Hunsaker Smokers Vortex Firebasket in my Drums

swamprb · Mar 11, 2015

I had seen a member playing around with the Vortex Firebasket from Hunsaker Smokers in a Performer and 22" WSM, and decided to give them a try in my BPS Drum, 55 & 85 Gallon Big Drum Smoker clones.

Here is the link that describes how it works:

http://www.hunsakersmokers.com/products/vortex-fire-basket

My first cook was in my BPS REDRUM, 6lb chicken cut "Leaping Frog" style and used only a Weber chimney full if KBB and let it rip.

DUBBAGA · Mar 11, 2015

Beautiful (and even) coloring. Might need to look into one

swamprb · Mar 11, 2015

**Vortex Firebasket cooks #2 BPS vs BDS**

Next day myself and Sno/King Meat Cartel member and Phil Wingo stand-in Rub Runner fire up the BPS and Big Drum Smoker clone for a little chicken and babyback action!

I shook out the ashes from the previous nights yardbird cook and added a few new briqs and fired it off in the BDS for thighs.

No burning!

Babybacks on the BPS

Love the Drums, diggin' the Vortex basket!

swamprb · Mar 11, 2015

85 Gallon Big Drum Smoker clone with the Hunsaker Vortex basket

I haven't had a cook like this with the expanded metal basket I've been using on the 85. 26" cook grate, I cut out 4 "Leaping Frog" whole birds and let it rip with the Vortex firebasket. It took 8 minutes to get to temp! KBB with Pecan Mojobricks!

Rib-O-Lator Bob approves this message!

puffin' away!

All I can say is that I am very pleased with the results I've gotten so far with the Hunsaker Smokers Vortex Firebasket in my Drums.

I'll be honest, I've not been a heat deflector user and was at first skeptical, but this thing really gets the job done and I still get that "fat drippin' on the coals flavor" of cooking direct that I really enjoy.

More to come - this has changed the way I drum!

Ol'Joe · Mar 11, 2015

Looks like another interesting tool for the arsenal, do the vanes rotate?

THoey1963 · Mar 11, 2015

I am guessing that the heat rising causes the vortex to rotate which causes it to cook like a convection oven?

Either way, great looking chicken.

swamprb · Mar 11, 2015

Ol'Joe said:
Looks like another interesting tool for the arsenal, do the vanes rotate?

No, the vanes do not rotate.

Smokeat · Mar 12, 2015

Having a hard time imagining enough airflow to produce a "vortex" at low temps in a WSM/drum type cooker. Looks cool though.

swamprb · Mar 12, 2015

THoey1963 said:
I am guessing that the heat rising causes the vortex to rotate which causes it to cook like a convection oven?

Either way, great looking chicken.

No the Vortex vanes do not rotate.

Here is the description of how it works from the Hunsaker Smokers website:

Fits in a metal 55 gallon barrel. The vortex fire basket helps reduce hot spots which is needed to ensure consistent results.

Question: How does the vortex basket work?

Answer: Air is forced upwards from the center air intake (controlled by the foot operated air intake lever) into the hot charcoal. The hot air is then forced through the vortex plate at the correct angles causing the air inside the smoker to spin. The spinning air helps maintain a consistent temperature throughout the smoker. The vortex plate also acts as a heat deflector which helps reduce burned meat.

MAB52 · Mar 12, 2015

Hey Brian, that looks really cool. Thanks for sharing.

Bushman5 · Mar 13, 2015

mmmmm.....this gives me ideas.....at work in the shop is a 22" round disc of 1/8" mild steel.......

thanks for sharing the photos.....I just started my UDS build. Getting all excited

swamprb · Mar 14, 2015

Smokeat said:
Having a hard time imagining enough airflow to produce a "vortex" at low temps in a WSM/drum type cooker. Looks cool though.

OK- Lets say we get past the "vortex effect" and look at it as a fire basket with a fancy heat deflector?

Then we put it in a WSM without a waterpan?

Next on my agenda!

TheMidnightSmoker · Feb 10, 2016

Almost a year old post but I am hoping Swamprb see this. My concern is that the small width of the vortex would not direct the heat to the outside parameters of the cooking grate on the bigger 85 gallon drum but instead focus most of the heat to the center. I have a Jumbo BDS (85 gallons) and the existing charcoal basket is much wider then the vortex. Do you mind sharing your experience in this matter?

ray1000 · Sep 21, 2018

i wassure hopen TheMidnightSmoker question above on will work in bigger smoker was answered thanks

dshaffes · Sep 24, 2018

I have the Hunsaker Vortex plate that sits on the fire ring of my WSM ...AMAZING ADDITION. No more water pans, and it creates even temps throughout the entire smoker. I've been hanging ribs with great results. In fact, I've been using in comps and getting Top 10 consistently.

qnbiker · Sep 25, 2018

I also have the plate for my WSM. Don't know if the air spins but I get great results.

PaPaQ · Sep 25, 2018

Has anyone used the WSM Plate in a Cajun Bandit conversion kit?

PlattDaddyBBQ · Sep 25, 2018

I am hoping to get ahold of an 85 myself, and build a Hunsaker Clone!!! I have one of their 55 gallon cans already but I really want to build my own next!!! Looking good man!

GettinPiggy · Sep 25, 2018

swamprb said:
I had seen a member playing around with the Vortex Firebasket from Hunsaker Smokers in a Performer and 22" WSM, and decided to give them a try in my BPS Drum, 55 & 85 Gallon Big Drum Smoker clones.

Here is the link that describes how it works:

http://www.hunsakersmokers.com/products/vortex-fire-basket

My first cook was in my BPS REDRUM, 6lb chicken cut "Leaping Frog" style and used only a Weber chimney full if KBB and let it rip.

How do you trim your chicken to separate the dark/white meat like that?

foam2 · Sep 25, 2018

On the cajun bandit conversion kit with the ss 22 wsm charcoal ring, the plate is almost the same size as the ring. If you put two rods over the charcoal ring the plate should sit without issue. I'm going to try it out myself over the weekend.

**Hunsaker Smokers Vortex Firebasket in my Drums**

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Hunsaker Smokers Vortex Firebasket in my Drums