Thanks Dave. So just to be clear on this: If I devised a chimney/exhaust, that would help create more flow (sort of like a siphon with the convection curents)? instead of just having the open block?
I have already moved the exhaust block to the complete bottom of the cooker at the advice of a local guy who sells some of the big cookers. His theory is the same as yours. But I think that might be too low. If I raised it to the height of the grate (as you mention) should I choose the block just above or just below the grate? The grate is sitting between two of the blocks.
I was just in HD looking for an inline exhaust fan as well as some of the fiberglass rope. I can see from the smoke marks where I may be losing a lot of the heat since it really is trying to just get out the top. I am toying with the idea of skim coating the top layers of block with concrete just to seal them a bit as well.
After looking at where most of the smoke went yesterday, I was wondering about the size of the threshold that the heat need to get across to get to the main cooker space. I have about 8 inches that it needs to pass over vs most of the other cookers where it is significantly less. I may remove the intake blocks, support the ones above with rebar and then be able to slide the firebox a bit further into the cooker itself.
I was really amazed at how much this took to warm up and am thinking about making a smaller seperate firebox with lava rocks where I can run a 60K btu gas burner just to warm up this thing. I did some calculations and it may actually be half the price to warm it up with gas then bring in the other firebox with charcoal for the actual cooking.
Keep the advice coming folks. I really truly appreciate it while I work out the kinks of this beast.
I have already moved the exhaust block to the complete bottom of the cooker at the advice of a local guy who sells some of the big cookers. His theory is the same as yours. But I think that might be too low. If I raised it to the height of the grate (as you mention) should I choose the block just above or just below the grate? The grate is sitting between two of the blocks.
I was just in HD looking for an inline exhaust fan as well as some of the fiberglass rope. I can see from the smoke marks where I may be losing a lot of the heat since it really is trying to just get out the top. I am toying with the idea of skim coating the top layers of block with concrete just to seal them a bit as well.
After looking at where most of the smoke went yesterday, I was wondering about the size of the threshold that the heat need to get across to get to the main cooker space. I have about 8 inches that it needs to pass over vs most of the other cookers where it is significantly less. I may remove the intake blocks, support the ones above with rebar and then be able to slide the firebox a bit further into the cooker itself.
I was really amazed at how much this took to warm up and am thinking about making a smaller seperate firebox with lava rocks where I can run a 60K btu gas burner just to warm up this thing. I did some calculations and it may actually be half the price to warm it up with gas then bring in the other firebox with charcoal for the actual cooking.
Keep the advice coming folks. I really truly appreciate it while I work out the kinks of this beast.