Right... here goes - this may well be top in the list of 'stupid questions' or idiotic ideas but I'm hoping someone might be able to offer words of wisdom, even if the outcome is, "Don't try that, just don't do it...!"
I want / need to build a new BBQ (I'm in the UK, so apologies for any misdemeanours in terms or spelling...) and had originally been thinking of an Argentine-style Asado or Parrilla but have recently been using my home BBQ (with lid) for some very simple smoking. As always, using something for other than its' core purpose has compromises and my mind has turned towards a smoker build.
We don't have space for both a large-scale BBQ build AND a smoker build, particularly as I'm unlikely to be using both options at the same time so I'd wondered about the potential to create something that works equally well (or very nearly as well..) for both options.
My thought process is to have a decent sized reverse flow smoke chamber with off-set fire box.
Within the smoke box, I would have a 'false floor' of heat retaining tiles - we get these from storage heaters which absorb heat overnight and then release slowly during the day... dense thermal tiles about 8" x 9" and an inch thick
The firebox feed into the bottom of the smoke chamber, running beneath the false floor of thermal tiles and I would lift out the tiles at the far end from the fire box to allow the smoke and heat to rise up into the main cook / smoke chamber, passing over the meat(s) and out of the chimney. So far, so good...
My hope is that I could then use the same set-up as a charcoal BBQ - not using the fire box but reinstalling the tiles to the end of the cook chamber and then using the tiled surface as the base for the charcoal with the grills above being used as a cooking surface.
I'm about to sketch something up, but would appreciate thoughts...
It strikes me as being a really simple (OK... with a lot of fabrication work...) option but there must be a really good reason why no-one else has done something like this!
Anyone?
I want / need to build a new BBQ (I'm in the UK, so apologies for any misdemeanours in terms or spelling...) and had originally been thinking of an Argentine-style Asado or Parrilla but have recently been using my home BBQ (with lid) for some very simple smoking. As always, using something for other than its' core purpose has compromises and my mind has turned towards a smoker build.
We don't have space for both a large-scale BBQ build AND a smoker build, particularly as I'm unlikely to be using both options at the same time so I'd wondered about the potential to create something that works equally well (or very nearly as well..) for both options.
My thought process is to have a decent sized reverse flow smoke chamber with off-set fire box.
Within the smoke box, I would have a 'false floor' of heat retaining tiles - we get these from storage heaters which absorb heat overnight and then release slowly during the day... dense thermal tiles about 8" x 9" and an inch thick
The firebox feed into the bottom of the smoke chamber, running beneath the false floor of thermal tiles and I would lift out the tiles at the far end from the fire box to allow the smoke and heat to rise up into the main cook / smoke chamber, passing over the meat(s) and out of the chimney. So far, so good...
My hope is that I could then use the same set-up as a charcoal BBQ - not using the fire box but reinstalling the tiles to the end of the cook chamber and then using the tiled surface as the base for the charcoal with the grills above being used as a cooking surface.
I'm about to sketch something up, but would appreciate thoughts...
It strikes me as being a really simple (OK... with a lot of fabrication work...) option but there must be a really good reason why no-one else has done something like this!
Anyone?
