250 Gallon BBQ/Smoker Underway

maple man · Apr 19, 2012

Hello Folks,

I am a newbie to constructing a RF BBQ/Smoker. I have tried to calculate the number for the smoke chamber, the firebox, and the rest of those calculations but since I had a mini stroke last August I seem to be getting mixed up. It is very frustrating at times and I cannot seem to figure it out correctly so I need to ask for your help. Can anyone please help me? I am going to be using an oil barrel standing vertically. I believe it is a 250 gallon oil barrel, the measurements are 27" wide X 44" high X 60" long. I have a wood stove made of 3/8" steel in the shape of the 250 gallon oil barrel except it is smaller. The measurements of the stove are 24" wide X 30" high X 27" long.. The door opening is 11.25" high X 18.34" long. The draft is below the door, the opening of the draft is 4.25" high X 9" long. There is a 9.75" square box with a piece of 6" round pipe on top of this stove already. I do not know if it could be used in the build or just removed? I also have a fire box from a wood furnace that I recently removed from my house. That fire box is round. It is 22" across and 36" long. There is a draft built onto the door which is 8.75" long X 3" high, and there is also another 3" round draft on the door. At the end of this fire box there is a round length of pipe that is 10". I will post all the photos I have so you can see what I have. Please help me.

Yours Truly,

Maple Man

maple man · Apr 19, 2012

maple man · Apr 19, 2012

And I also have an old tent trailer that I forgot to mention that is going to be striped down to mount this RF BBQ/Smoker onto. It will be used for my family and friends and for some community gatherings.

Thank you,

Maple Man

daveomak · Apr 20, 2012

MM, morrning.... you have quite an assortment of parts and pieces.......

250 gallons is very close to correct for the cooking chamber.... using "square tank" dimensions it comes up 308 gallons and that doesn't take into account the round cormers....

Firebox recommended size is 19250 Cubic inches..

wood stove 24x30x27=19440 cu. in. would be a perfect firebox

firebox draft    4.25x9=38.25 sq. in.

Recommended firebox draft is 58.32 sq. in. so the draft will have to be made larger...... maybe 5x12... or 6x10... what ever there is room for....

recommended firebox to cook chamber opening is 155.52 sq. in.   A 13x12 or 10x16 or 9 x 18  would work... that dimension will have to be determined by how everything fits together between the tank and firebox...

chimney pipe 6" I.D. = 34.39" long above the smoke chamber and should be longer to be lowered into the smoke chamber just above the lowest grate...

Below is the calculator program and numbers I put in it...

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

Due to the weight of the firebox, I would not hang it on the smoker chamber... I would mount the FB and Smoke Chamber to the trailer and install a short duct to the Smoke chamber... that firebox is HEAVY....

Others will stop in with their ideas.... looks like you have a good start on materials.... not much left to do but all the fitting....    Keep us posted and ask any questions you may have... Dave

sunman76 · Apr 20, 2012

great info above I dont have anything to add , but looks like you are on your way to a great build!

maple man · Apr 20, 2012

DaveOmak said:
MM, morrning.... you have quite an assortment of parts and pieces.......

250 gallons is very close to correct for the cooking chamber.... using "square tank" dimensions it comes up 308 gallons and that doesn't take into account the round cormers....

Firebox recommended size is 19250 Cubic inches..

wood stove 24x30x27=19440 cu. in. would be a perfect firebox

firebox draft    4.25x9=38.25 sq. in.

Recommended firebox draft is 58.32 sq. in. so the draft will have to be made larger...... maybe 5x12... or 6x10... what ever there is room for....

recommended firebox to cook chamber opening is 155.52 sq. in.   A 13x12 or 10x16 or 9 x 18  would work... that dimension will have to be determined by how everything fits together between the tank and firebox...

chimney pipe 6" I.D. = 34.39" long above the smoke chamber and should be longer to be lowered into the smoke chamber just above the lowest grate...

Below is the calculator program and numbers I put in it...

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

Due to the weight of the firebox, I would not hang it on the smoker chamber... I would mount the FB and Smoke Chamber to the trailer and install a short duct to the Smoke chamber... that firebox is HEAVY....

Others will stop in with their ideas.... looks like you have a good start on materials.... not much left to do but all the fitting....    Keep us posted and ask any questions you may have... Dave

Morning Dave,

I thank you so much for your help. Most times calculating with numbers is very very difficult for me. Before my back went to pieces and I had that mini stroke in August I handle thousands of dollars everyday, and did all sorts of work with numbers and made important business decisions and now I cannot do that any longer. I was an assistant manager for a retail store. It gets very frustrating at times but I am learning to deal with things a lot better. If I cannot figure things out by myself I realize now that there is a lot of good people such as yourself and others that are willing to help. And I thank you everyone else very much for helping me out. I have been trying with that same program for quite a while and just could not managed it. Thank you very much.

Cheers,

Maple Man (Raymond)

maple man · Apr 20, 2012

Hello Dave and All Others,

I have a few other questions to ask before I begin this build so I figured I might as well get the answer now so I can plan on the layout of the trailer. I am planning on cutting the top open of the 9.25" X 9.25" square that is sitting on top of the stove. Should I have a piece off duck work made into a 9" X 18" piece and wield that onto the top of the 9.25" X 9.25" piece and have that wielded into the end of the smoke chamber? Or should I have a short piece of duct work wielded into a rectangular shape of 9" X 18" and cut a hole in the back of the stove and the end of the smoker chamber and wield it together like that? Would you make that duct work a few inches longer so it can sit inside the smoke chamber? How far from the top of the opening that connects the fire box and the smoke chamber do you install the reverse flow plates? How high up from the reverse flow plates should you mount the your first rack? I am going to make this smoker with double doors. What would be the best way to have them open, out to the side or open upward? How far down should the bottom of my doors be cut because this is going to be a reverse smoker? How high should they be cut and how wide should each door be cut? Has anyone got measurements that they used on their smoker that they built with the same idea for doors that I have in mind? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thank You,

Maple Man

sound1 · Apr 20, 2012

Wow this looks to be a fun build. I'm with Dave on the Heavy thing and a bit worried about the axle/tires that come on a stock tent trailer. Double check to see if it can handle this build, you wouldn't want all your hard work coming untogether while going down the road.

daveomak · Apr 20, 2012

I am planning on cutting the inside out of the 9.25" X 9.25" square piece that is on top of the stove and having a short piece of duck work made into a 9" X 18" piece and connect that to the onto the 9.25" X 9.25" piece and have that connected into the end of the smoke chamber. I would not do that...

Would you make that duct work a few inches longer so it can sit inside the smoke chamber? That is a good idea... since you are making a reverse flow smoker

Or would you connect the piece of duct work from the under side of the smoke chamber and have a 45degree angle on the end that goes up into the smoke chamber?

Or would you use another method? I would use another method.

If you come out of the top of the stove, or enter the smoker from the under side, the smoke chamber will be to high to get into...

I would remove the 9x9 box and weld it in... 2nd, I would measure the end of the smoke chamber to determine what size hole and where the duct would fit best....

Say the end of the smoker will accommodate an 18" wide by 9" high hole.... mark that in chalk....

Mark the end of the fire box for a 9x18 at the top of the end of the box...

measure the height of the hole on the fire box where it will be sitting and that will let you know the height of the smoke chamber to fit the duct...

The 9x18 duct might be 8" long and slide into the cook chamber and then it can be sealed...

The reverse flow plate should be just above the duct and full length of the smoke chamber except for the last 2"or 3" or so to allow for smoke and heat to return to the other end of the smoke chamber and out the exhaust.....

The end of the rev flow plate should have a lip on it... the rev flow plate should be tilted down away from the fire box to allow for grease to run toward a drain and valve.....

The valve and drain line can exit the bottom of the smoke chamber..... Other smokers I have seen use at least a 2" drain so they don't plug.....

Your first rack will probably be about 4" above the reverse flow plate and other racks can be installed above the first rack with adequate spacing for pork roasts, turkeys etc...

All of those dimensions are relative to space and what you want to fit in.... You should have plenty of room for several racks....

Draw it all out and measure and mark stuff several times....

Hope this helps and everyone here is ready to help.... do not hesitate with more questions... there is a lot to digest when building a smoker.... Dave

maple man · Apr 20, 2012

Sound1 said:
Wow this looks to be a fun build. I'm with Dave on the Heavy thing and a bit worried about the axle/tires that come on a stock tent trailer. Double check to see if it can handle this build, you wouldn't want all your hard work coming untogether while going down the road.

Hello Sound 1,

Thank you for your suggestion about axle and tires, I thought about it but with my memory being bad because of a mini stroke I completely forgot about that. The frame looks good but it will no doubt need some beefing up as well. I appreciate your help and comments anytime.

Thank you,

Maple Man

maple man · Apr 20, 2012

DaveOmak said:
I am planning on cutting the inside out of the 9.25" X 9.25" square piece that is on top of the stove and having a short piece of duck work made into a 9" X 18" piece and connect that to the onto the 9.25" X 9.25" piece and have that connected into the end of the smoke chamber. I would not do that...

Would you make that duct work a few inches longer so it can sit inside the smoke chamber? That is a good idea... since you are making a reverse flow smoker

Or would you connect the piece of duct work from the under side of the smoke chamber and have a 45degree angle on the end that goes up into the smoke chamber?

Or would you use another method? I would use another method.

If you come out of the top of the stove, or enter the smoker from the under side, the smoke chamber will be to high to get into...

I would remove the 9x9 box and weld it in... 2nd, I would measure the end of the smoke chamber to determine what size hole and where the duct would fit best....

Say the end of the smoker will accommodate an 18" wide by 9" high hole.... mark that in chalk....

Mark the end of the fire box for a 9x18 at the top of the end of the box...

measure the height of the hole on the fire box where it will be sitting and that will let you know the height of the smoke chamber to fit the duct...

The 9x18 duct might be 8" long and slide into the cook chamber and then it can be sealed...

The reverse flow plate should be just above the duct and full length of the smoke chamber except for the last 2"or 3" or so to allow for smoke and heat to return to the other end of the smoke chamber and out the exhaust.....

The end of the rev flow plate should have a lip on it... the rev flow plate should be tilted down away from the fire box to allow for grease to run toward a drain and valve.....

The valve and drain line can exit the bottom of the smoke chamber..... Other smokers I have seen use at least a 2" drain so they don't plug.....

Your first rack will probably be about 4" above the reverse flow plate and other racks can be installed above the first rack with adequate spacing for pork roasts, turkeys etc...

All of those dimensions are relative to space and what you want to fit in.... You should have plenty of room for several racks....

Draw it all out and measure and mark stuff several times....

Hope this helps and everyone here is ready to help.... do not hesitate with more questions... there is a lot to digest when building a smoker.... Dave

Hello Dave,

Thank you for answering all those questions, you have made things clear for me now on what I need to do. I was going to ask about tilting the RF plates but you must have been reading my mind, LOL. I am planning on having two doors. Would I be better off having them open upwards or outwards? If I have them opening upwards I would have a counter weight system to make sure they stay up and didn't fall down or would it be better for the doors to open sideways. What do you all think? Your help is very much appreciated.

Thank you very much,

Maple Man (Raymond)

daveomak · Apr 20, 2012

Raymond, afternoon..... If you can open the doors like a cabinet door, it eliminates the counter weights.... Although, if it is raining, the overhead door might be nice....

If you are needing the doors cut into the curve at the top, weld a flange on the door and the smoker where the hinges will attach.... the flange should protrude about 1" or 2" and be braced back to the chamber and the door... the flanges need to be in line using a string so the hinge pins are in a true plane and that way they won't bind.... the door seal on the hinge side can be welded to the inside of the smoke chamber and then the door will close on it...

All of this measuring and flange making should be done before the door is cut out... then cut the hinge side only where the flanges go, plus a little more, and weld the flanges and hinges in place, then cut the rest of the door... door clamps may need to be installed in several places... door seals can be installed on the outside of the door on the rest of it....

You are really thinking this ahead... that is good... get all your ideas together and draw... trying to take into account everything you can think of... You are going to have a successful build Ray... we are all standing by... Dave

maple man · Apr 20, 2012

Hello Dave,

I think I will make the doors open up. I thank you for all your great information that is helping make this build a great deal easier for me to understand. I am really trying to think everything ahead and get it down on my computer and on paper. Thank you Dave and anyone else that wants to give me any advice or help in any way. I appreciate this very much. It is 10:34 PM here in Nova Scotia and it has been a long day for me and I am very tired so I am going to go to bed. I have a question or two about the door hinges but will wait until tomorrow to ask them questions.

Good Night to you all and Thank you,

Maple Man (Raymond)

By the way DaveOmak what time is it where you are? Good Night Dave. Thanks.

maple man · Apr 26, 2012

Hey Folks,

Well today my son and I started getting the trailer ready. will soon have some pictures of the beginning of the build.It has been raining here for about a week and more rain tomorrow and then a fine weekend. Should get some work done on the build over the weekend. I have a question for anyone. I know I am a ways off for this yet but I am trying to gather all the information that I can before I start my build. Do you put a damper into the smoke stack or do you have a lid on top of the smoke stake that is used as a damper? All your answers and advice will be much appreciated. This is my very first build and there is no smokers built like these around here. Only a few smokehouse made out of wood.

Thank you,

Raymond

daveomak · Apr 27, 2012

Raymond, morning..... I've seen dampers on top of the stacks and inserted in the pipe.... I think the damper on top is easier to install and would keep foreign material out of the cooker... leaves, snow, rain and possible a starling or two.... I do not know if folks use the damper during cooking... I would think not.... since the dimensions given in the calculator are for making a "balanced" smoker, I think the stack is in the open position during the cooking process...

So...... You will be the first on your block to own a 250 gallon reverse flow smoker.... How does it feel ????

...... Wait till the folks get a taste of the food..... You will be invited to every block party in town and possible the county.... As long as you bring the smoker and do the cooking.... You may have a side business going....

Looking forward to the pics.... enjoy the weekend.... Dave

solaryellow · Apr 27, 2012

Dave is right. Leave the chimney wide open and control the heat with the air intake.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

maple man · Apr 27, 2012

DaveOmak said:
Raymond, morning.....   I've seen dampers on top of the stacks and inserted in the pipe.... I think the damper on top is easier to install and would keep foreign material out of the cooker... leaves, snow, rain and possible a starling or two.... I do not know if folks use the damper during cooking... I would think not.... since the dimensions given in the calculator are for making a "balanced" smoker, I think the stack is in the open position during the cooking process...

So...... You will be the first on your block to own a 250 gallon reverse flow smoker....   How does it feel ????

...... Wait till the folks get a taste of the food..... You will be invited to every block party in town and possible the county.... As long as you bring the smoker and do the cooking.... You may have a side business going....

Looking forward to the pics.... enjoy the weekend....   Dave

Hello Dave,

What you are saying does makes sense to me also now, I appreciate your response. In all my travels around Nova Scotia while I was able to work I never ever saw anything other than smokehouses made out of wood. I am really excited and anxious to get this build under way and to get it finished, but at the same time I want to do the best job that I can because our finances is not the best with me being unable to go back to work. It will not have a factory finish paint job from a paint shop but I will sand it down and do the best that I can to make it look good. This building of a BBQ/Smoker like this is a plan in my mind to make a side business with it and to help bring in a few extra

dollars to the household and have some fun at the same time.

Thanks,

Raymond

maple man · Apr 27, 2012

solaryellow said:
Dave is right. Leave the chimney wide open and control the heat with the air intake.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for your advice also, it is appreciated.

Thank you,

Raymond

maple man · Apr 27, 2012

Hey Folks,

What kind of high temperature paint can I use to paint my BBQ/Smoker with? I do have a 5 HP 20 Gallon Air Compressor and a paint spray gun of my own that I can use.

Thank you,

Raymond

daveomak · Apr 27, 2012

Raymond, I''m sure there are many high temp paint manufacturers... Rustoleum comes to mind.... Check on-line and with a local paint shop.... They will let you know about prep, primer, etc... I wouldn't worry about having it pretty.... Old and funky makes folks think you are an expert in making great food.... A smoker is kind of like a woman... There's the high maintenance type..... and then there is the steady, hard working, loving, sincere .... I better stop...... I think I am out of bounds on this one...... I would rather eat from a greasy well used smoker than a high dollar fancy, schmansy smoker any day..... I'm in the ditch again.... Everyone will love it when they taste the grub..... Dave

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