Baffle from old grill top

[tlhiv]

I built a baffle for my offset smoker using the top from my old grill. Pictures and commentary below.

This is the hole in my smoker that I'm going to baffle.

Here's the old grill about to meet its maker.

This is the poor top that is about to get cut up and beat up.

Here's the baffle (left) after plenty of math, cutting, snipping, beating, and drilling.

Here's the baffle sitting in its place in the smoker.

 

[azrocker]

Now I like your ingenuity! I think I might try something like that.

 

[tlhiv]

Well I've been meaning to throw this grill out since I finished building the smoker, but just haven't done so yet. I've been wanting to build a baffle since my last two smokes because I just didn't feel like I was using my heat efficiently (i.e., most of it was exiting without coming in contact with the meat), and this seemed to be a way to keep part of the old grill around while solving my baffle problem. To make things more fun, I was able to do some basic geometry, and as a mathematician, that's always a plus.

 

[vtanker]

That looks like it was alot of work. What did you cut that with tin snips???? If it works it cool.

 

[tlhiv]

I used a reciprocating saw and tin snips.

 

[mharrison]

Will that vent allow enough smoke to enter the smoking chamber? (Just a question, not a criticism. I've never built OR modded a smoker before!)

After some trial and error you may decide the baffle needs some additional holes in it. But, as I'm sure you know it is much easier to cut new ones than fill holes that you've already cut!

Points for ingenuity and it looks to be a nice fit! I hope it does it great job for you.

 

[tlhiv]

If you notice (and I know it's a little difficult to notice from the picture), even if the vent/damper is completely closed the heat will travel UNDER the baffle and basically the baffle just forces the heat DOWN. It escapes at the bottom of the smoke chamber and then will rise to escape out of the stack. In theory, this should produce a more efficient heat source akin to baking in the oven where the heat is on the bottom and then rises. Without the baffle, most of the heat is at the top similar to a broiler I guess. The fit is good, and it sits on the bottom rails (by design). Furthermore, if I want to keep the heat at the bottom along a longer branch of the smoke chamber, I can simply sit a steel plate or a pan of water/juice on the rack just to the left of the baffle, and the heat should continue along the bottom of the smoke chamber. The vent/damper on the baffle is so that I can control how much (if any) heat/smoke I want to escape out the top of the baffle. I'm looking forward to testing this and see how it works.

 

[mharrison]

I see. Sorry, I completely missed the fact that the smoke could still flow under the expanded metal grate. (It's quite obvious now that I think about it!) So, it isn't as dampened (?) as much as I originally thought.

Again, Props on the recycling of the old grill! I'm looking forward to your post after you try it out.

 

[tlhiv]

Well I just tried Jeff's smoked meatloaf on it and it REALLY blocks alot of heat (even with the damper open). In fact, I had the temperatures 500+F in my firebox and I could barely get 225F in my smoke chamber. Perhaps I am going to have to cut some holes in the baffle to allow more heat to pass.

 

[tlhiv]

I realized that I actually had an aluminum pan underneath blocking much of the airflow from under the baffle. So, I'll give it another shot soon.