Flow problems with my custom build smoker

gary s · Oct 11, 2013

Looking at the picture of your stack location and you CC to FB opening, I am thinking moving the stack up might help. Looks like you were going for the Jambo style. If you look at his, the firebox is attached very high up, the heat and smoke actually travel over the top and down to the stack opening. Just an observation

Gary

ribwizzard · Oct 11, 2013

Get your firebox straightened out like I suggested, once you have the air flowing at the right speed, you will gain more control over your temp..

metaldoctor21 · Oct 11, 2013

SQWIB said:
To be honest, I'm not sure what you want.
At the risk of sounding like a smart a$$ It's not an oven.

Maybe I am just bad at explaining what is going on. With the intake moved under the fire and the opening from firebox to cooking chamber bigger I am getting a good draft. To get that good draft my intake has to be halfway open to full open. This causes my fire to be very hot. Even with a very small fire. That is then making my cooking chamber to hot to cook on. It runs at 315 degrees and up at that point. If I close the intake anymore to try and cool down the fire I lose my draft and all my heat stays in the firebox. Hope that is a little better. I really do appreciate everyone's help and I want to say thanks again.

sqwib · Oct 11, 2013

how are you operating the vent that is above the fire?

sqwib · Oct 11, 2013

The only thing I can think of... if I understand whats going on??

Is to add the stack directly to the top of the pit... I can't think of anything else.

If you can't place it on top, raise it as high as you can on the side.

But before you make any more mods, get some more advice, because to be quite honest, this is starting to baffle me.

gary s · Oct 11, 2013

Again, looking at your picture of the stack, I would move it as high up as you can

Gary

ribwizzard · Oct 11, 2013

In the original pictures you posted, it looked like you had an adjustable dampner from the firebox to the cooking chamber...

is it still there?

If so, what happens when you close that back up some?

metaldoctor21 · Oct 11, 2013

Ribwizzard said:
In the original pictures you posted, it looked like you had an adjustable dampner from the firebox to the cooking chamber...

is it still there?

If so, what happens when you close that back up some?

I already cut the damper out. I can shear up a couple random size pieces of steel to temperarely close down that opening some and see what it does. Should I start by blocking the lower portion of the opening or the upper portion of the opening?

metaldoctor21 · Oct 11, 2013

SQWIB said:
The only thing I can think of... if I understand whats going on??
Is to add the stack directly to the top of the pit... I can't think of anything else.
If you can't place it on top, raise it as high as you can on the side.
But before you make any more mods, get some more advice, because to be quite honest, this is starting to baffle me.

gary s said:
Again, looking at your picture of the stack, I would move it as high up as you can

Gary

I agree with you guys that I may need to raise my stack up. Just making sure I have tried everything else first. I do all my welding at work or at my buddies house, so I am trying to avoid having to haul it somewhere. Otherwise I would have already moved it. I think I am about out of options thought.

gary s · Oct 11, 2013

One other thing I noticed in the pictures the opening from the FB to the CC looks pretty big ?

Gary

metaldoctor21 · Oct 27, 2013

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metaldoctor21
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I ended up switching to a reverse flow smoker. Everything is now working excellent. Thank you everyone for your help and a special thanks to Dave for giving me the specs to get my pit switch over and running properly.

gary s · Oct 28, 2013

Nice job, very nice job

Gary

Flow problems with my custom build smoker

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Master of the Pit

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Smoking Guru

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

Master of the Pit

Fire Starter

Fire Starter

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

Fire Starter

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

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