Reverse Flow Offset Question

[hossrocks]

Hey Gang, i bought a reverse flow offset pit from a friend in need. I have used it twice and wasn't very happy with it. I can't get the temps up over 190 at the far end. So it has sat and collected rust for the last year. My concessions/catering biz is picking up and I'm faced with either buying a new pellet pooper or reworking the monster in my backyard to do what I need it to do.

I have read that there is a spreadsheet telling me what size of firebox to have with the smoking chamber. Where can I find that?

What I have it a smoking chamber that is 72" x 30". There baffle plate is solid from the firebox to about 10" from the front of the chamber. It has a 6" stack on it. Pics that I have are below. I will take and post tomorrow.

I would rather fix this and get a guru to keep the temp over night than buy another cooker.
Any help on this would be awesome.

<a href="http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/?action=view&amp;current=claysmoker.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/claysmoker.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/?action=view&amp;current=claysmoker2-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/claysmoker2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[D.F. Expat]

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/claysmoker.jpg
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/claysmoker2-1.jpg
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/claysmoker2.jpg

[D.F. Expat]

Nice looking rig!

[Q-Dat]

What are you using for fuel?

[gtr]

Are you keeping all your vents all the way open?

[CarolinaQue]

That fire box looks plenty big to me. Are you doing the open doors 20 to 30 minutes and then 2 hour preheat?

[NRA4Life]

That is a nice looking cooker and the dimensions are similar (slightly longer but narrower) to what I use. I'd think it would get hotter than 190. What are you measuring the temp with, where are you measuring it at, and are you sure of the accuracy of your temp measuring device? My cooker is insulated, try throwing a welding blanket over it, and make sure you are keeping it out of the wind or blocking the wind. That is what lead me to insulate mine.

[jestridge]

Nice looking smoker, it hard to tell without knowing what type of plates you have diverting the heat also what type of fuel you using? It should be easy to get working just some minor adjustments

[Lake Dogs]

it appears to be a fairly quality smoker to me. You may not have enough vents in
the fire box. Also, when you say not above 190, are you using the thermometer that
is in the picture (outside therm)? If so, those are notoriously OFF by 50 degrees or
more. Get a couple to 3 oven thermometers from WallyWorld cheap; they work great.
I have a good sized Lang that appears to be very similar to yours. The main thing is
getting and keeping a hot clean fire. On mine we generally keep the vents at 1/2,
but we have at least twice as many as yours has, so you might keep your vents
wide open.

[hossrocks]

Are you keeping all your vents all the way open?

yep the vents are wide open all the time. There are vents on either side of the firebox.

That fire box looks plenty big to me. Are you doing the open doors 20 to 30 minutes and then 2 hour preheat?

Typically I will open it up get the fire rolling and then let it come up. Never waited that long however.

That is a nice looking cooker and the dimensions are similar (slightly longer but narrower) to what I use. I'd think it would get hotter than 190. What are you measuring the temp with, where are you measuring it at, and are you sure of the accuracy of your temp measuring device? My cooker is insulated, try throwing a welding blanket over it, and make sure you are keeping it out of the wind or blocking the wind. That is what lead me to insulate mine.

We have not used it in the winter months yet. Blankets rock. Used them a few time on my old brinkman.


it appears to be a fairly quality smoker to me. You may not have enough vents in
the fire box. Also, when you say not above 190, are you using the thermometer that
is in the picture (outside therm)? If so, those are notoriously OFF by 50 degrees or
more. Get a couple to 3 oven thermometers from WallyWorld cheap; they work great.
I have a good sized Lang that appears to be very similar to yours. The main thing is
getting and keeping a hot clean fire. On mine we generally keep the vents at 1/2,
but we have at least twice as many as yours has, so you might keep your vents
wide open.

Thanks, this was sold to me as a lang clone. I have never used the thermo on the door. I use the probe thermos from Bed Bath and Beyond. Stick'em through a sliced potato at grate level and we put one at each end of the cooker. There are two vents on the box. One on each side. and we have to keep them wide open to hold 190.

BTW, we are using apple wood as our fuel. I'll post more pics today of the fire box and interior of the cooker.

Thanks again for all the advice.

[hossrocks]

Nice looking smoker, it hard to tell without knowing what type of plates you have diverting the heat also what type of fuel you using? It should be easy to get working just some minor adjustments

I'll snap some shots of the interior and the plate.

[jestridge]

Apple wood I hate it I can never get good heat out of it try some hickory that will tell the story

[Willie's Smokehouse]

http://webpages.charter.net/tomchism/BBQ%20CALC%20Forms/BBQ%20Smoker%20Calculators.htm

Here is a link to a spreadsheet to calculate firebox size, hopes this helps

[Lake Dogs]

If vents are wide open, I suggest mixing in charcoal and perhaps a good either hickory
or oak. It's going to be tough to get 'er hot enough on just apple.... Not soaking the
wood, right? You need a really good clean burning hot fire. Also, on a cooker this large,
it's going to take a good 45 minutes minimum to come up to temperature, but probably
more like an hour to 1:15 or 1:30. We're usually right at our send dump of wood/charcoal
when we put the meat on, just after an hour. It'll come up to temps in 55+- minutes,
but it wont settle in for another 15 minutes (meaning, hot or cold spots, etc).

[hossrocks]

Here are some pics of what I have:

The current firebox
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/IMG_20110227_150811.jpg

The vents. One of these on each side.
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/IMG_20110227_150731.jpg

Opening from the firebox to the smoking chamber.

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/IMG_20110227_150802.jpg

Tuning Plate

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/IMG_20110227_150551.jpg

Tuning Plate again

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb182/hossrocks01/IMG_20110227_150526.jpg

[hossrocks]

If vents are wide open, I suggest mixing in charcoal and perhaps a good either hickory
or oak. It's going to be tough to get 'er hot enough on just apple.... Not soaking the
wood, right? You need a really good clean burning hot fire. Also, on a cooker this large,
it's going to take a good 45 minutes minimum to come up to temperature, but probably
more like an hour to 1:15 or 1:30. We're usually right at our send dump of wood/charcoal
when we put the meat on, just after an hour. It'll come up to temps in 55+- minutes,
but it wont settle in for another 15 minutes (meaning, hot or cold spots, etc).

Nope, were not soakin the wood. There is a large number of orchards close by so apple, cherry, peach and other fruit woods are in abundance. Not alot of hard wood around here. Can get it but its spendy. $200+ per cord. Ever use lump charcoal mixed with Apple?

[jestridge]

Ok it all looks good it should work wonderful , Start a very large fire in it and get a good bed of coal going then when heat start coming down start cutting down on the draft. I t should go up to around 450 or 500 before it start coming down. Also preheat your wood on top of firebox

[Lake Dogs]

Nope, were not soakin the wood. There is a large number of orchards close by so apple, cherry, peach and other fruit woods are in abundance. Not alot of hard wood around here. Can get it but its spendy. $200+ per cord. Ever use lump charcoal mixed with Apple?

It's about $180-200 per cord here as well. Even then, I find many a wood
guy that couldn't identify hickory if it bit him in the wazoo... I digress...

The only times I smoke with apple is for Thanksgiving; smoked turkey.
I'll build a large bed of unlit quality charcoal, then add two chimneys of
lit charcoal. It'll come up to temps around that hour mark. For us it's
about a chimney full of unlit charcoal an hour, perhaps a little more... I'll
use the apple for smoke.