Adding ducting to the inside of my Horizon smokestack

[waterdownrednec]

Happy Canada Day and July 4th to everyone.

I’m really happy with my 10yr old Horizon offset and have it dialed in for my needs, but it’s always fun to tinker with some new mods. One addition I have seen on some other brands of offset’s is the addition of a galvanized 90 degree elbow inserted into the inner opening of the smoke stack. What would the purpose of this be and what difference would I expect to see?

I have already picked up a reducer and 4” adjustable to 90 degree elbow. When inserted, the last ring of the elbow pretty much sits on the cooking grate so I guess I would want to cut a couple inches off that elbow so it sits a couple inches above the cooking grate. Admittedly I know nothing about the pros or cons of doing this, just thought if may be fun to try, I can always take it off. Thanks for your thoughts, Jason.

 

[Smokin Okie]

The theory is having the exhaust at grate level, will draw the heat directly across the grate. I first heard of this from Aaron Franklin in his vid on pit building , its at about the 18:29 mark of this vid

https://www.pbs.org/video/bbq-franklin-episode-4-pits/

Old Country pits, which Franklin uses in his videos, have their exhaust at this level, see pic posted

Then I saw this again at Amazingribs.com, in their article on modifying cheap offset smokers , scroll down a little way to " Extending the Chimney Downward "

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...-firing/how-set-and-modify-offset-smokers-and

It seems that about anything Aaron Franklin thinks matters, is taken and run with by everyone else, but I notice that Horizon has not changed their design, in any way.

 

[waterdownrednec]

Wow what a fantastic video, I so wish I knew how to weld!!

So it seems like, if I understand this correctly, I not only need a 90 but a double 90 so the open end of the pipe is parallel with my grate. Right now, based on another mod I saw, the open end of my 90 is sitting flat flush on the grate facing the bottom of my pit. Based on this logic I want the opening of my 90 to sit flush with my cook rack so the fire box feeds straight across the cook rack and into the 90 up the stack. Not sure I will have the room to do that on my little smoker.

Great feedback, thanks, this makes way more sense now. I will need to rethink my method and maybe have something fabricated to make that “S” bend or double 90 like I’m explaining it.

Ideally I would cut the stack off and lower it but that’s beyond me. I wonder if I make that mod if the smoke will be able to make it up a double 90 and up the stack. May be time for a new pit :)

Jason.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I don't think you'll need the " S " , just get the intake to grate level , or maybe an inch or two above, but then I'm not familiar with the inside of your Horizon pit.

 

[Memarkj]

I just purchased a 20” Hotizon (only 6 cooks so far) and added the 4” 90 Deg. elbow. Not sure how much impact it had. Thinking of fabricating something that extends less over the grate (which cam limit cooking area a bit.) like a 16” x 2” Just above grate extending tight to the side wall to the 4” vent opening.

 

[Memarkj]

04DEBCA1-BA51-47BD-9A04-14AE22A2C54B

• Memarkj
• Jul 11, 2018

20” Horizon Vent Elbow

Here’s an image:

 

[Smokin Okie]

I ran across this at another forum yesterday , I was searching for info on convection and tuning plates . Its from 2011 , so its dated by now. Would be interested to know if Roger Davidson still thinks the same way

I finally called Horizon and talked with an amazing dude who greatly discouraged me from lowering my smokestack down to grate level. I was thinking this mod might be the last one I needed to get things evened out. He even went and spoke directly to Roger, the owner of Horizon and ultimate designer of the tried and true design of the smoker. Roger said that have tried many different modifications of smokestack placement and they keep arriving at this placement. He said placing the smokestack down further at grate level or lower is not ideal as you are trying to force hot air downward where it doesn't want to go to circulate out. I know, lots of opinions out there on this. But if you keep reading, you will see why I am a firm believer that a smokestack placed towards the top of an offset grill with my specifications is perfect, and I wouldn't change a thing.

https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111780

 

[Smokin Okie]

But I have to take notice, that Franklin, Moberg, John Lewis, and LSG ........ all exhaust the stack at grate level.

Horizon and Yoder both continue to do what they've always done.