split every 45 min.
The biggest problems with this pit are
1.) the top closes in a different spot every time and doesn't seal
2.) the fire box is barely big enough to allow the pit to breath
3.) big hot spot on the fire box side and 100 deg colder on the stack end
4.) POS thermo located in the wrong place

Let me preface this by saying I'm a big believer in using what I can see not seeing what I can use.
1.) place washers on the hinge pins to tighten the hinge


install an Angle iron frame across the sides and back of the top to seal and stiffen 1" A/I was used here


2.) the fire sits to low in the fire box to breath( Fire is a Bottom feeder drawing air from its base up through the solid fuel to give good combustion) cut 6 pieces of Steel A/I 12.5 " long and place them in the fire box top this with a piece of 12 X 24 expanded metal the expanded needs two 90deg bends the first 4" on one end the second 2" on the opposite end. the base of the fire is now in the center of the intake where it need to be build your small hot fire on this.



3.) the Firebox opening is to large and allows the heat to exit go to the top and exit out the stack
remove the two Ci grates that came in the fire box and put them in the oven side 1 in the one at each end.

take the charcoal pan and flip it over on top of the grates. slide it up to the fire box opening. now the heat will stay low in the pit and exit along the entire legnth. this will get you temps with in 25 deg end to end.

to equalize the heat we borrow a little from Horrizion Smokers this will bring the temps to with in 3 deg all across the surface. drill a series of holes in the plate. from 1/4 up to 1/2 " spacing is 6" between holes and 4" between the rows.


4.) install a new thermo that is reliable and located properly ( Stem visible in thesecond pic) mine is centered and slightly above the handle what I call the middle of the Brisket high.

[WvQ]

Thanks to everyone for your help and opinions. It's hard to explain what my friend was thinking, but creating the device he was thinking is now not necessary. I appreciate the pictures of improvements that I will certainly make. I guess what I should do is try and convince my friend to just build me a smoker. He's a master craftsman and welder who has designed and built some very high end stuff that's been used on everything from the oil and gas industry to homes featured in magazines. My problem is he is planning on retiring soon.

[ICDEDTURKES]

Originally Posted by Bludawg

4.) install a new thermo that is reliable and located properly ( Stem visible in thesecond pic) mine is centered and slightly above the handle what I call the middle of the Brisket high.

Ingenuity... I flip mine but have never thought of drilling holes..