New Member from Massachusetts

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cpl rampage

Newbie
Original poster
Nov 17, 2014
4
10
Hello all!

Just found this forum while doing some research for one of my winter projects. My name is Chris and I live in the Boston area. I have done a few (6-8) smokes on my Weber kettle grill over the past year or so and I have really enjoyed the food. I haven't really branched out much, having only done baby back ribs and some chicken wings at the moment.

A friend who was also into smoking just moved back up to Maine and didn't want to haul his smoker up with him (He is going to buy a better one next summer). His smoker was actually found on the side of the road down the street from him, so it is in need of some work, he only got to use it once or twice before he moved.

What has now become my winter project is a Char-Broil offset smoker. Reading up about these on the web tells me that they are really not the greatest quality smoker, which is to be expected. But my investment is $0 at this point so it can only get better. I got the smoker to my place, and have disassembled it at the moment. Plans are as follows:

- Strip all the flaking paint off

- Weld shut hole for current chimney

- Relocate chimney to fire box side of smoker

- Create a sheet metal smoke channel across bottom of the cooking box

- Repaint everything with high heat ceramic paint

- Replace all rusted out hardware with better quality parts

- Seal up all leak paths with either high temp felt or exhaust gasket paste

- Wrap cooking box with welding blanket

- Make a new, stronger shelf across the front

As you can see I am going to convert it to a reverse flow offset smoker to get better heat distribution, as well as insulate it a bit better to retain the heat and minimize temperature spikes. Also try to make it look a little nicer and prevent any further rust.

Here are a few pics of the project




 
Last edited:
Chris,
Welcome, from southern Ohio, to the best forum on the internet if you are looking to learn how to BBQ/smoke/brine/cure/inject. Well you get the picture if you can do it to to something you put on a plate to eat then someone here has probably done it. Use the search bar at the top of the page and you will be led to the answer to most every question you can think of. If you don't find the answer there then just post it and someone will chime in with their opinion on the subject.

On a reverse flow smoker you need to remember to leave the same amount of space between the RF plate and the end of the cook chamber as the opening between the fire box and cook chamber in square inches. You don't want to restrict the air flow as it makes the turn and heads back towards the smoke stack.
Here is a link to the reverse flow builders section of the forum:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/f/201/reverse-flow
Lotsa good info there.

Always remember the only dumb question is the one you don’t ask!!
Keep Smokin!!!
 
Thanks for the informative reply! I hadn't made it that far though the forums yet so I will be checking it out now!
 
Glad you joined the group. The search bar at the top of any page is your best friend.
About anything you wanna know about smoking/grilling/curing/brining/cutting or slicing
and the list goes on has probably been posted. Remember to post a QVIEW of your smokes.
We are all smoke junkies here and we have to get our fix. If you have questions
Post it and you will probably get 10 replies with 11 different answers. That is
because their are so many different ways to make great Q...
Happy smoken.
David
 
Welcome to the SMF family Chris. Lots to gain from the forums even for the most experienced smoker. Enjoy your time here!

~Tony
 
texas.gif
  Good morning and welcome to the forum, from a  windy and cold day in East Texas. Lots of great people with tons of information on just about  everything

         Looking forward to your build

           Gary
 
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