Help!!! Need Advice!! Windy Situation!!

smokemifugotem · Nov 22, 2009

Ok. So its not very often that my best friend (heliboydoesbbq on this site) and i get to hang out. Today is one of those days. We have two tri tips, two fattys, a rack of lamb and some abt's to throw on the smoker. Problem is... Its currently blowing around 30 mph, snowing, and mixed rain. I am in a pretty non windy place with the smoker, but anytime a breeze blows across the exhaust tube, it creates negative pressure, and the exhaust is blown back into the cooking chamber. Is there anything i can do to the exhaust to prevent this from happening?? Maybe one of those upside down cones suspended just above the opening?? Can anyone help?? THANKS!!! We will keep you posted today as we try to smoke in some of the most ridiculous conditions possible. Hell, id even hook up a fan to the firebox and an exhaust fan to the exhaust if i knew that would work!!

rickw · Nov 22, 2009

I would try and put the firebox into the wind. This should help push the air through the smoker.

mballi3011 · Nov 22, 2009

Like Rick said put the fire box into the wind. And good luck it sounds like one heck of a smoke with an awful lot of good food.

abchristy · Nov 22, 2009

A piece of metal flex dryer vent pipe ,over your stack, curved with the opening down wind. Will pull air through cooker & prevent blowback down the stack.

smokemifugotem · Nov 22, 2009

Thank you all for the advice!!!! I made a vent of sorts out of a soup can that fit over the end of my exhaust vent and had multiple holes with fins around the top of the can. This was enough to create a vortex through the exhaust and pull it out. But now, its sunny and 50 with no wind and the snow is melting. Welcome to Boise Idaho's weather!!!

coyote-1 · Nov 22, 2009

Yep. Oh, and even though everyone advises to always keep the exhaust fully open, this is where that top cover can really help out. Close it halfway, with the closed part toward the wind.
And add a wind screen/brake of some sort. I have one for the beach, and it occasionally is pressed into smoke duty.

DanMcG · Nov 22, 2009

Any chance you could share some Q-view of that soup can? we got the cold blowing winds comng in the near future and it might help. Thanks Dan

smokemifugotem · Nov 22, 2009

You betcha!!! Here you go. My exhaust is a 3" exhaust pipe from a muffler shop, and this happens to fit perfectly over it. We made a few relief cuts around the bottom to allow for flanging incase it didnt fit quite right. I am assuming you could also choke it in with a hose clamp if your exhaust is a little bit smaller as well.
Now this is probably one of the most redneck...easiest mods you could do to a smoker. Its not very pretty, but it works great!!! and all it takes is a soup can! We cut a few holes around the top, and bent the metal out to form fins.(just in case it could somehow be "tuned") I notched the back of the can so it would slide down around the pivot for my exhaust cover, and whalla!!! It works great!!. And of course.. boise weather.. the wind is back up again, so its back on my exhaust. I will be keeping this around for quite a while!! I cant believe how well it works. Here is a pic. of it.

Hope this helps!!! It sure helped me!!!

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Help!!! Need Advice!! Windy Situation!!

smokemifugotem

Meat Mopper

rickw

Master of the Pit

mballi3011

Gone but not forgotten. RIP

abchristy

Fire Starter

smokemifugotem

Meat Mopper

coyote-1

Smoking Fanatic

DanMcG

Smoking Guru

smokemifugotem

Meat Mopper

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