Help with temp.

[rhollar]

I am new to smoking, just finished my smoker. It is made from a 30 gallon air tank for chamber and fire box is 25 or 20 gallon air tank., they are connected with two 4X4 pieces of square tube. I can't get my temp over 175, I've tried lump and briquettes. I've had all air flow wide open not sure what to do, any help would be great.oh yea I did build a charcoal box for fire box also, it is about 13 X 6 X 6 inches high.

 

[andy seaver]

Not sure what the problem is.  I would be interested to see what you have for a air intake on the firebox.  That would be my first guess.  Not enough intake.  Looks like you probably have plenty of exhaust.

 

[andy seaver]

never mind.  I looked at your profile and I see you have a pic of the intake on there.  I wonder if the intake is too high on the side of the firebox.  If it were lower it might allow more air to get under the fire and breath a little better.  I also put a grate in the firebox on mine to allow air under the fire.  You may already have that.  Someone else may come up with a better idea.

 

[andy seaver]

I really like the look though.

 

[rbranstner]

Yea I can't see any air dampers for your air intake on the smaller fire box chamber. What do you have to regulate the air flow?

 

[mballi3011]

It looks to me that your inlets into the cook box is way to high I hate to say. The heat is probably going into the box and right out the stack.

 

[rbranstner]

Maybe you could try and extend your exhaust as low as possible in the smoker to keep the heat from coming in and going right out the stack.

 

[rhollar]

Thanks guys, I also decided the other day to make the tube going into the smoke chamber bigger, I cut the two 4 inchers out and added another 8 inches. Doing a test right now and it is setting at 250, I was also thinking that I might need more air in the firebox, I was thinking about cutting another area on the other side.  I can also add a piece to my exhaust inside so it is lower(good ideas).I do have a grate with a box in the firebox. Right now my air in the firebox is only about 4X3 inches.

 

[smokermark]

You could add a baffle extending about two thirds toward the front of your cooker with a few small holes drilled. The openings might be too high. I think that your exhaust pipe is high and large enough from the looks of it though on the end is probably better. You might try adding some aluminum flashing roll inserted into it extending to about level of your cooking grates.  I think that you need a couple of inlet vents going into the firebox that are lower underneath the coals and then a way to dampen your air flow into the cooking chamber. You could make a charcoal basket to sit atop a charcoal grate so that the air around the coals can circulate better. I think that if you put a lip of steal running alongside the back side edges of your door do it insets a little bit maybe you can hold the heat and smoke in better.

 

[rhollar]

I might be dumb, but the aluminum flashing roll you are talking about is it the stuff for roofing? Do you mean just roll up a 3" by like 5 inch piece and put into the end of the stack (in the chamber)? Thanks again. Just checked it and is staying right at 250, been there for about 2 hours so far.

 

[smokermark]

I might be dumb, but the aluminum flashing roll you are talking about is it the stuff for roofing? Do you mean just roll up a 3" by like 5 inch piece and put into the end of the stack (in the chamber)? Thanks again. Just checked it and is staying right at 250, been there for about 2 hours so far.

That's right, if you wanted you could try lowering the exhaust toward the cooking grate level with a rolled-up piece of roof flashing. That should help with more uniform heat throughout the cooker adjustable that way. Should make it a little more efficient burning also.