New Brick Smoker build starts tomorrow

porknpuha · Nov 25, 2014

Hi Smokies,

I am beginning a new brick smoker build tomorrow, I have the fire bricks and regular bricks.
I have poured the slab approx 4 by 8 feet
I have an offset design and already have racks, furnace door, Cedar smoker door and a damper.

Plan on getting a flue liner and some flat and angled iron for lintels/support.

I will post pics as I go along, does anyone know of or have some watch outs that can sneak up on a build?

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 26, 2014

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 26, 2014

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 26, 2014

I have attached some first day photos.

1) Pad poured and ready.
2) trying to work on layout
3) started mortar on brick and fire bricks

porknpuha · Nov 28, 2014

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 28, 2014

Day 2
1) damper installed and mortared in place
2) corners built up and furnace door cavity starting to take shape.

pc farmer · Nov 28, 2014

elginplowboy · Nov 28, 2014

Your on your way. Good luck

Rafter H BBQ · Nov 28, 2014

c farmer said:
:popcorn :cheers:

:yeahthat:

X2

rokibass · Nov 29, 2014

Looks like you have it under control. Keep the pics coming.

dirtsailor2003 · Nov 29, 2014

WaterinHoleBrew said:
:yeahthat:

X2

X3!

wes w · Nov 29, 2014

Good morning Pork,

Can't wait to see this go up.   Although you have already started, I do have a couple concerns.

How thick is your footing?    Hopefully it's thick enough to be below the freeze line and carry the weight of your awesome smoker.

In your part of Tenn, you'll want to be careful starting this project in the winter.   You'll want to make sure your night temps don't get below 32F. If your mortar freezes it will crumble out of the joint.

Can't wait to see your finished product.

porknpuha · Nov 29, 2014

Hi Wes,

The pad is 6 inches thick and reinforced, I also keyed the pad into the ground on opposing corners.

I'm building this at my in laws in East TN, it has been cold, sub 32 overnight ( 1 night ). I have been covering this each night and my mortar has not frozen. Today I am planning on mortaring in the furnace door temp today 55 ish and getting a level brick line around where I will be bedding the fire brick.

The next 5 days temp looks cold but above freezing overnight. Depending on weather I will stop after today's work until Spring.

smokeymoake · Nov 29, 2014

I like this!

Pulling up a chair

porknpuha · Nov 29, 2014

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 29, 2014

image.jpg

porknpuha
Nov 29, 2014

Ok team,

Day 3 = slow day ( Had to help father in law drop 2 trees)
Lintel is set for furnace door and built some levels up, also finished placing fire brick on floor of the "engine room"

Next steps start sealing in fire bricks on walls and find my middle course of bricks.

All weather dependent, will post photos

Thanks for the tips and encouragement.

jim williams · Nov 29, 2014

Hello, Jim here. I had a few questions...

How much weight is on this slab? (My brick house is going to be slightly heavier than Wes' at an estimate 4 ton with mortars and cement mix)

I dealt with new construction for years and found to follow the rule of "Frost Line" as it differs in areas from monolithic slabs to 48''+ deep so your total weight does not break slab or heave (reinforced or not) and YOU WILL START OVER. If I am preaching to the choir, I do apologize. I would not like anyone to start over after a finish.

What is keyed the opposing corners mean? I really have no idea.

How thick is your mortar in the firebrick?

On the other hand of me knowing not much in masonry, You look like you have a definite plan and are carrying through with it! I admire your energy going forward!

Wise words of my main man on this forum, WES. -You must have patients-

porknpuha · Nov 29, 2014

Hi Jim,

In terms of weight calculation I am guilty of being unsure, my total height on 1 side is approx 6 ft and on the other 4.

The ground does freeze here occasionally but not more than 2 - 3 inches.

I calculated the thickness of the pad against my limited knowledge of a footing for a 6ft 2 course brick wall. Even displacement does allow for a " thinner " slab ( I could be wrong here)

Keying in my terminology = an additional 6 inch deep x 1 ft wide in an L shape below the slab. I.e. The slab cannot rotate or shear in any direction.

It may break, but I am unsure of shear and physics to give a good answer here.

Let me know, what you think or if you have any additional insight.

Sorry my base fire brick is payed on Type S mortar, I have refractory mortar to seal gaps and "glue" fire bricks together as I start making the kiln.

jim williams · Nov 29, 2014

If you are comfy, so am I!

Do you feel refractory mortar is better than and less sensitive to heat as Type S mortar? What is the longevity or life of refractory vs. Type S?

Wow, I am learning tonight! - have a good one pal!

porknpuha · Nov 29, 2014

All I could find on regular/ type S mortar was that it would crumble at higher temps.
The refractory mortar I have says it is rated to 3000 F

wes w · Nov 29, 2014

Y'all make a good point about refractory.   I didn't use it in my smoker.   My thinking was, very seldom will the smoker ever get over 400degrees.     I used type S mixed 2-1 with no more then a 1/4in. mortar joint.    You can never go wrong using refractory.   As the old saying goes, better safe then sorry. :-)

Looking good Pork, East Tenn... your getting really close to my stomping grounds.     Keep up the good work.    Looking forward to seeing your design.

With all the great ideas, if it wasn't for getting a divorce, I'd tear mine down and start over.   Its great to see the ideas great minds come up with.

porknpuha · Nov 30, 2014

I have been looking at soils and concrete psi and blah blah online.

Does anyone have a rule of thumb for brick smoker slabs?

You guys have made me worried about frost heave etc etc.

oldschoolbbq · Nov 30, 2014

Looks like a good start , I'm in . . .

.

wes w · Nov 30, 2014

Pork, give your local building inspector office and ask them how deep a footing has to be for your area.   Don't give them your name or info on what your doing.   They could make you buy a permit.

I poured my footing 13in. thick with two runs of rebar but, I also build a fireplace on the same slab.   If you know a building contractor, ask him how thick you need to carry the load.   I'm the kind of person who does things on the over kill side of things. Better safe then sorry.   The thing about your footing is, once you build your smoker, you can't fix the footing if it fails.

Here is my simple set up. I would estimate about 7 - 8 tons sitting on my footings.   If you can, it's also a good idea to make your footing about a foot bigger all the way around for added stability.

Edit:   Here in NW North Carolina the bottom of a footing can be no less then 16in. deep.

IMG_0501.JPG

wes w
Nov 30, 2014

dirtsailor2003 · Nov 30, 2014

Wes gave the best info for you. Contact your local bulilding department. In my neck of the woods frost depth is 24", but i'd never pour a slab for a smoker that deep. As far as thickness and reinforcement you'd need to figure the over all weight of what you intend to build and then go from there.

New Brick Smoker build starts tomorrow

Smoke Blower

Smoke Blower

Epic Pitmaster

Meat Mopper

Epic Pitmaster

Newbie

Epic Pitmaster

Master of the Pit

Smoke Blower

Meat Mopper

Smoke Blower

Meat Mopper

Smoke Blower

Meat Mopper

Smoke Blower

Master of the Pit

Smoke Blower

Legendary Pitmaster

Master of the Pit

Epic Pitmaster

Similar threads

Hot Threads