Firebox to Cooking Chamber....How Important?

[flexstar]

If you had a 20"x20"x18" firebox which cooker would be the best match to this size firebox? A 20"x36" with a cooking chamber volume of 1395 sq./in. or a 20"x42" with a cooking chamber volume of 1611 sq./in? Thanks and I look forward to your comments.

[SmittyJonz]

20"x42"

[el_matt]

What Smitty said. Never doubt the wise words of Smitty Jonz, unless he's wrong. Did you run it through the Feldon's calculator?

Matt

[1MoreFord]

It's oversized for both. It's even slightly oversized for a 20x60 cooker.

Feldon's calculator.
http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

20x42

[SmittyJonz]

24x48 with 24x24x20 firebox Even Better.

[Nuco59]

Starting with a firebox and working backward to the cooking chamber size? That's a bit different- but ok. If your choices are 20 x 36 and 20 x 42... I'd go longer. Having an oversized firebox is not the worst thing in the world- you get to use longer splits and room to pull the fire back from the throat of your cooker.

We do like pictures of on-going projects- post some if you please.

[flexstar]

Originally Posted by SmittyJonz

20"x42"

Smitty is it better to have a oversized firebox or an undersized one? What are the effects of fire management with an oversized firebox? I ran the calculations and both the LSG 36 and 42 have more than sufficient firebox capacity for their cooking chambers.

One more question. If I get the LSG 20x36 does the size of the firebox (20z20z1 have any negative effect on the way the smoker cooks and uses fuel?

Thank you and I appreciate your comments.

[SmittyJonz]

Originally Posted by flexstar

Smitty is it better to have a oversized firebox or an undersized one? What are the effects of fire management with an oversized firebox? I ran the calculations and both the LSG 36 and 42 have more than sufficient firebox capacity for their cooking chambers.

One more question. If I get the LSG 20x36 does the size of the firebox (20z20z1 have any negative effect on the way the smoker cooks and uses fuel?

Thank you and I appreciate your comments.

Oversized. Too much Undersized may not flow/draft right, plus you may have to cut down your splits - sometimes you gotta cut them to manage the size of fire - but cutting them just cuz they don't fit Sucks.

I Don't like any 36" offsets - shouldn't even be made - first -3-4-6" on a traditional offset is wasted - Too Hot - so now you got a 30" cook chamber. 42" is my minimum. You're not gonna see much (if any) fuel use difference between a 36' and a 42" and slightly bigger or smaller firebox. Plus Damn Near Everyone outgrows their smoker quickly and wishes they had bought Bigger. Think a brisket and a pan of beans and a pan of mac n cheese and 2 spams.

LSG is Good Chit - they got things figured out......... get the 20x42"


I prefer Verticals........ but I've cooked on all kinds - POS(s), Cheap Ones, Nice Ones, Big(ish) Ones, Small Ones, Medium Ones, Traditional, Reverse Flow, Horizontal, Vertical, File Cabinets, Non Insulated Cabinets, Insulated Cabinets, Charcoal burning, Stick burning, Gassers, ....... BUT NOT Pellet Poopers.

[SmittyJonz]

Just Ask mcyork28 ..........

https://bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275730
.

[dummy que]

you can`t get to big of firebox the calculations are min. size