How much air flow thru a smoker....

[daveomak]

This is my MES 30 smoker with a Mail Box modification...     I find lots of air produces a clean smoke...  Seems to burn off most of the creosote...  Inside the Mailbox, you can see where creosote has accumulated, which is good...   at least it's not on the meat, turning it black and giving it that awful acrid taste... 

Some of the meat I've smoked....

.Picnic Hams.....                                   ..Pork Loins......                                ... Spatched & Quartered Turkey.....

picnic done 002.JPG

• daveomak
• Nov 28, 2016

Pork Loin 2-19-17 1.JPG

• daveomak
• Nov 28, 2016

...

Turkey 2-2016 004.JPG

• daveomak
• Nov 28, 2016

AND.....  WAIT FOR IT.....   My 2nd video ever.....  I don't think I'm improving much but... Heck, I keep getting older....

Hanging is a Pork Loin roulade...  sliced apples spiced with cinnamon...  Kind of an unmade applesauce.....

 

[sqwib]

Awesome 2nd vid, keep it up. Thanks for sharing!

 

[SmokinAl]

Nice job on the video Dave!

Keep them coming!

Al

 

[cmayna]

Dave, I like the AMNPS on stilts.  Do you have any other holes in the mailbox besides the 3 in the door?   Any thru the floor of the mail box?  I have some thru my floor but really don't know if they really do any good.  Just curious.

 

[crankybuzzard]

Dave, I appreciate all you do, and the vid shows how the things we love tend to work!

 

[daveomak]

 
Dave, I like the AMNPS on stilts.  Do you have any other holes in the mailbox besides the 3 in the door?   Any thru the floor of the mail box?  I have some thru my floor but really don't know if they really do any good.  Just curious.

Morning Craig....    Only 3 holes in the door....  I want the air flow IN one end and OUT the other...   The stilts make it so I don't have to dry the pellets..  All they needed was better air flow... (so far)....    That's my story and I'm stickin' to it...   HAHAHAHAHA......

 

[daveomak]

SQWIB , Al and Buzzard....  Thanks much...   I really appreciate the comments....  

 

[cmayna]

Nope, I hear ya.  I have actually covered the holes on the mailbox floor and with just the front door holes it seems to work pretty painlessly.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Some good info there...JJ

 

[chopsaw]

Thanks for posting this . I just finished my mail box mod on a mes 30 . I get alot of condensate in the mail box and the first section of duct . The smoke flows good , but is heavy in the smoker box . I use the 12' smoke tube . I have done 1 dry run , no meat . smoke was heavy but not dark , color looked good . 1 with jerky . again smoke seemed heavy in the box , alot of condensate  at the mailbox , smoke on the meat was good . I dont have any holes in the mail box , so maybe I need to lean it out ? The smoke flows good , and the 12' tube burns complete , but maybe its to rich ? 

thx for this post , please let me know what you think ,,, 

Chop

 

[daveomak]

I have had great success with what you see...  Anytime you smoke meat, you need lots of air flow....  I'm judging air flow by smoke houses I knew as a kid...  How the old timers smoked meats...   Totally different than todays designed smokers...  Try the 3 hole set up and judge by the results you get...  taste test etc...  moisture in the duct work or the smoker body..    The taste test should be the convincing test...  If you don't like the 3 hole set up....   refer magnets or tape will solve it easily...

 

[mosparky]

Congrats on a fine video. Can't wait for another.

 

[killerque]

Good looking set up. I have never used pellets or dust before. I have an old upright gasses that is cooked out. I may have to convert it and rig up a mailbox thing. What kind of temps can you get in one like that?

I am currently working on a massive (for me anyway) smoker using a 4'×5'×7' steel box using a wood stove for a fire box. I wasn't getting enough air flow so I decided to crawl on in and shut the doors and watch the smoke. I then cut holes with my torch. Let's just say it was uncomfortable but I believe I have it flowing good now.

 

[wade]

Good video there Dave, thanks. Its good to see your smoker in action.

I love the term you used " to sanitize the filth" - it describes the process perfectly in most smokers. Nothing nasty will survive for long at that temperature