My Brick Smoker

JckDanls 07

Legendary Pitmaster

OTBS Member

SMF Premier Member

Sep 10, 2011

8,032

2,674

Tampa area, Florida.

• Nov 24, 2014

• #21

I agree.. get a cutting wheel for your grinder (assuming you have one)... and also as mentioned... I don't think you need a smaller basket but a better way to control air... you will be using way more than a half a chimney of charcoal anyways... If you really want a smaller basket just put a divider of the same expanded metal in the existing basket.... that way you have the option of 2 different sized baskets in one...

 

jim williams

Meat Mopper

Sep 25, 2014

182

18

Nebraska

• Nov 25, 2014

• #22

Jaez, I am wowed by your progress and final appearance. This is another idea of smoker I was going to attempt but my ideas got me to where I am.  (in fact, I had 1500 free brick delivery 20 minutes ago) 

We/I share the same difficulty with brick/block laying but anyone can do it with patients as our good friend Wes and others had told me many times. I had seen other newbies, local and internet both try and succeed!!

I am currently building a "replica" of Wes' smoker with a few twists, will all be posted this next year.

I applaud your efforts as the rest of us builders!! 

We all could just settle for a charbroil tin can, but this shows hobbyists an insight of enjoyment to your personal life!!

 

Last edited: Nov 25, 2014

jaez

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 3, 2014

38

15

Reno, Nevada

• Dec 3, 2014

• #23

Well, I fired it up a couple times before Turkey Day and tried to dry out the wood.  The wood was so wet when I was cutting it that I could see the water oozing out around the cuts.  I had a hard time getting the temp up over 275, but on Turkey Day it magically (probably finally dried out the wood enough) got up to about 310.  Now I just need to tinker with it a little to dial it in even better.  

I need to seal up some cracks in the top... It's been raining for the last couple days and when I looked inside to see if it was getting wet or not I found a good sized stream of water running down the back wall.  I'm also thinking about adding on a little smoking cubby somewhere since the tube smoker wouldn't stay lit.  I was running a bit hot for it, but I think there isn't going to be enough oxygen for it at the lower temps either...

Here's a pic from the first run.  This is about an hour into the smoke.  I can slide in up to 5 racks that are all 2'x2'... That's going to be a lot of ribs sometime soon... 

 

20141127_122347.jpg

• jaez
• Dec 3, 2014

 

themule69

Epic Pitmaster

Oct 7, 2012

12,884

350

live north of fort smith arkansas between alma and

• Dec 3, 2014

• #24

Looks good!

Happy smoken.

David

 

blacklab

Master of the Pit

SMF Premier Member

Jan 12, 2008

1,040

44

Battleground Wa

• Dec 4, 2014

• #25

looks great

 

oldschoolbbq

Legendary Pitmaster

OTBS Member

Jul 16, 2008

9,359

205

NW Ohio - outside Toledo

• Dec 4, 2014

• #26

Nice...

 

jim williams

Meat Mopper

Sep 25, 2014

182

18

Nebraska

• Dec 4, 2014

• #27

I'm hungry. Very nice smoker!

 

jaez

Fire Starter

Original poster

Thread starter

Sep 3, 2014

38

15

Reno, Nevada

• Feb 4, 2015

• #28

Well, last weekend I took a hammer to the firebox and ripped out the bottom layer of blocks so that I have more room in there.  It was only about 10-12 inches tall and a pain to reload when the charcoal started getting low.  Now I have it laid out so that there is almost a 2 foot high opening.  I just need to mix up some mortar and set the new blocks in place.  Going to try and do that this weekend.  Will post some new pics unless I get lazy and do nothing over the weekend...

 

wes w

Master of the Pit

OTBS Member

Jul 31, 2012

1,175

82

NW North Carolina

• Feb 4, 2015

• #29

Jaez,   looking awesome!    I told a friend a while back, if it will bake in the oven, it'll smoke in the smoker.  It just take twiced as long and is 10 times better.  :-)   

 

gary s

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

OTBS Member

Jan 6, 2011

26,255

4,705

• Feb 4, 2015

• #30

Nice looking smoker and Grub 

Gary