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  1. kmmamm

    Hot Rolled vs Pickled & Oiled for Offset Smoker Build

    Mill scale is difficult to remove mechanically, but it is no match for acid. I use a dipping tank to soak large pieces rotating them to sure all of the surface has at least a 3-6 hour soak. I use muriatic acid which can be purchased at any pool supply location or big box. If you do not have a...
  2. kmmamm

    Baffle Plate - to drain or not to drain

    A drain on the rf plate keeps the majority of grease and crud from getting into the lower cc. Anyone who tells you it is fun and easy to clean baked on crap in the lower cc on a rf cooker with a fixed plate is either lying or been laying in the sun too long!
  3. kmmamm

    Baffle Plate - to drain or not to drain

    Going to need to see a picture to understand what you have.😉
  4. kmmamm

    Wire wrap for pig

    Plain old cheap baler wire (TSC, Rural King, Farm & Fleet, etc). just be sure to wipe packing oil off with mineral spirits before using.
  5. kmmamm

    Exhaust collector

    For what it is worth, I locate the plenum such that the bottom of the plenum is 1-3” above the lower cooking grate and run it vertically 1-3” taller than the diameter of the exhaust tube. I found make it 1-2” deeper and wider than the pipe diameter leaves enough material on top of the plenum...
  6. kmmamm

    Baffle Plate - to drain or not to drain

    glad to hear you are on board with the drain….now make sure it is large enough. I would recommend a minimum of 1.5”. Some builders try to cut cost by using a smaller diameter drain only to find out how easy it is to plug. Personally, I use 2” schedule 40 black pipe with a brass ball valve on...
  7. kmmamm

    Australian Pine ????

    Saw it used quite a bit for pit cooking while we were in Australia. Apparently it is an hardwood oak subspecies that has evergreen type of leaves. The smoke profile was very similar to the white oak we burn in the Midwest. We also saw groves of the same trees in Hawaii and while saw it being...
  8. kmmamm

    New Smoker Build

    No need to add additional length. If anything I would go with a slightly shorter 6” stack equipped with an adjustable plate baffle on top to choke it down if necessary. (You probably will never need it for cooking but a baffle is also always good to have for storage). I am a fan of larger...
  9. kmmamm

    New Smoker Build

    Which build calculator are you working from Dave’s, Feldon’s, smoker builder, etc? I want to be sure we are apples to apples. in general, what I have found is 20% oversized helps flow combustion air around the entirety of the fuel. I have also found keeping the size of the sticks to about...
  10. kmmamm

    New Smoker Build

    60% over is pretty generous...I would be a little nervous about going that far over. Unless your cc and associated airflow can support a large fire, I wouldn’t recommend “full” logs....too much mass, they will cause large temp swings, a lot of white smoke (creosote) and it will be difficult to...
  11. kmmamm

    New Smoker Build

    Depends on how oversized you intend to go and which calculator you use. I try to aim for at least 15% over on the firebox volume ...a number that always seems to work pretty well for me. I figure the extra volume helps make up for volume lost to internal things like fire grating, ash...
  12. kmmamm

    New Smoker Build

    Yes, it will take a bit more energy to get it heat soaked. However, the additional mass will definitely do a better job of keeping the internal cc temps stabilized. Personally, I find fabricating with 3/8” plate and pipe is faster and more forgiving than its lighter cousin.
  13. kmmamm

    GOT WOOD !!!! (Pecan)

    Rails are a bit of over kill for holding up a relatively small wood pile! With all due respect to those advising you to leave the rails setting on the ground....I can give you two good reasons from the school of hard knocks not to do it! First, unless the rails are setting on a thick layer of...
  14. kmmamm

    Fire box modifications

    My guess is the firebox may not necessarily be the root cause. Here are a few scars from my ash past...... stirring the coals or scooping ash during the cook, throwing in splits rather than laying them on top of the coals. Setting up so the fb oriented into the wind or on a slope such that...
  15. kmmamm

    why is my meat tough?

    Don’t think it is a cooking vessel problem. Have you calibrated your heat source? If not, you may be cooking at a much lower temperature than you think.....a faulty element/burner is a much more logical explanation for the symptoms you describe. The “dead spot” comment is particularly...
  16. kmmamm

    Danish smoker project

    I try to season holding around 350F for an hour and then let the fire die out naturally. I have had best luck by keeping the cc door closed throughout the cycle. 350F is the target temp, but it isn‘t an absolute. If your smoker can’t get there without supplemental heat, no worries, just do...
  17. kmmamm

    Long time lurker question...

    A couple things come to mind. First, can you increase the pitch on the roof/ceiling of the smoker so the condensation will roll down on to the walls into a catch pan or drain instead of dripping? Second don‘t discount the dehumidifier idea...rig it so that it blows the drier outlet air into...
  18. kmmamm

    Danish smoker project

    You are making progress. My experience with barrel staves is they smell good and make nice oak smoke, however, I can’t really tell that the booze actually “adds” anything to the finished product. You probably should wipe the grate down and re season the interior before doing your first cook...
  19. kmmamm

    Danish smoker project

    Keep in mind, the saw mill is most likely processing green wood, as such, the moisture content is going to be too high to produce the results you want. If the saw mill has wood available, be picky. Scrap planks will most likely will have a lot of bark on them. Stay away from saw dust and...
  20. kmmamm

    500 gallon build

    I size the firebox a minimum of 15-24% larger than the Feldon’s calculator value and size the total area of the adjustable combustion inlets and exhaust stack 5-10% larger than the calculator. I divide the inlet air openings into three separate inlets and orient on the door so that one is at...
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