I recently had my first experience with a combo unit.
It was an older SmokeMaster with a 16" horizontal section.
Basically, a Klose Back Yard Chef clone.
My son and I restored it and I did a "get to know ya" burn.
Horizontal was 100+ degrees hotter than vertical. To be expected.
SmokeMaster has a nice baffle from the firebox to the horizontal, so I laid Heavy Duty aluminum foil on the lower firegrate in the horizontal section.
This created a tunnel for heat/smoke to go to the vertical section and then back to the horizontal. Brought the temp differences to 50-75 degrees or so. Good start!
The next AM, I plugged some upper holes from the firebox to the horizontal with aluminum foil and added more wrapping to the horizontal firegrate. I was determined to tunnel heat to the verticle side.
Lit the fire and got the temps up. Very equal across the smoker, both sections. Maybe 30 degrees or so.
Loaded the first of a $105 load of meat and sat back to watch the fire.
At three hours my fire crashed- big time! Lots of white and black smoke and temps dropped rapidly. Got it re-lit and just struggled through the rest of the burn.
Crappy Q with black creosote. But, family don't cross Dad, so they ate it with a crooked smile.
After it all cooled down, I found a flap of aluminum foil had fallen down and blocked off most of the airflow through the tunnel :twisted:
Now my questions:
1st question--Looking at the SmokeMaster, I can see putting a 1/8th steel plate or heavy sheet metal below the horizontal cooking grate to create a larger tunnel for heat to the vertical side. Then add a small (3" or so) exhaust vent to the firebox side of the horizontal section. This would allow the excess radiated heat to be dumped, if needed, and for smoke to be drawn back across the horizontal. This would make the horizontal section a reverse flow area. It also would add a new level of heat and smoke control to the cooker--I assume.
2nd question-- I have heard that the manufacturers consider the vertical to be a "warming area" and not the primary smoking area. Seems a waste of capacity if so. Anyone have historical knowledge of this?
3rd question--Has anyone really tried to "tune" one of these? Am I wasting my thoughts and energy considering it? They just seem to have so much potiential if they can be equalized a bit for smoking and then maybe adjusted to create a hotspot for finishing.
I plead guilty to being obsessive about temp and smoke control, but that is my role as the Pit Bitch for the Southern Brethren. Stable heat and quality smoke let DF free to create the recipes to win with. This could be a killer competetion unit with lots of capacity without being "huge" and unwieldly. Just gotta get control of it!
Thanks,
TIM
It was an older SmokeMaster with a 16" horizontal section.
Basically, a Klose Back Yard Chef clone.
My son and I restored it and I did a "get to know ya" burn.
Horizontal was 100+ degrees hotter than vertical. To be expected.
SmokeMaster has a nice baffle from the firebox to the horizontal, so I laid Heavy Duty aluminum foil on the lower firegrate in the horizontal section.
This created a tunnel for heat/smoke to go to the vertical section and then back to the horizontal. Brought the temp differences to 50-75 degrees or so. Good start!
The next AM, I plugged some upper holes from the firebox to the horizontal with aluminum foil and added more wrapping to the horizontal firegrate. I was determined to tunnel heat to the verticle side.
Lit the fire and got the temps up. Very equal across the smoker, both sections. Maybe 30 degrees or so.
Loaded the first of a $105 load of meat and sat back to watch the fire.
At three hours my fire crashed- big time! Lots of white and black smoke and temps dropped rapidly. Got it re-lit and just struggled through the rest of the burn.
Crappy Q with black creosote. But, family don't cross Dad, so they ate it with a crooked smile.
After it all cooled down, I found a flap of aluminum foil had fallen down and blocked off most of the airflow through the tunnel :twisted:
Now my questions:
1st question--Looking at the SmokeMaster, I can see putting a 1/8th steel plate or heavy sheet metal below the horizontal cooking grate to create a larger tunnel for heat to the vertical side. Then add a small (3" or so) exhaust vent to the firebox side of the horizontal section. This would allow the excess radiated heat to be dumped, if needed, and for smoke to be drawn back across the horizontal. This would make the horizontal section a reverse flow area. It also would add a new level of heat and smoke control to the cooker--I assume.
2nd question-- I have heard that the manufacturers consider the vertical to be a "warming area" and not the primary smoking area. Seems a waste of capacity if so. Anyone have historical knowledge of this?
3rd question--Has anyone really tried to "tune" one of these? Am I wasting my thoughts and energy considering it? They just seem to have so much potiential if they can be equalized a bit for smoking and then maybe adjusted to create a hotspot for finishing.
I plead guilty to being obsessive about temp and smoke control, but that is my role as the Pit Bitch for the Southern Brethren. Stable heat and quality smoke let DF free to create the recipes to win with. This could be a killer competetion unit with lots of capacity without being "huge" and unwieldly. Just gotta get control of it!
Thanks,
TIM