Here is what I am working with

[bwedel24]

Well I figured I would share my latest project.... a Trailer Smoker, Reverse Flow with grilling capabilities. 

Theres my 250 or 275 gal tank, I opened her up with a sawzall and an angle grinder.  Burned her out twice with 4+ hour fires.

Heres my Haul-Rite Boat trailer I picked up cheap as hell on craigslist.  Wood has been removed so I dont burn down my project while smokin!

got wood for free from a house a randomly stoped @ on the side of the road.

givin her a good burn.

Ratched straps and hinges being installed!

burnin out my 55gal drum firebox.  Made my own lid (see below)

lookin better with some high heat paint!... work in progress

rack makin supplies.... and makin the rack below

DONT EVERRRRRRRRRRR WELD IN SHORTR SLEEVES FOR 2 HOURS... infrared radiation burns last about a week

MOUNTEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

pit bull is lickin his chops thinking about all the meat coming out of that smoker in a few months! Oh yes my welds look like SHIT but damn they hold well, I kicked the hell out of all the legs and couldnt get them off after my welds, and I even sank 2 bolts per leg thru the supports and inot the tank just to be safe on the road!

handcrafted, hinged, firebox door. more pics later.

anglegrinder + finger = Emergency Room.... it was squirting blood and you could see bone/tendon... girlfriend MADE me go!

isnt she gonna be sexyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

To give you an idea of what she will ultimately look like^^^^^^^ super stoked to keep working on this!

Hope you like it.  Please give me some feedback.

Wedel

 

[tyotrain]

hey looks great Cant wait to see it all done, Keep the pic's coming..

 

[Bearcarver]

Hey!

Looking good Wedel !

Gotta watch those side grinders. When I CS carved my Bears, I used to use some real aggressive wheels on my angle grinder.

They can be more dangerous than the chainsaws !!!!

Bear

 

[realtorterry]

NICE JOB

 

[rbranstner]

Thats  going to make a nice  size smoker  for sure.

 

[daveomak]

I'm impressed. Good fit up. Straight cuts. Seems as though all the really good fabricators start in their back yard!

 

[bwedel24]

ok everyone, not that i have a build thread its time for more comments.  PLEASE give me your input when you get time.  questions I have:

1) how big should the smokestack be...how tall and how many inches in diameter? (please dont send me the calcualtor excel page... too hard for my simple brain ro figure out.... just give me numerical suggestions!

2) How many air inlets/intake should I have and where?  I know i need an adjustable on the firebox/firebox door and def a damper on the smokestack, but should I put some intakes on the cooking chamber?

3)Should I reinforce the inside bottom of my 55gal firebox? oil drums are pretty thin, I AM putting a fireplace grate in there but should I still reinforce the bottom?

4) how many hours should I cure her for when I finally get her ready for fire?

5) Should the bottom of the smokestack be flush with the top of the cooking chamber?  I have seen smokestacks that are dropped down into the chambera  fe inches above the cooking grate... I dont htink I want that... fell like it might make stale smoke and or creosote on my meat.

ANY AND ALL HELP WILL BE AWESOME.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

WEDEL

 

[SmokinAl]

So far so good, my friend!

 

[bwedel24]

haha ANYBODY?  please help answer my questions!  I would hate to put in all this work and she smokes like crap!  Any help for the above-listed questions would be fantastic.

Bryan

 

[daveomak]

http://webpages.charter.net/tomchism/BBQ CALC Forms/BBQ Smoker Calculators.htm

Bryan, above is a pit calculator. I have never used it nor have I built a pit that I needed to use one.

Hope that will help you.

 

[bwedel24]

More pics from this weekendddddddddddd.........

Yes, using a pizza box to make a circle to use as a template for my holes.......

Put in my connecting pipe.

Coming together!

 

[canadiannewbie]

Very nice !

I have never built a smoker but based on what I've seen ...

• Would you consider a reverse flow? Would this be wise ?? Pro's may want to jump in and explain to us both.
• If not, I.'m thinking two stacks on opposite upper portion of the cooking chamber (equal flow out?) My guess 5" dia.

What are you thinking of puttng at front of trailer? I'm thinking a caged area that will hold your supply of wood? Same grill used for your racks? Maybe install a screen/door so you can safely haul the wood.

I also think you need a small area for a cooler ;-) I like the glass trophy LOL

Dave 

 

[bwedel24]

Hey brotherman,

she is definitely going to be a reverse flow.  Thats how she was designed and I love the idea.  I cant seem to get ANY input on any of my questions so I think I am just going to wing it and hope it works out.  I will find some pipe, make some stacks and if it doesnt work, then shit, ill rip em off and try again.  I would still like people to help answer the questions I have (thats why I joined this forum) but at this point it seems a bit far fetched to get any beneficial input haha.

I will have room on the trailer for wood/coolers/kegs etc.

 

[Bearcarver]

I would be glad to help, but I have absolutely no idea how to answer any of those 6 questions.

Maybe this will help, as some will be glad to show how much smarter they are than the Bear.   

Bear

 

[bwedel24]

Hahah ok.  let me try again to rephrase my questions.  

1) if the smoke stack calculator reads a 5inch diameter pipe needs to be 32 inches for my smoker, could I have 2 5inch diameter pipes @ 16 inches long (side by side) instead?

2) would putting air intakes on my actual meat chamber defeat the purpose of draft? should I just have an adjustable intake on the firebox and a damper on the flue?

3) how many hours should I cure the smoker (smoke it without meat inside) before I start smoking meat.  (like a dry run to season the smoker)

Ok, question list simplified! haha.  I dont mean to complain, I am just excited to get my project completed and throw a pig in there!

 

[Bearcarver]

That might help, but I think the biggest problem is that your questions came in on the 7th post on this thread.

Many guys who could answer them probably didn't see them.

I would start a new thread, and maybe name it something like, "Smoke Stack and Air Intake Questions".

Then put those questions in the thread body.

Then they will come!

Bear

PS:  You could even put a link on that thread to this thread, or put the pictures in that thread too.

 

[bwedel24]

haha oooooooooooooohhh.  Well thats another question I have!  Under what section should I post questions?  Specifically these questions?

Thanks,

Wedel

 

[daveomak]

Wedel, Morning. Questions should be posted under (forums-smoking supplies and equipment-smoker builds- reverse flow).  

Your assumption of 2 16"  stacks will not work. The stacks are chimneys. A chimney functions because of the change in pressure from the lower end to the upper end. (difference in air pressure/density) That is physics, or something like that, that the laws cant be changed. Do not put air intakes on the meat chamber. The meat chamber is part of the "chimney". From the drafts to the dampers, the smoker should be "air tight".

To insure adequate exhaust flow, I would use 2 6" exhaust stacks. One at each end. I would install a damper on each stack so I could achieve balance in the smoker in the future. I would install the dampers on the top of the stacks that would also keep out debris. I would install 2 inlets on the fire box each with draft control. I would also install an ash dump door. As far as tuning plates goes, I haven't looked at those too closely. There are some very good drawings I have seen here.

Everything I have written here is based on reading others posts because I am interested in learning.

Take some time, read and take notes. 

http://www.1728.com/circsect.htm

SmokingMeatForums.com  › Forums  › Smoking Supplies & Equipment  › Smoker Builds  › Reverse Flow

 

[bwedel24]

Dave,

thank you X1000000000 for responding!  My question is, if I have a smoke stack on each end of the smoker, wont that defeat the purpose of the "Reverse Flow Smoker" where smoke travels under the baffle, and then all the way back across the meat before exiting the chamber through the smokestack?

 

[scarbelly]

Looking great so far