It's Alive! My Frankinsmoker!

[Danblacksher]

Ok I know the title is dramatic, but wanted to share about my new creation. On October 27, 2022 I received my first stickburner. Being new to cooking with wood, I got the Bell Fab 24 X 36 smoker it was what I could afford. Craig was incredible to deal with. Not knowing much about stickburners I did the best research I could. I have cooked 20 plus briskets, as well as turkeys, chickens, ribs, roast, pork shoulders, venison, squirels ect... point is I have cooked alot on it. I realized with the baffle plate even when running small splits I had too much heat coming from below the meat and so I was trying to figure out a solution. My Briskets would be great except for the bottom portion would be over done and pot roasty. I would run lower temps but could not fix the issue. When I saw the Goldies smoker I thought that would be a perfect solution to change the cooking from bottom up to top down. A month ago I invited the coach from the robotics team my children were on for 12 years to come take a look. He happens to be over a metal fabrication shop that does incredible work, but I was not sure I could afford it. Last Saturday he made it by to take a look. I made him a rack of ribs to try to influence the quote. He understood what was going on when I showed him and what I wanted done to change the way it cooked and make all of the bottom grate usable. When I ask him the price he said $10,000 with a straight face looked at me and laughed and said I am not going to charge you anything. I was shocked and could not believe it. He said I will pick it up next week and we will get it done. Well he came to the house at 9:30 am Thursday morning picked it up and then text on Friday at 11am I will be dropping it to you at 12:30. WOW! We took it off the trailer and I immediately fired it up and started a brisket for him as a thank you. It did exactly what I wanted it to do and the cook was perfect. All hot spots on the bottom grate gone and its cooking top down. The amazing part it the flat and the point only cooked 5 degrees apart. the cook took 11 hours and it held temps incredible. I let the brisket rest in my warming cabinet until he picked it up today at 11:30. I sent him home with the brisket, homemade buns, homemade pickles, homemade picked onions and some homemade Carolina gold bbq sauce. I could tell when i picked the brisket up the bottom was perfect and not overcooked, and when it finished from the flat to the point probed like warm butter zero resistance. I got a text from him that said it was perfection! Only sad part I did not get to eat any but I do have 4 more to cook this week so I will get my fill. I cannot express how grateful I am he would do this for me and not charge me. Posting pics of the process.

 

[Danblacksher]

Here are picks of the original smoker when I got it. The opening from the firebox and the baffle plate

 

[02ebz06]

Very nice for him to help like that.

 

[Danblacksher]

Here is the work that was done. The original hole was sealed with the baffle plate that was cut off. The pipe goes from the top of the firebox to the cook chamber with the bottom portion of the hole in the cook chamber blocked to deflect the heat up.

 

[Danblacksher]

The brisket at 2 hours 6 hours 9 hours 11 hours and after the rest. The amazing thing is the point and the flat cooked within 5 degrees of each other the entire cook.

 

[Danblacksher]

The firebox door opens and stays open like it did before. It worked far better than I could have hoped.

 

[JLeonard]

Oh man thats great and a great guy to do it for you!
And with the exhaust at grate level it pulls down and across the grate.
Jim

 

[Danblacksher]

Oh man thats great and a great guy to do it for you!
And with the exhaust at grate level it pulls down and across the grate.
Jim

When the smoke and heat come into the firebox it hits that straight piece in the hole and goes strait to the top of the cook chamber then rolls down thru the rest of the chamber. The pipe is a full 6 inch hole coming out to the firebox and the hole in the cook chamber is 4 inch opening with the straight piece covering the bottom 2 inches of the hole.

 

[chp]

Looks like an interesting modification. Did you kick around the idea of putting something in the bottom that would allow you to open it up again to different degrees? So some from the bottom and the rest through the top?

 

[Danblacksher]

Looks like an interesting modification. Did you kick around the idea of putting something in the bottom that would allow you to open it up again to different degrees? So some from the bottom and the rest through the top?

I did originally I was going to get the plate that sealed the original hole from the firebox to the cook chamber removable, but when he said he was not going to charge me I told him just do what is easiest for your guy. It cooks so well now not sure when I would ever opened the bottom hole so I am good with it. I worked even better than expected so I don’t think I would ever open up the bottom.

 

[Winterrider]

Glad to hear he got you rolling, good friend to have!

 

[bill1]

I guess the design question is how offset should an offset smoker be? Yours started quite offset but you modified it with pipe to be just the opposite. Glad to hear you're happy with the top-to-bottom temperature gradient now. Any chance you have temperature measurements before and after at say an inch below the main grate and an inch above?

 

[Danblacksher]

I guess the design question is how offset should an offset smoker be? Yours started quite offset but you modified it with pipe to be just the opposite. Glad to hear you're happy with the top-to-bottom temperature gradient now. Any chance you have temperature measurements before and after at say an inch below the main grate and an inch above?

I dont but I can tell you with the baffle plate I had to put the meat on top of the baffle plate if I used the bottom grate, and cook at 200 to not dry out the bottom, I mainly cooked on the top rack above the baffle plate. I tried to only cooked on the top rack. The first cook with the new design I only cooked right in the middle of the main grate and cooked at 250 bumped it up to 275 in the stall and finished it at 300. If I had done that before the bottom of the meat would have been really dry and tough. I think it is because I got the 24 X 36 not the 24 by 48 so on the main grate could not get it far enough away from firebox, When I cooked on the main grate I put it over the baffle plate but still had to deal with the radiant heat from the plate. I could no be happier with the change because now I can use the entire main grate.

 

[Danblacksher]

I have since cooked multiple items and it continues to impress with how well this redesign cooks.for some reason I did not take a picture of the ribs and they were perfect. All the briskets came out the same. I should have taken more pics but I was serving a group of 70 so it was a little hectic.

 

[neerarawat]

The results of your brisket cooking sound fantastic, and your gratitude toward your friend is heartwarming. Enjoy your future cooks and the delicious meals you'll create with your new setup!

 

[Danblacksher]

not sure why the pics are doing that when you click them you can see them.

 

[Newglide]

That was a generous gift that guy did guy you.
Glad you're happy with it.
How does the top rack cook now?

 

[Danblacksher]

That was a generous gift that guy did guy you.
Glad you're happy with it.
How does the top rack cook now?

Now instead of multiple hot spots I only have one and that is the top rack next to the opening in the cook chamber, not where 2/3 of the main grate was cooking too fast from bottom up, the entire main grate is useable cooking space as well as the right side of the top rack, or the side opposite to the opening from the firebox to the cook chamber is all useable space.

 

[JC in GB]

JC

 

[fxsales1959]

Ok I know the title is dramatic, but wanted to share about my new creation. On October 27, 2022 I received my first stickburner. Being new to cooking with wood, I got the Bell Fab 24 X 36 smoker it was what I could afford. Craig was incredible to deal with. Not knowing much about stickburners I did the best research I could. I have cooked 20 plus briskets, as well as turkeys, chickens, ribs, roast, pork shoulders, venison, squirels ect... point is I have cooked alot on it. I realized with the baffle plate even when running small splits I had too much heat coming from below the meat and so I was trying to figure out a solution. My Briskets would be great except for the bottom portion would be over done and pot roasty. I would run lower temps but could not fix the issue. When I saw the Goldies smoker I thought that would be a perfect solution to change the cooking from bottom up to top down. A month ago I invited the coach from the robotics team my children were on for 12 years to come take a look. He happens to be over a metal fabrication shop that does incredible work, but I was not sure I could afford it. Last Saturday he made it by to take a look. I made him a rack of ribs to try to influence the quote. He understood what was going on when I showed him and what I wanted done to change the way it cooked and make all of the bottom grate usable. When I ask him the price he said $10,000 with a straight face looked at me and laughed and said I am not going to charge you anything. I was shocked and could not believe it. He said I will pick it up next week and we will get it done. Well he came to the house at 9:30 am Thursday morning picked it up and then text on Friday at 11am I will be dropping it to you at 12:30. WOW! We took it off the trailer and I immediately fired it up and started a brisket for him as a thank you. It did exactly what I wanted it to do and the cook was perfect. All hot spots on the bottom grate gone and its cooking top down. The amazing part it the flat and the point only cooked 5 degrees apart. the cook took 11 hours and it held temps incredible. I let the brisket rest in my warming cabinet until he picked it up today at 11:30. I sent him home with the brisket, homemade buns, homemade pickles, homemade picked onions and some homemade Carolina gold bbq sauce. I could tell when i picked the brisket up the bottom was perfect and not overcooked, and when it finished from the flat to the point probed like warm butter zero resistance. I got a text from him that said it was perfection! Only sad part I did not get to eat any but I do have 4 more to cook this week so I will get my fill. I cannot express how grateful I am he would do this for me and not charge me. Posting pics of the process.

cool.... nice to have friend with metal cutting fire tools and welder