First reverse flow smoker build - may have some questions

[smokin peachey]

Your progress looks good

 

[JC in GB]

Wow, amazing work you are doing there. Can't wait to see your next set of pics!

JC

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

Barely got any work done on the tank... Plasma cutter consumables are shot.. I need to go pick up some new ones... However, I did get the trailer home and all the rotten wood torn off it. I did some measurements and here's what I got. I can do a few different setups.

1 - work off the side of the trailer... Which would mean put the FB 10" off the ground and then the top of the tank would be around 65" off the ground... Kinda high.

2 - Work on the trailer. Then I can set up to any height height. But it would be kind of annoying to hop up there and check the temp consistently. The trailer is 76-1/2" wide so I would have at least 30" of space to walk.

What do you guys suggest?

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

Once again... Didn't get a lot done. Got the plasma cutter consumables only to have them fry up after 15 seconds. Gotta take the gun in tomorrow morning. I tried to do some handle mounts with the oxy acetylene torch.... Turned into some great scrap!

But I did get the trim around the cook chamber doors all done.

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

Finally got to make some progress... Unfortunately I ran out of Argon and couldn't finish out all the welding so a lot of it is just stitch welded.

I still have a few things left:

• Finish the welds where stitched
• Firebox door handle
• Cook chamber door handles
• Thermometer holes with threaded coupler
• Trailer floor grate
• Support for cooking grates (and the grates themselves)
• Paint
• Trailer lights hooked up

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

Well I got it all done just in time for fourth of July bbq! Did 2 briskets, 6 shoulder, 7 hunksof ball tip and a couple dozen wings. All turned out great!


Only problem I have with the smoker is that it has around a 25* difference in temp from door to door. the left door (opposite of firebox) is around an average of 25* lower than the right. It makes sense since the firebox is right there... But... Is there a way to even that out??

daveomak smokin peachey JC in GB

 

[JC in GB]

Very nice work. I am impressed. I wish I had some advice on the temp zones but from what I have heard, this is pretty normal. I am sure someone more familiar with RF offsets can give a better answer.

Thanks for sharing. It was wonderful watching you transform that tank from a hunk of junk into a beautiful professional BBQ pit.

 

[Berettaclayshooter]

Very professional and "finished" looking build. The only question is... where's the pictures of your first cook?

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

Very professional and "finished" looking build. The only question is... where's the pictures of your first cook?

yeah.. After all was said and done... I didnt even think of a first cook picture to be honest. I was running on 1-1/2 sleep with a trip the next day so I wasnt in the best state of mind lol

 

[smokin peachey]

I don’t have an RF but it sounds like air isn’t moving through fast enough. Are you keeping your dampers open? Maybe your stack is to small.

My 500 gallon offset will run equal temps across the grate. Key is airflow.

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

I don’t have an RF but it sounds like air isn’t moving through fast enough. Are you keeping your dampers open? Maybe your stack is to small.

My 500 gallon offset will run equal temps across the grate. Key is airflow.

I have 4' of 8" pipe.. I can try another section. I went with the black stove pipe.

All of my vents were wide open.

 

[smokin peachey]

I have 4' of 8" pipe.. I can try another section. I went with the black stove pipe.

All of my vents were wide open.

Try leaving the firebox door cracked open.
Sorry I can’t give much advice on RF.

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

daveomak Any suggestions on getting more even temps across grate for the reverse flow?

 

[AllTuckerdOut]

So... Since I messed up and didn't take pictures of the first cook, here's the second so far.

I added another section of pipe to the exhaust and it seems to be holding more evenly.

This is what I call thin blue smoke! I had to get up on the truck to take a picture against the black roof to even get the camera to differentiate between the smoke and the blue sky ha. I cant believe how cleanly this is burning!

 

[pigbark]

very nice.. one thing with a RF that helps with a hot spot is a baffle at the throat.. if there isnt one,the heat rises and hits the rf plate creating the hot spot.. a baffle will eliminate that by pushing the heat down into the smoker...

 

[daveomak]

daveomak Any suggestions on getting more even temps across grate for the reverse flow?

The members here have found that upper air inlets on the FB, will move heat from the FB to the CC without adding additional air to the fire...
So, the lower air inlets control the heat and the upper air inlets move that heat to help reduce fuel consumption, reduce creosote and even out temps across the cooking surface...
They make your smoker a more versatile cooker...
One member has found he can control his RF smoker at 80F for smoking cheese...
Takes some getting used to but the results are worth the effort...

Here's his build thread....
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/short-fat-120-gallon-build.238321/page-7#post-1641495

..

 

[daveomak]

I just looked... You have your FB set up nice.... I ran the numbers and it looks like a 10" exhaust stack ~34" above the CC would be a good choice...
Are you letting the smoker warm up to even out the temps ???
There is a lot of steel there to warm up...
Fire that beast up and run it with the upper air inlet 3/4 open... see what happens and adjust from there....

 

[pigbark]

The members here have found that upper air inlets on the FB, will move heat from the FB to the CC without adding additional air to the fire...
So, the lower air inlets control the heat and the upper air inlets move that heat to help reduce fuel consumption, reduce creosote and even out temps across the cooking surface...
They make your smoker a more versatile cooker...
One member has found he can control his RF smoker at 80F for smoking cheese...
Takes some getting used to but the results are worth the effort...

Here's his build thread....
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/short-fat-120-gallon-build.238321/page-7#post-1641495

..

the fat 120 gal is what I'm looking for.. saving this.. thanks.

 

[radioguy]

You can also control air flow by adjusting the trailer tongue. Start off level for a while. Dip the trailer down a bit, this will cause flow to slow. Raise tongue above level, this aids in flow. It doesn't take very much movement to see a difference.

RG

 

[smokingunny]

This is slightly off-topic but how do you like that Vulcan welder? I've been looking at the multi-process model.