Big Build!!

[west tex smoker]

Thanks Tracy.

Dave I wonder how well ribwizzards pit works since it is so similar to what we are figuring?  I pm'd him but apparently he hasn't been on the forum in over a month.  I have a couple of thoughts that I am going to put down on paper and then scan onto here for comments.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[west tex smoker]

Thanks Tracy.

Dave I wonder how well ribwizzards pit works since it is so similar to what we are figuring?  I pm'd him but apparently he hasn't been on the forum in over a month.  I have a couple of thoughts that I am going to put down on paper and then scan onto here for comments.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[west tex smoker]

Thanks Tracy.

Dave I wonder how well ribwizzards pit works since it is so similar to what we are figuring?  I pm'd him but apparently he hasn't been on the forum in over a month.  I have a couple of thoughts that I am going to put down on paper and then scan onto here for comments.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[west tex smoker]

Thanks Tracy.

Dave I wonder how well ribwizzards pit works since it is so similar to what we are figuring?  I pm'd him but apparently he hasn't been on the forum in over a month.  I have a couple of thoughts that I am going to put down on paper and then scan onto here for comments.

 

[daveomak]

Tracy, morning... Have you got tuning plates in those monsters... If so, how's the heat distribution.... and what is the spacing you used...

Dave

 

[west tex smoker]

Hello folks,

Alright Dave, again thank you for the help.  Believe me it is much appreciated and your opinion is important.

Sooo...  I have drawn up some concepts/possibilities.  I appreciate Tracy sharing the pictures of his build and that is one cool pit.  My only problem is I really don't want to have to tend that many separate fires.  I do that already with the pits that I have access to and it is a bit too inconsistent.

Below are some scans of some thoughts.  I know that some of what I say below as reference is on a much smaller scale than what I am trying to accomplish but I just want to exhaust all possibilities.  A friend asked me why I am trying to reinvent the wheel, I told him I'm not I just want a BIGGER wheel.

My momma always said that I was a bit hardheaded and my wife seems to agree with her so I guess there is some truth to it.  Living by the old adage "Where there's a will there's a way" I can't let anything go easily.

So, without further ado, load your guns boys and get ready to shoot me down.

scan0002.jpg

• west tex smoker
• Feb 18, 2015

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• west tex smoker
• Feb 18, 2015

 OK

1. As already stated the first one seems to have problems according to the calc., and I understand that not a problem.

2. Dave as you mentioned to me before the second one may be difficult because you may not get even heating into both ends.

I can understand that with one exception.  I have seen a pit with a very similar design however it was a 100 gallon tank so it is much smaller.  I was actually impressed with how well it cooked but as I said it was also easy to maintain because of it's smaller size.

3. Perhaps to alleviate the issue of not have enough opening under the reverse plate I could cut the CC in half by adding a partition.  By doing this the area needed under the plate is reduced from 900+ ci. to a little less than 500 ci.  This would result in two 500 +/- CC but still operate off of one FB.  Each chamber would have its own reverse plate, stack, and a damper from the FB. Also if I incorporate the wedge FB in concept 4 I would be able to maximize the amount of heat that hits the reverse plate by elongating the opening between the FB and CC.  Controlling the heat would be done with the dampers.

I may be way over thinking this but with a pit this size I gotta have it working perfectly, and I need it done right the first time.  Besides that I eventually plan to have two of these.

 

[gary s]

Rib must be busy selling lots of BBQ

Gary

 

[west tex smoker]

I just realized that one of my posts was submitted more than once.  sorry about that.

Gary S do you have any thoughts on what im trying to do here?

 

[west tex smoker]

Tracy have you cooked on your pit yet?

 

[daveomak]

And you can get by with less than the 500 sq. in. because you have cut the friction by more than half.... so the RF plate can be lowered even more....

Soooooo, I have no idea how the heat balance will work... no idea about the upper air inlet on the FB for controlling temp.... Having one FB feed 2 cooking chambers is WAYYYYYYY above my pay grade.... If you can find someone that is willing to put your money and time up against a design that may or may not work.... that's cool.... I'm not at all comfortable spending your livelihood on a design I know nothing about....

Dave

 

[gary s]

Hey WTS  I've seen a few of these type smokers around, Some say they work great some not so great I am a lot more familiar with RF and SF smokers, Really haven't had any experience with what you are proposing, Sorry 

Gary

 

[west tex smoker]

Gary No need to apologize. Thanks for the input.

Dave, I completely understand.  Just know that I appreciate everything so far.  I will give this some more thought before I jump into anything.  If I have any more questions I will certainly come here first.

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[gary s]

wts  there was a smoker build on here similar to that one, I can't remember who posted it ? Maybe someone will remember 

Gary

 

[west tex smoker]

awesome thank you Gary

 

[gary s]

Here are a few that was posted

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/108670/center-firebox-rear-facing-reverse-flow-trailer-build

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/149036/double-reverse-flow-with-center-fire-box-idea

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/143986/center-firebox-build

Gary

 

[west tex smoker]

Here are a few that was posted

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/108670/center-firebox-rear-facing-reverse-flow-trailer-build

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/149036/double-reverse-flow-with-center-fire-box-idea

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/143986/center-firebox-build

Gary

Thanks for the links there is definitely a lot to think about. Some great information

 

[dragons breath]

hey west tex.  Thought I would put my 2 cents in. I've built a couple of center fired and learned a couple of things. They use your fire more efficiently but my first build (a 250 gal.) has uneven heat .I ran the reverse flow plate down hill like some of the other RF smokers and on a center fired this causes the smoker to be hotter on the uphill side, and of course the center was hotter than either side.

On the second build (a 300 gal.) I welded the reverse flow plate level and added a heat shield (1/4" plate) between the firebox and the reverse flow plate. This smoker holds temperature amazingly close all across the cook chamber. That being said for my purposes I think a 500 gal would be optimal for my use. I need more cooking area like yourself, but a 1000 gal. smoker stretches all the parameters. With my results I'm confident a 500 gal. would work. I used 6" schd. 10 pipe for the chimney at the height required by the calculator. It was either Dave or Gary or both that added when you get to 6" size pipe or larger for the smoke stack the calculator isn't quite correct. And in practice I have found this to be true. There is less friction and more draw. With the 300 after obtaining temp. I actually have to close the air dampers to the fire box and half way shut the damper on top of the smoke stack. And then it just percolates along. Last Nov. I cooked over 100 turkeys over two days! I hope this helps.

Dave

 

[west tex smoker]

Thanks Dragon....by the way I really enjoyed reading your thread for one of your builds, and I appreciate your input. I'm still giving all of this some serious thought. I do large cooks often enough that I could really use the space that is available in a pit this size. I know it's sounds crazy but I have always been a little dumb I guess. Also reducing the number of fires to fight is a plus in my book. I kinda don't mind standing alone on stuff like this and giving it the old college try. You just never know what you might learn. Not that I am completely disregarding any input. On the contrary. I just want to expand on what is already known and have some adventure in the process. Your knowledge and expertise that has been shared are much appreciated so please don't stop.

One last thing. If you looked at the concept drawings do you have an opinion on the dual smoker utilizing just one fire box? They would in essence be reverse flow 500s. I would the the 1000 and divide it in two with a piece of plate.

Again thanks for your time and opinions.

 

[gary s]

Hey Dragons Breath, glad you chimed in I remember your build but couldn't remember who's it was. Good to hear from you  WTS can use you help

Gary

 

[dragons breath]

Thanks west tex and Gary.  I'm kind of like you west tex, don't mind doing something if it makes since.  

I made the firebox (300 gal.) larger than the calculator called for.. I did this to get longer smoke time without adding charcoal. But the results can give more heat to a larger cook chamber and this is where the heat shield will help control the temperature. Another added bonus is more metal to absorb and radiate the heat making it easier to control temp.

I hope I'm not rambling but I thought about this way more than I worked on it.

On your question about dividing the tank, I think it is doable but you would need dampers to control the heat - smoke flow through the smoke chamber. I think you would have to damp firebox to cook chamber as well as the smoke stacks and work them to keep it even. And 41" is a deep cook chamber. For a one sided smoker that can be over come with stout pull out grills. but you're still working a considerable distance from the edge.

I see Dave wrote your dimensions as 41" diameter and 15' 6" long. That is one huge tank for a smoker.

I had a 2000 gal. tank - 48" diameter, 20' long 3/8" wall, that I thought long and hard about building, but decided against it.  Ahh what could have been. I think I would have needed a tractor trailer to mount it.

MHO is a single center fired smoker, but I might be too wedded to this idea.

Dave