Modify my patio offset

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dockman

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
Jun 14, 2013
594
26
Climax Springs, Mo
I have had this smoker for over 20 years. I think it is what is considered an offset smoker. A customer built it for me as partail payment on a boat dock. It is built very well 16" diameter by 1/4" thick but after researching a big RF build I decided to check this thing out. The CC is 16" x 31" ** FB 16" x 17" ** FB Intake is 4" round ** FB to CC is 9" x 9" ** and Exhaust is 3.5" ID pipe x 30" long. According to Feldon calculator the FB is way to big, the vent is to small, exhaust to to long, and FB to CC is way to big. Since I own a welding shop I would like to correct these issue and if possible make it RF? What should I do to make it right? I was thinking close the FB to CC opening to correct size, open vent some and shorten exhaust. And if I could make RF I would do that also and then move exhaust to other end. I will post a picture as soon as I can find one.




 
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Don't want to bug him I am sure he has seen my post. Been doing some reading and it seems that "Tuning Plates" & "Charcoal Brasket" is a must. I will also be cutting down my exhaust length and sealing all doors with Red High Temp silicone.
 
Spent today modding my smoker with the tuning plates, charcoal basket, and shortening exhaust. Have a fire going as I type tuning and seasoning it. Hope it works out good cause I would like to do baby backs on it tomorrow instead of the MES 40. Here are a few pictures of what I done.

The charcoal basket is plenty big 12" x 15" x 5"


I have about 4" from bottom of basket to bottom of fire box.


This is the plate I made to also decrease the hole size from FB to CC. It is 5" off the floor of CC at FB side and 4" on CC (The other 2 tuning plates are 4"  also).


The FB to CC hole was 8 1/2" x 9"


Now opening is 8 1/2" x 5"

 
Smoker has been going for about an hour now at first one side was 300 degrees and the FB side was 225. I slid the middle plate over about 1 1/2" and now I have 255 and FB side is 245. I moved middle plate about 1" or less more. Waiting to see how that works out as I type. Outside temp is 26 degrees!
 
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All I had at my shop was 8" & 10" plate so I went with the 8". I cut 3 plates 8" x 13 9/16" x 1/4" welded the FB plug to one of them so I only have 2 plates to move. Bolted it in place with SS bolts and nuts.



Oh almost forgot I added a 2nd thermometer and relocated the oridginal one.


This thing weighs a ton and I had no help loading it in the truck. My shop is 2 miles away so I had to build the items at shop then come home and fit them. I would have like to of done a better kob but not having smoker right there with me it was not possible. I still need to fill old thermometer hole for now I have a quarter over it and tape in place with gorilla tape.
 
My grate was only about 2" above the tuning plates. The ribs were way over cooked doing the 3-2-1 method so I raised the grate to 4" above tuning plates and split 2 of the plates in halves. Now I have the 8" plate welded to fb plug, 1 - 5", 2 - 4", & 1 - 3" tuning plate. Cutting the plates and raising the grate was a big help in controlling heat however I am still struggle getting even heat from side to side.
 
I went ahead and lowered the tuning plates another 1/2" or so plus added 1 more 2" wide plate. I believe the FB is to big so I made these removable plates to fill in FB. The plates cuts off around 400 square inches plus blocks heat from CC wall.

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