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Q-talk *ON TOPIC ONLY* QUALITY ON TOPIC discussion of Backyard BBQ, grilling, equipment and outdoor cookin' . ** Other cooking techniques are welcomed for when your cookin' in the kitchen. Post your hints, tips, tricks & techniques, success, failures, but stay on topic and watch for that hijacking. |
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02-22-2013, 04:07 PM | #1 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 02-25-12
Location: Overland Park, KS
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My Updated Gravity Feed design
There are some expensive commercial smokers out there that can control fire temp separately from smoker temp, and that sounds like a great idea. I think lots of off flavors and the dreaded white smoke come from fires temps that are too low.
I have no idea how those smokers control temps, but here痴 my plan for my gravity feed smoker. I致e been planning this on and off for a year, and would appreciate any holes you can poke into my idea. I値l use my Stoker to operate a fan based on a high temp probe in the fire box to maintain my fire temp. A second probe will be in the smoking chamber which will maintain 225 degrees by opening or closing a bypass damper off the firebox. Fire probe is low: Fan kicks on Fire probe is high: Fan shuts off Smoker probe is low: controller energizes actuator which closes bypass, directing heat/smoke to cook chamber Smoker probe is high: controller de-energizes actuator, which allows a spring to open the damper on the bypass, directing the heat away from the cook chamber I値l have to find an actuator, and build a damper for the bypass. I値l need to buy a non-stoker probe that is rated for fire temps. Unless they will sell me one separately, I値l need to sacrifice a stoker fan, to connect the actuator to the Stoker with the appropriate connector/wire. And I値l need to tune the size of the fire box and by bypass in order to ensure the fan is on as much as possible. Controller interaction may be an issue since two separate PID controllers will be interacting. |
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02-22-2013, 04:21 PM | #2 | |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 01-14-07
Location: Mount Washington, Kentucky
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Quote:
jon |
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02-22-2013, 04:25 PM | #3 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 02-25-12
Location: Overland Park, KS
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You can buy probes rated up to 1400 degrees pretty easy. Not from stoker or guru though.
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02-22-2013, 07:48 PM | #4 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 03-28-08
Location: Downey, California
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I'm no engineer but I see a few issues.
The bypass will defeat the main operating principal of the gravity feed design. All the fuel needs to be contained within an oxygen deprived envorment, letting air in will not provide the controlled burn you expect. It is best to introduce air in the combustion chamber. You have the blower blowing air into the ash pan, I suspect that will blow ash along with it
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Hook Line and Sinker Viking 30 inch Gravity Fed Charcoal Smoker Brinkmann 5 burner gas grill with sear & rotisserie UDS's 3 and growing Char Griller w/SFB w/mods Orion Cooker Charbroil 7000 Gas Grill |
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02-22-2013, 07:52 PM | #5 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 01-16-07
Location: Southern MN
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You dont wanna controll the temp in the firebox area. You wanna controll in the temp in the cooking chamber to allow for different amounts of meat to be cooked.
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Dan MJH From Backyard Bomber BBQ -- Junior YS 640 Comp 22.5 Weber Kettle Blue Thermopen Comp Team Wine & Swine |
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02-22-2013, 08:01 PM | #6 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 03-29-11
Location: Beijing,China
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" I think lots of off flavors and the dreaded white smoke come from fires temps that are too low. "
You basic concept is wrong, in turn mod. will be meanless. "dreaded white smoke" is key factor to smoking. If you dislike dreaded white smoke, why do not you use electric/gas pit directly. Indeed there is so called cold smoke generator to creat "dreaded white smoke" in purpose |
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02-22-2013, 08:05 PM | #7 |
is One Chatty Farker
Join Date: 03-29-11
Location: Beijing,China
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Even you want to maintain high temperature of fire and low temperature of pit, your design is wrong too.
1.You can use thin single wall to build your pit instead of insulated double walls. 2.You can have two outlets on the fire box, a SMALL one leading to pit, the other to open air. You simply open or close outlet to open air. 3.You need fire box as small as possible |
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02-22-2013, 08:33 PM | #8 |
is one Smokin' Farker
Join Date: 06-03-09
Location: Columbus,Indiana
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the idea kinda reminds me of an Oyler, how if controls the airflow by opening and closing a damper.
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JAMBO Pit, 700 Club, 180 Chicken x 6,180 Ribs, 180 Brisket American Royal #WCO |
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02-22-2013, 08:53 PM | #9 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 02-25-12
Location: Overland Park, KS
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02-22-2013, 09:10 PM | #10 | |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 02-25-12
Location: Overland Park, KS
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Quote:
I'd like to keep my fire at a constant 750 degrees. The smoking chamber will e kept at hot and fast or low and slow temps. |
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02-22-2013, 09:20 PM | #11 |
Full Fledged Farker
Join Date: 03-29-08
Location: Huron, SD
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It looks like you're trying to re-invent the gravity fed wheel. The only smoke that comes from my gravity fed cooker is during initial startup. I couldn't be happier with how it works. I also don't see the need for an extra chute for wood, I throw about 5 chunks in while loading the chute. If you get this off the ground, I'd love to hear how it works!
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02-22-2013, 09:25 PM | #12 |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 08-03-10
Location: Rochelle,IL
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you dont need a wood chute u put your wood chunks in your ash pan and the ambers drop on the chunks and create your smoke
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Hicks BBQ Concession and Catering 2017 26 ft Concession Trailer Ole Hickory CTO DW Stump Clone Big Green Egg XL UDS (RED) UDS (Black) HYBRID OFFSET TRAILER GREY THERMOPEN LIME GREEN THERMOPEN |
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02-22-2013, 09:53 PM | #13 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 01-16-07
Location: Southern MN
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I think your overthinking a simplex design.
__________________
Dan MJH From Backyard Bomber BBQ -- Junior YS 640 Comp 22.5 Weber Kettle Blue Thermopen Comp Team Wine & Swine |
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02-22-2013, 10:15 PM | #14 |
Babbling Farker
Join Date: 06-05-08
Location: Council Bluffs, Iowa
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by your design, how does the wood would even smoke? Looks like the wood is before the heat..
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Stumps XL Baby/UDS |
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02-22-2013, 11:17 PM | #15 | |
On the road to being a farker
Join Date: 02-25-12
Location: Overland Park, KS
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Quote:
I'll likely get rid of the wood hopper, but I do want a simple way of adding wood throughout a burn. Maybe a door on the side or something. |
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