Kettle smoking baffle

[Smokey Al Gold]

Ran across this picture on the net and I really really like the design. It is 28 gauge stainless steel cut out to act as a baffle for smoking on a kettle. It seems like this would be easy to make and if you foil your charcoal grate like I do you wouldn't have to anymore. Interesting idea. Of course DON'T use galvanized unless you like the flavor of poisonous gasses. I know I do :-D Just thought I'd share. Ran across this at TVWBB. Here's the link.
http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/9040039023/m/785104965

 

[Big_T_BBQ]

It kinda mimics the smokenator - but I think that the smokenator is 16ga. 28 seems like it could bend if you had a full load of coals stacked against it.

 

[Smokey Al Gold]

28 is just what this guy used you can use whatever you can find. I'd go heavier on the guage also. I'm not sure how much sheets of stainless cost either I'm just passing on this idea in case someone wants to make something like it.

 

[King]

It kinda mimics the smokenator

My thought exactly.

 

[dadsr4]

Hi,
I've seen something similar with fire bricks on the side of the metal towards the center.Just think of the metal replacing the foil many use to direct the smoke.

 

[Smokey Al Gold]

Hi,
I've seen something similar with fire bricks on the side of the metal towards the center.Just think of the metal replacing the foil many use to direct the smoke.

Exactly the metal directs the airflow to go straight under the coals and up which is what I use foil to do now for smoking.

 

[deguerre]

Hmmmm...:idea: I'm gonna get a long strip of sheeting about the height of my baskets, and just make a ring about two inches in, cover the bottom of the inside of the circle, so I can fill the entire perimeter and see how long a burn lasts that way after starting with a few lit coals.

 

[Smokey Al Gold]

Hmmmm...:idea: I'm gonna get a long strip of sheeting about the height of my baskets, and just make a ring about two inches in, cover the bottom of the inside of the circle, so I can fill the entire perimeter and see how long a burn lasts that way after starting with a few lit coals.

That's a really good idea Guerry. I can totally picture that working really well. You could even stack the coals pretty high I wonder how long of a burn you could get. Probably a freaking long time. Hmm the posibilities.

 

[Skidder]

Not sure about a longer burn but it might make it easier to control the temp on a kettle while smoking for sure. Well I guess better control would equal a longer burn.

 

[landarc]

You will get up to 4 hours depending on the temperature Guerry. That is about as much time as you can get out of the sheet metal holders from Weber. If you can make the holders larger, you can get more burn.

 

[dadsr4]

I've used expanded metal for this- both Minion method and lit coals. It works well.