My Smokehouse

[sdelaune3]

Well guys....over the last year or so I have research smokers and smoke houses. I decided to build mine based off of two designs. Here are the links:

http://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=259

http://animalscience.uconn.edu/extension../publications/build_smokehouse.pdf

Now....I have started it twice just to season it and get a feel for it and both times after about 30 minutes the Hickory chunks have flare up and caught on fire. I'm assuming this is partially due to an over abundance of oxygen? I'm guessing I have a draft entering from the bottom of the burner. In both smokes my vent on the bottom has been closed. The first time it flared up the smoker was around 180 degrees and the second time it was at 210 degrees.

In case anyone is worried about the height of the smoker - I have cut about 8" off the bottom to make it a little shorter. I am also about to pour a slab for another patio whether the smoker will be placed. For now I have it stored in the garage and wheel it in to the driveway.

Thanks

 

[SmokinAl]

Here is a tutorial on how to upload photo's to your post.

This way the photo will appear instead of a jpeg link.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/125263/how-to-upload-a-photo-q-view-to-your-post

Al

 

[unclebubbas bbq]

 
Well guys....over the last year or so I have research smokers and smoke houses. I decided to build mine based off of two designs. Here are the links:

http://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=80&t=259

http://animalscience.uconn.edu/extension../publications/build_smokehouse.pdf

Now....I have started it twice just to season it and get a feel for it and both times after about 30 minutes the Hickory chunks have flare up and caught on fire. I'm assuming this is partially due to an over abundance of oxygen? I'm guessing I have a draft entering from the bottom of the burner. In both smokes my vent on the bottom has been closed. The first time it flared up the smoker was around 180 degrees and the second time it was at 210 degrees.

In case anyone is worried about the height of the smoker - I have cut about 8" off the bottom to make it a little shorter. I am also about to pour a slab for another patio whether the smoker will be placed. For now I have it stored in the garage and wheel it in to the driveway.

Thanks

If you have your chip pan directly on top of the burner the chunks will catch fire. I have a smoke hollow 44 and the chip pan sits about 8" above the burner allowing it to smolder, if I get the temps up too high then they will catch

 

[sdelaune3]

Here are a few pictures of the build....My carpentry isn't the best but I'm pretty sure it will get the job done!!

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[sdelaune3]

 
If you have your chip pan directly on top of the burner the chunks will catch fire. I have a smoke hollow 44 and the chip pan sits about 8" above the burner allowing it to smolder, if I get the temps up too high then they will catch

What kind of pan do you have on top of the burner? What do the chunks sit in/on?

 

[ab canuck]

Smoker looks good, The pan is a bit low for smoking, But lots of practice and playing, some tweaking around and you will get it. Good job.

 

[daveomak]

Use 1 chunk of wood....   You can't start a fire with only 1 piece of wood......   OR.... put a cover on the pan with a few small air holes....

 

[sdelaune3]

I will try to add a shelf about 8 inches above the burner to hold the wood chunks. Any suggestions on if I should keep the cast iron griddle on top of the burner and put the wood chunks on something else? or Should I keep the wood chunks on the cast iron griddle and have an open flame?

Last question for now....Do you smoke with or without water/water pan/bowl?

 

[sdelaune3]

Alright....This week I tried several different heights for putting the rack in which my wood chunks sit on. I started at 8 inches and worked my way down. From my tests this week it looks like when I used the cast iron griddle and wood chunks that they did not start smoking until they were about 2 inches above the top height of my burner and i raised the internal temperature of the smoker up to 300 degrees with no results. They barely put off any smoke at all. I swapped the cast iron griddle out for a cheap "pizza pan" from Walmart and the wood chips began smoking around the same height but would still catch on fire after about 30 mins at 225 degrees.

Im guessing my only other option now may be to get a box and put wood chips in it?

Any more help or ideas will be appreciated.
 

Also.....I tried with one wood chunk and it still caught on fire.

 

[daveomak]

Try covering the wood pan, with a lid that has a few air holes in it....  That will cut down on the air supply to the wood and allow it to smolder...    It can be aluminum foil...   or whatever...

 

[redheelerdog]

The expandable AMAZN tube would probably work for that and then use the LP gas for heat.

What do you plan to smoke the most? Hot smoking, cold smoking?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Smoker looks good. You should  make a deflector above the pan. Liquids dropping on the hot cast iron can explode the CI, I know that for a fact.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Do you have any fireproofing on the lower end down by the burner? Or is it just wood?