Built Smoker with great visions

[gundogholly]

Well I built this. Now what? Any suggestions on what to add or how to keep the thing hot? :icon_shy

 

[butts a fire]

Looks good have you fired it up yet?

 

[gundogholly]

A few weeks ago I cooked a butt in it without the fire box and it was great. I added the box this week and smoked a Brisket and a butt and it was so so. Trouble with keeping temp up. I have gaps I have to get sealed up.

 

[VGuilford]

How does your firebox connect to it? Got more pics?

 

[gundogholly]

A five inch pipe like the stack. give me a few minutes on more pics. not real quick.

 

[Bbq Bubba]

Good lookin smoker! Firebox may be a lil on the small side? the 5" is probably most your heat issue though.
P.S. are there any vents on your firebox??

 

[gundogholly]

Well I was hoping to use the door, but last night I found i may need something else. To much ash too.

 

[gundogholly]

I think I attached some pictures of this thing in progress.

 

[gundogholly]

I slid a 4" pipe down in the 5" pipe I can lower it to the level of the racks or lower. Any thoughts on bring your stack down inside to the level of the rack for better heat controll?

 

[Bbq Bubba]

Definetly bring your stack down to grate level, but sounds like your problem is getting enough air to your fire, install some vents on the side of your firebox and install a raised grate to keep the air flowing under your fire!

 

[Brauma]

Man, thats an awesome looking homebuilt unit!! How thick is your firebox metal? The thicker the better. FYI: The good Klose pitts have 1/2" thick firebox metal. No chit. Retains heat and makes your fuel go a lot further.

But think that you have to do that. Fire it up and send more pics. I like it.

 

[gundogholly]

The box is 12"x18" and 17" top to bottom. 3/16" or 1/4" thick steel. I am getting a high temp blanket made to fit the box to help hold heat. I realized that last night. I used about 2 18lb bags of Walmart charcoal to try to get the hang of it. Is that alot to use for about 8 hours? I have read that is not the best coal to use.

 

[Bigmista]

Well I built this. Now what? Any suggestions on what to add or how to keep the thing hot? :icon_shy

I would add some charcoal or wood and start a fire.

 

[CajunSmoker]

I would add some charcoal or wood and start a fire.

and some meat and make BBQ

 

[Puppyboy]

Good lookin smoker! Firebox may be a lil on the small side? the 5" is probably most your heat issue though.
P.S. are there any vents on your firebox??

I would agree the firebox does look a little on the small side.

I slid a 4" pipe down in the 5" pipe I can lower it to the level of the racks or lower. Any thoughts on bring your stack down inside to the level of the rack for better heat controll?

That is a common mod and would do it of you can.

Well I was hoping to use the door, but last night I found i may need something else. To much ash too.

Is the firebox door just at the top of the box or is there another one at the bottom? The longer you burn, the more ash you will have. Different charcoals produce different amounts of ash. I'd add a fire grate if you do not have one. That way you can just shovel out the ash through out the cook allowing better air flow to the fire.

 

[drbbq]

You need way more than a 5" pipe between the firebox and the cooking chamber and you need a bigger stack too. I'd say that 100% of your problem is air flow.

 

[gundogholly]

Here is the box. Top door and bottom door. the 5" pipe where it connects to the cooker is actually a little smaller due to leaving a flange to weld to in there.

Any suggestions on the grat for the box to leave room to shovel out under it while cooking?

 

[Chris Nickelson]

I agree with DRBBQ!

pipe is too small to allow good drafting!
your heat is staying locked up in the fire box.

if you can attatch the fire box directly to the meat chamber
you should be able to get a better heat and air flow by increasing the size of the
opening between the two.

then use air vents on the intake of the firebox to control temp.

 

[Puppyboy]

For the fire grates, angle iron welded to the sides will support the rack. Until then, a few bricks should do the trick.

 

[midnight]

Here ae some pics of my fire box. Just weld in some angle iron and cover with some expanded metal. I didn't weld the expanded metal on to the angle iron in case I ever need to replace it. It also makes cleaning it easier. And you definatly need some type of adjustable air vent on the bottom door.