Inherited Smoker help

[NSSeager]

This is more a drum smoker (UDS or WSM) than an offset---you over-fuel it, start just the middle, and let the fire spread out with time. Like the door on a firebox, little vents at the bottom control the rate your fuel is burned and hence your cook temperature. After a fuel cooks, you have the process dialed in. The doors would still allow some moderate interaction if things didn't quite go to plan. (The doors aren't large enough to allow a full size circular grate or fire shield to be added.)

I'm guessing he specialized in ribs (noting the absence of any grills/grates in your pics) hung off that carousel at the top. I suspect he could get 15-18 racks in there. He'd probably re-hang them upside down halfway through the total cook to average out top-to-bottom cooker temp gradients. (The rotational vertical rotisserie ensured any planar gradients averaged out.) You could ask the widow if he left a bunch of hooks behind, although he might have just bent them as needed from a spool of baling wire or old metal coathangers.

Awesome! I appreciate it.

These were inside. The circular grate has chains and hooks to hang from. The rectangular ones could have at one point but currently don't. I was contemplating cleaning these up or making/buying/seasoning my own. I'm sure if he didn't have them hanging they were sitting on the bricks.

 

[JckDanls 07]

The rectangle ones look much heavier duty... like they could have been the fire grates sitting on blocks...

I'm curious as to how he cleaned ashes out after a cook if he in fact used charcoal/wood splits? Do the bottom grates/plates come out ?

Is there any kind of a control valve in the propane hose anywere ?

I'm assuming the top/lid is not removable with the motor and gearbox on top ?

 

[NSSeager]

The rectangle ones look much heavier duty... like they could have been the fire grates sitting on blocks...

I'm curious as to how he cleaned ashes out after a cook if he in fact used charcoal/wood splits? Do the bottom grates/plates come out ?

Is there any kind of a control valve in the propane hose anywere ?

I'm assuming the top/lid is not removable with the motor and gearbox on top ?

The bottom grates do not come out - neither the top coming off. However where the valves and pipe is, is a tray that(with a lot of elbow grease) does eventually slide out. I took my leaf blower and whirled it around a bit to get as much to that edge as I could to clean out the bottom.

 

[bill1]

The rectangle ones look much heavier duty... like they could have been the fire grates sitting on blocks...

Interesting theory. I've lost a sense of size scale here though...would the two rectangular grates side-by-side still fit in the bottom of the round unit?
I assume all grates pictured would fit through the double door entry?

 

[GaryHibbert]

The smaller rectangle grate looks like it would rotate in the smoker if hung with hooks/chins under the round grate, giving 2 rotating cook grates. The larger rectangle, sitting on the bricks could have been used as a fire grate for either charcoal or wood splits.
If the chains are long enough, it appears the meat could be loaded through the double doors, using the electric motor to rotate the grates to easily load/unload both sides of the cooking grates.
Gary

 

[NSSeager]

Interesting theory. I've lost a sense of size scale here though...would the two rectangular grates side-by-side still fit in the bottom of the round unit?
I assume all grates pictured would fit through the double door entry?

Yes. I pulled them out through the door. They fit easily. I'm not near them right now but guessing roughly 18x24 or 30"

 

[Danblacksher]

This is a wild cooker and does look interesting. At first look we're talking propane, electric, and possibly hardwood.

So, there are tail lights in one photo... is this a trailer? I see intake vents, so I'm wondering if the propane is to light hardwood for a bed of coals, or if the vents are to provide a proper gas/air ratio? And does the motor (with drive belt) connect to a gear box that may turn a vertical rotisserie of sorts?

once you said trailer lights it made me realize how big it is.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Can we get a different view (picture) of the top section... Kinda wanna see what the other end of the shaft is running (gearbox) ?

 

[jboyp]

I would like to see the top to. I am about to build a vertical Smoker and want to make it rotate. I am curious how one would keep the smoke in check. Open to anyone who would know. Thought about making a shaft seal using stove gasket.

 

[NSSeager]

The single vent in the top wasn't enough by itself in this smoker(was able to put on a couple briskets, rack of ribs, and pork butt this past weekend). I had to have the doors cracked open to get enough air flow for the wood to actually burn and not snuff itself out. I need a fan to pull air through and smoke out if I want to have the doors closed.

 

[JckDanls 07]

If it doesn't have intake vents at the bottom... a fan is not gonna help... Needs air coming in before any will come out ...

I would like to see the top to. I am about to build a vertical Smoker and want to make it rotate. I am curious how one would keep the smoke in check. Open to anyone who would know. Thought about making a shaft seal using stove gasket.

I would not worry about a little smoke coming out around the shaft... It's not going to make it perform any different... You always want to run with exhaust vent wide open anyways...