Hello and New Smoker Build

Super excited to start diving into to all of the great information here. My name is Chris and I am a Central Texas transplant living in Rocklin, CA. Grew up watching my dad BBQ'ing for years out back and knew it would be something I'd love when I grew up. Skip ahead 40+ years and I've owned just about every category of grill/smoker you can buy including standard cheapo gas grills, a gas grill with a gas smoker on the bottom (Char-Broil I think) that ended up blowing up one afternoon, cheapo offsets, gas smokers, various charcoal pits, combo gas/charcoal/offset pits, a Yoder YS640, and now use a BGE and Webber Genesis II.

But I am super excited to have just put my deposit down on a JH Smoker reverse flow work of art made by Justin Holderness and his crew down in Southern CA at JH Smokers. There is a little bit of info I have found through searching this forum on Justin's work but guys and gals, his work is as good as it gets. I spent about 2 months researching and talking to every possible option of pit builders in CA including Fatstack, Kat BBQ, and several others. Here are the specs I am building:

• 60" X 24" Round Reverse Flow
• 24" X 24" Square Firebox
• Vertical Warming Box
• Patina Clear Coat Rusted Finish

Justin also makes great looking custom metal signs for the firebox and I've included my design below. Aiming for a late February completion date.

I'm making my list of things to get and do in preparation for the pit to be complete that includes all the expected stuff like finding and procuring a wood source (Oak - I'm a TX Boy), supplies for seasoning and cleaning the pit, wood storage rack, and all the necessary water pans, trays, and accessories I will need. Would love to hear from you guys who have custom pits what you wished you had done differently, what you should have gotten or done early on that you should have, etc.

Thanks again and here's to some good BBQ and good times in 2021!!

TheHojo said:

That looks like it will be a cooking machine -

If you have not added - would suggest adding port probe so that you can run wired temp probes in the smoker - both in the main chamber and the vertical warming box.

Is your reverse flow plate welded into the cooking chamber? I have a Johnson Smoker out of Ennis - he uses a smoke tube for the reverse flow plate - so easy to remove the tube to clean the entire cooking chamber.

Enjoy your new adventure

Click to expand...

Thank you sir, great advice and something that is part of the build. I have 4 ports on the main side but did not add any on the warmer box. Great call there and I'll have him add a few. Thanks!