Custom Offset Ideas

[ultimo]

My smoking buddy and I want to make a pair of 20inch standard flow offsets for ourselves.

We have a pair of bought 16inch offsets at the moment.
1 is a standard flow and the other is a reverse flow.

Lucky for us the builds will be done in my buddies stainless fabrication workshop so there may be some stainless bling on them as well.

So my question is if you have built or bought your own offset, what feature do you wish you had added in with hindsight.

Also any ideas on something to stand out from the crowd, like custom wheels, air intakes, handles, exhaust stacks and caps and any other cool touches.

We want to make them right the first time so all ideas are welcome.

Thanks, Ultimo

 

[SmokinAl]

Slide out racks & a nice big table on the front & side.

Also probe ports and therms at each end.

Al

 

[deere317]

The only things I would change on mine would be adding a channel iron valley in the center of the RF Plate to direct the grease to the drain and making the plate out of 1/4. I got a great deal on plate but it was ar500 and the 3/16 I used for the RF warped a little the 1/4 for the fire box is doing fine but it is brick lined. Amy favorite addition was the work top swings out 90 degrees so it's out of the way when you slide out the racks.

 

[deere317]

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• deere317
• Jan 8, 2017

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• deere317
• Jan 8, 2017

 

[ultimo]

So we look as though we are going bigger.

We are looking at some 600mm (roughly 24 inch) diameter pipe.

I have tried to convert our metric measurements and put it all in Feldons calculator.

How does it look?

http://feldoncentral.com/bbqcalcula...43&fi=0,0,5.25,20.67,0.96&fc=8.38,11.85,55.12

 

[ultimo]

Just some more thoughts going through my mind.

I am hoping to have 2 intakes (1 on each side of the firebox).

Im also hoping to trial a V shaped fire grate so that the V runs from the front of the firebox to the cook chamber and the top rails of this grate start above both the side intakes.

This will hopefully draw the incoming air underneath the fire and once all the wood starts to fully burn, the coals will naturally slide down to the bottom point along this V.

Not sure of how aggressive of an angle to make this V shape yet though.

The bottom of these side intakes will be level with the bottom of the V in the fire grate, with enough of a gap for ash to drop away to a ash drawer in the bottom of the firebox.

Thoughts?

 

[ahumadora]

Here's my 600mm design  http://www.ahumadoras.com/productos/ahumadora-para-el-hogar/home-smoker-1200x600mm-nuevo/

 

[ultimo]

IMG_4031.jpg

• ultimo
• Mar 7, 2017

Some important materials have arrived. 

 

[coque]

I've become a fan of a square firebox. Even though it's more money and labor, it's easier to clean and sticks seems lay more easily inside a square. If you saw my other thread, I'm going for 3/8 thick on cook chamber. While I've never cooked on a 3/8 chamber, I'm told the cook times shorten considerably because of more thermal mass radiating heat from all directions.

 

[ahumadora]

I've become a fan of a square firebox. Even though it's more money and labor, it's easier to clean and sticks seems lay more easily inside a square. If you saw my other thread, I'm going for 3/8 thick on cook chamber. While I've never cooked on a 3/8 chamber, I'm told the cook times shorten considerably because of more thermal mass radiating heat from all directions.

Actually it is the other way around.   Cook times will shorten as less heat is being lost through the walls of the cook chamber. Once up to temp less wood is used.

You can briefly touch a 1/4- 3/8" cooker without being burnt, dont try that with a cheap offset.  It will hold heat better and recover faster for brief moments while you check your meat.

 

[coque]

Ahumadora,

I think you and I are saying the same thing.  I believe we both wrote that cook times will shorten.  In other words, thick walls like 1/4 or 3/8 will keep the heat inside and direct it at the food instead of to the outside world.  As the saying goes, 6 of 1, or a half dozen of the other.

 

[ultimo]

Ok, we changed our minds and are making a trailer smoker first for our brand new teams first comp in early August.

As you can see we are well underway.

The offset has been finished since these pics (only chimney to be finished there).

There will also be a wood basket with a stainless work/prep bench as a lid on the other side.

A sink with a 12v pump and a stainless water tank on the end of the wood basket as well.

And that is pretty much everything.

Image

• ultimo
• Jun 7, 2017

Image

• ultimo
• Jun 7, 2017

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• ultimo
• Jun 7, 2017

 

[3montes]

This is my custom offset when it was new. Pictures were taken by the fabricator at the time. It has everything I could want. I can't think of anything I would add quite honestly.

Thats a prep table in front. Underneath is ample storage that is also lockable.

tank40.jpg

• 3montes
• Jun 7, 2017

Cabinet style door with pull out racks. The top portion is also vented and can be cutoff from the main chamber. Works excellent for smoking fish at low temps.

tank41.jpg

• 3montes
• Jun 7, 2017

Ample wood storage box in back, 2 propane burners and enough space to strap 3 coolers side by side. There are lots of other small features built in like a electrical outlet you can plug in.

The fabricator did an extraordinary job.

tank39.jpg

• 3montes
• Jun 7, 2017

 

[pdog83]

Ultimo your build is looking great. I'm getting ready to start my build as well. Mine will be a 26" diameter pipe and I'm building a trailer to mount the smoker onto. What are the dimensions of your trailer and what size material did you use to construct it? I was thinking of using 2x3 or 2x4 rectangular tubing.

 

[ultimo]

pdog83

We repurposed a motorbike trailer that held 3 bikes.

I used my plasma cutter for the first time and stripped the trailer back to a bare frame.

So thats a long way of saying I don't really know.

[emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[ultimo]

A small update.

We have painted the firebox and cooking chamber, then we had our first fire in her to cure the paint and the oil we rubbed everywhere on the inside.

She stayed steady at about 200F for about 3 hours then we cranked her up to about 300F for another hour or so.

We used much less wood than I thought we would for such a big unit.

Next time I want to make a bigger fire and see what she can go to.

No pictures this time as its just the bare trailer and pit.

Once all the other goodies are mounted I will post some done pictures.

Thanks.
[emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[kam59]

Nice looking trailer build I like it. 

I would watch bringing her much past 325°/350° as things like your top door load may move on you and not come back when she cools. Just a suggestion. :)