Windbreak ideas for Smoke Vault 24

BobKomar said:

I'm thinking of adding sheet aluminum to the sides of the legs of my Smoke Vault 24 to act as a windbreak for the burner. The sheets would extend down the legs to a few inches from the bottom of the legs.

I was also thinking of adding a horizontal piece a few inches under the burner to further act on breaking up any up drafts that come under the new sides. I would try that first...

I think adding a stack to the top vent would help even more. That would help and try leaving the damper where it is.. and leave it wide open....

If I do this, I would remove the dampener from the hole and make one for the top of the stack, and making a small hole else where in the cabinet and reuse the stock dampener to run temp probes through. It would be closed down to just far enough to run the temp probes through, and it would still be in the top, or just far enough down the side so the dampener wheel would not be over the top.

Any thoughts on these mods? Am I wasting my time, or just plain going about this wrong? I want to put my smoker on the deck, but I live in a windy area, and the gusts seam to make the flame struggle, or at least it changes the sound of the burner when they hit, and the temps swing. If I turn the burner up far enough to get past this my temps are way to high.

Click to expand...

Bob, morning and welcome to the forum.....  I would try the above mods first and check the results.... they may achieve your goal of improving the burner flame....   Dave

I removed the side vents, flattened out the vent "stop" so I could close the vent completely, and then replaced the vent. Now it turns 360 degrees and I can close it completely. No need for a wind break.

For the wind break around the bottom you can tape on some cardboard first to see if it works before you get into sheet metal work.  Light up the burner, point a box fan at the bottom of the smoker & see if it screws with the flame.  If it does, tape on the cardboard then point the fan at it again to see if it helps with the flame.  If it works, make the aluminum pieces.

As for the side vent, Scottcim made a shelf that sits under the burner to hold an AMNPS & just lets the updraft suck the smoke into the chamber, this way you don't need the side vent.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/121175/gasser-mod-for-amnps

Don

Hi Bob,

I also have and use a Smoke Chef 24" in the Phoenix area.

The hot day's direct sun on it does spike the temp *way* up so I positioned the smoker in the shade thus can run a higher flame and maintain as low as 150 degrees but usually set it at 225 degrees.

On really low flame settings, a windy day will mess with the burner, I have discovered. I forgo using the smoker on windy days or if a dust storm is coming.

Since the house faces south, and wind generally comes out of the southeast/south/southwest, the house shields the smoker from moderate winds very well and shades the smoker from the sun.

I also discovered that this smoker really does not want its water tray to run dry or get too low, thus I fill it to the brim after I line it with foil and check it about every 1.5 to 2 hours to top it off again.

If I see white smoke coming from the smoker? I know two things have happened: 1) it is out of water thus 2: the temp has spiked way up.

There are collapsible 10x10 awnings with extending legs at Walmart and elsewhere which can be used to shield both you and the smoker from Phoenix sun during the heat of the day.

We have one of these awnings we set up when target practicing out in the desert & it's very well worth its weight in gold. I think we paid about $85 for it.

I haven't messed with any sort of modifications to the smoker at all... haven't needed to. For me, it does exactly what I need it to do, as is.

Presently, I am smoking two racks of baby back ribs and a pork butt. ooh.... It smells sooo good!!!

-CK