Insulating a Char-Griller??

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I picked up my material....and now another smoker. Lol I found a new in the box Digital Bradley Smoker...for $200 with 72 flavor biscuits. Definately for a steal!!

Never the less Im cutting out the pieces and getting it sewed together as we speak. Its going to look pretty good I think. I will post pics of all my new additions in due time.
 
Ahhh... you finally got it!   I love the blanket.  It hold temps real well.

Waiting on the pic's to see how a real seamstress sews a perfect fit.  LOL

Purty darn sure it will be better than mine!   But ... hey, it works!

Good score on the Bradley Digital !  I'm jealous.  Can I borrow it now to do my fish?
 
A few years ago I could have done that.  I drove semi over the road and was through MO a LOT.  Too bad I'm retired now and have to buy my own fuel.  LOL
 
Almost a month vdoss89.... where are the pic's and your opinions of the cloth?

Boy, your wife sure is a SLOW sewer!  LOL
 
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Lol fpmich been a crazy time...don't seem like ive had time to do anything. We had to put that project on the back burner. I will get it completed and I'm actually glad to wait because I was reviewing my plans and think that I might be changing the pattern and also making it twice as thick.
 
Don't tell your wife I said she is a slow sewer.   I should've said seamstress.  LOL  Sorry about that Mrs. Doss.

I'm still jealous of all the material you have.  Doubling is not a bad idea.  But with it not getting hot at all, with only one layer, I think I would sandwich something between the two layers that would block the wind too.  Two birds with one stone!  Heck, even tinfoil sandwiched in between should do the trick.  Sure it will crack a little but not enough to worry about.  Of course you could use something longer lasting if you have it.

I'll be here waiting, when you get 'er done with pics.
 
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Yeah that's one of the reasons it's on hold. I'm trying to figure out the wind break I want to put in between. I have a few tarps laying around that Ive already hacked pieces before so I'm thinking going that route. I also saw an old canvas tent on a local swap shop for free may grab it up salvage a few good pieces and pitch what can't be saved!

Oh and don't worry Mrs Doss doesn't mind the comment...she let me have a few bath towels in the mean time to do the smoking since she's becoming a huge fan of it! That was my plan to get her to help anyways...butter her up with good food and then have her sew it. So I'm patiently waiting!
 
I would go with the canvas if it is a fairly tight weave. 

The tinfoil, or vinyl tarp, would probably deteriorate after a short time, making you separate the layers and redo the cover again.  The canvas should last a long time.
 
Well turned out the canvas was pretty dry rotted so I'm going to be looking for an alternate means
 
You have been holding out on us vdoss89.  
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  Still no pics of your blanket, and now... a PID controller??!!!

 Come on now, spill it.  What kind, how did you attach it to your sfb, etc. etc.

And pic's and more pic's.  I need something to get me through this winter.  LOL
 
Lol ive just been folding that big monster welding blanket. I tried sewing it up with the wifes help and her $500 machine wasnt enough to do the job.

As far as the controller its an off brand controller QMaster.

I havent permanently mounted it yet because ots just now getting warm enough in the garage(no heater yet) but I promised im back on the hunt for a qualified seamstress to get it together. Youll get pictures and updates. It also doesnt help when ive got 2 other builds going on!
 
I like your welding blankets.  I have taken a real cheap route to see if it would work too.  My smoker is a real cheap New Braunfels, but I love it and it smokes plenty of food for my wife, me, and family.  

I had some John's Manville 2 1/2 inch house insulation left over from a house job.  I tried wrapping it around the smoker.  The plastic outside melted but the temperature variations dropped about 2/3.  After a lot of experimentation, I painted the outside of the smoker and fire chamber with high temperature grill paint to minimize rusting.  I got a used sheet of galvanized duct metal from an HVAC guy and cut the pieces as you see in the pictures.  I bent the edges on my workbench, and screwed the pieces down using drywall screws.  This has worked real well for 3 years.  Temperature variations dropped from over 100 F to about 30 F side to side, and to about 15 F front to back.   I did seal up the gaps with Permatex rtw - fabulous stuff.  

Yes, the plastic insulation over the fiberglass melts, but the fiberglass doesn't.  I worked a little bit with John's Manville and know how it is made.  It is just glass fibers.  

The other big advantage is reducing charcoal use by 2/3, and thus ash build up.  I can smoke two pork butts for 16 hours without cleaning out the ashes.  

I plan to insulate the stack end this year as well.  



 
WorkedtheWorld,

I definitely think you got something going there and I seen others do a similar modification. My biggest thing is the extra modification and fiberglass.

What I think is the best about all this is the fact that people are expiramenting and trying everything they can to make what they have the best as possible.
 
Hello Workstheworld, and welcome to our group.

Nice modding job there, but I would stay away from fiberglass entirely.  Especially with open fiberglass, which your appears to be. 

Every time you open the lids on chamber, or firebox, a tiny bit is going to float out... up, down and probably, into your food. 

I'm sure it controls the heat, but I don't like little floating threads of glass in my food.  It's almost as easy to ingest fiberglass without knowing it, as it is to inhale asbestos without knowing it.  Once it is inside of you, it can cause serious problems, immediate or down the road awhile later.

I'm not picking on you my friend.  I'm just concerned for you, and your family.     I would keep your shields in place, but replace the fiberglass with a different insulating material, that is NOT a free floating disaster, waiting to happen to a family member.

I know you wouldn't want to hear a doctor say, "yes, we have to operate.  There are numerous tiny holes in their intestines.  We can cut it out and reconnect, but were not sure which other organs those strands may have penetrated,  We'll have to wait and see."

In light of that, the $30 to $100 for a different material, doesn't seem like so much, does it?

Please do not read this post as an attack on you personally.  I'm just concerned, is all.
 
Well said fpmich. I didnt have the time to type some of that the other day. Open fiberglass is dangerous and can be a huge pain in the butt!
 
Fpmich, 

You are right and I have no argument with it.  I'll add some comments though.  

"Nice modding job there,  but I would stay away from fiberglass entirely.  Especially with open fiberglass, which your appears to be. 

Every time you open the lids on chamber, or firebox, a tiny bit is going to float out... up, down and probably, into your food. 

I'm sure it controls the heat, but I don't like little floating threads of glass in my food.  It's almost as easy to ingest fiberglass without knowing it, as it is to inhale asbestos without knowing it.  Once it is inside of you, it can cause serious problems, immediate or down the road awhile later."

1.  The fiberglass does have a binder and is not totally loose.  It is not real firm, either, and that is why I put a metal sheathing on it.  This is the way I have insulated equipment in petroleum refineries and chemical plants.  

2.  This was a proof of concept idea.  The concept does work real well.  I welcome suggestions for a better implementation.  

3.  There is a general concern about moisture getting under any insulation and rusting the underlying metal.  That is the reason for the open design - ventilation and drying of condensation.  Condensation is a special problem when the smoker gets cold overnight and them a warm humid air mass moves in during the next day.  I might have been too worried about moisture as it seems to stay dry here in Colorado at 5800 ft..  I don't leave it out uncovered though.  

4.  I liked the idea of a welding blanket or equal, but felt the thickness and insulating value was less than I wanted.  The 2.5 inch blanket is better.  Also, a blanket would need to be cut to fit and this would open loose edges to whatever filling it might have.  A local BBQ shop has a Traeger with an insulating blanket that fits nicely and has the Traegar name on it. They use this unit for BBQ demonstrations for their in house classes and it shows a lot of use.  I have never seen one for sale, but haven't looked since I don't have a Traegar.  

5.  I plan to insulate the smoke stack end this spring.  I might cover the open ends at that time.  

6.  No good alternate materials showed up in a pretty extensive search of insulating materials here in the Denver area.  There are some industrial insulations but you need to buy a huge quantity.  Flexible insulation is a lot easier to work with than rigid.  

The bottom line is that insulating a smoker offers real benefits in more even temperatures, much better temperature control with changes in the weather, and reduction in charcoal use and resulting ashes.  Down sides can be increased corrosion inside the firebox due to higher wall temperature, and due to trapped moisture outside.  High temperature grill paint seems to do a pretty good job.  

Thanks for your comments.  Please, everyone, forward your further suggestions.  
 
WorkedtheWorld,

4.  I liked the idea of a welding blanket or equal, but felt the thickness and insulating value was less than I wanted.  The 2.5 inch blanket is better.  Also, a blanket would need to be cut to fit and this would open loose edges to whatever filling it might have.  A local BBQ shop has a Traeger with an insulating blanket that fits nicely and has the Traegar name on it. They use this unit for BBQ demonstrations for their in house classes and it shows a lot of use.  I have never seen one for sale, but haven't looked since I don't have a Traegar.  

The bottom line is that insulating a smoker offers real benefits in more even temperatures, much better temperature control with changes in the weather, and reduction in charcoal use and resulting ashes.  Down sides can be increased corrosion inside the firebox due to higher wall temperature, and due to trapped moisture outside.  High temperature grill paint seems to do a pretty good job.  

Thanks for your comments.  Please, everyone, forward your further suggestions.  

So thats exactly what I am working on...a custom fitted insultating cover. I have so much material that im able to doubke it up in areas and fill it with a non-degradable substance. So far its had tremendous success with out being completed. With the custom baffle plate made of 3/16th steel.

Like I originally said the best part of this has been the ongoing support from other members for all our projects.

Thanks all and again keep it coming.
 
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