Recent content by jbpace

Sorry for the delay - been on vacation. The smoker I bought was $250 delivered. With all the mod parts I've added I'm a little over $500. I'd like to make sure we're speaking of the same smoker models before I venture an answer to the differences. The big block I refer to is the model...

The last mod I'm making is a removable rain stack. I started with an 8" to 6" reducer, an 8" flange cover and a standard 6" rain cap (like the one travcoman45 used to make his stack in http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...t.php?p=168391). I first welded the flange cover to the reducer...

Glad to have you here. I spent the best four years of my life just North of you in Cookville, TN. Of course, you would have been born sometime during that period... Jon

Yeah, that was the one typo it won't let me go back and correct . Jon

To inaugurate the newly customized and seasoned GOSM big block (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/64526/jps-gosm-build-mods), I decided to smoke a fatty and bologna chub for breakfast & lunch while tending a pork butt we were smoking for dinner with friends...

To inaugurate the newly customized and seasoned GOSM big block (http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/64526/jps-gosm-build-mods), my wife & I decided to invite friends over for a Saturday night BBQ dinner. To prepare the meat I applied a generous (I think) portion of Jeff's Naked Rib Rub to a 7 lb...

showing how the electrical wiring & LP plumbing was connected. JP

Just finished up some simple hangers for smoking homemade sausage: Used 1/2" hardwood oak dowels cut to length, then a router with 1/4" rounding bit to smooth the ends. Made positioning grooves where they contact the rails by turning them against a 1/4" straight bit. Finished up with a light...

My wife & I lived at 5th & Negley while I was in grad school. Your ZIP looks to be nearby. How long have you lived in Pgh? I'm a life-long Steelers fan and absolutely loved my time in the city. Jon

Not yet - I've been running it in an open garage since I still have to fab a cover for the gas valve. That's the project for this weekend, followed by seasoning (with hickory), hopefully followed by an inagural smoke next weekend. JP

Since I had to disassemble the burner to replace the aluminum pilot burner tubing I broke , I wanted to take some close-ups of the pilot burner bracket I fabricated for the design: In case that's of use to anyone. Jon

After adjusting my needle valve so that the burner was on 90+% of the time, I let everything cool overnight and started it up while recording the temperature each minute. The top vent was fully open and the lower vents were both closed to the stops. Temps were measured with a Maverick Redi-Chek...

I know it's probably overkill, but it now works!!! After the above meltdown, here are the steps I followed. First, I bought 1/4" HardieBacker cement board and cut pieces to cover the bottom & sides. I then surrounded that with 16 gauge steel - using the steel to hold together the cement...

Sorry. I've gone back and added part details above. I convinced myself it wouldn't work because water heaters aren't designed to go over about 180 deg F. If it weren't for the integral thermostat there's no reason it otherwise wouldn't. Plus, water heater thermostat dials generally aren't...

I believe it will likely be necessary to add the needle valve to get low temps. I've only tested mine, but I ran it as low as it would go and it went into the 220 deg F range. I'm in the process of adding a needle valve to my gas lines. There are a number of mods discussed on this particular...