New build but no heat?
- Thread starter kahua
- Start date
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How big was your fire.... Where was all the smoke leaking from.... Exhaust stack diameter looks small... Can't see the air inlets to the FB... No gaskets on all the doors you have built into that monster..... No upper air inlet on the FB......
kam59
Smoking Fanatic
Some unknowns are what is the opening from the firebox to the cook chamber?
What is the opening at the opposite end of the cook chamber where the heat/smoke makes its turn?
What is the distance between the lower grate and your reverse flow plate?
What is the thickness of the reverse flow plate?
The first visible thing I noticed is your ash pan covers about 2/3's of your intake when the door is closed this could be starving your coal base. I would remove the pan and drop the fire grate down to the ash pan level and do a test burn to see if she heats up better.
What is the opening at the opposite end of the cook chamber where the heat/smoke makes its turn?
What is the distance between the lower grate and your reverse flow plate?
What is the thickness of the reverse flow plate?
The first visible thing I noticed is your ash pan covers about 2/3's of your intake when the door is closed this could be starving your coal base. I would remove the pan and drop the fire grate down to the ash pan level and do a test burn to see if she heats up better.
kam59
Smoking Fanatic
How big was your fire.... Where was all the smoke leaking from.... Exhaust stack diameter looks small... Can't see the air inlets to the FB... No gaskets on all the doors you have built into that monster..... No upper air inlet on the FB......
If Kahua is struggling to get temps up why would adding an upper intake help? Per your tutorial the upper intake is to help cool down the firebox.
" One additional modification was suggested.... members here, tested a second air inlet to the FB.... directly across from the FB/CC opening... That was a significant improvement of some/most smokers.... If the FB was too hot, it could be cooled by opening the upper air inlet...."
kam59... I always appreciate your critique of what I post....
Perhaps, airflow is lacking in the FB so the heat can't get to the CC..... As you noted, the lower air inlets, to the FB, seems to be blocked...
Perhaps, if that's the case, the FB is overheating and an upper air inlet would help to heat the CC....
Since there is so little helpful information in this thread, we are all shooting in the dark and trying to help this member with whatever we can....
You have noted SEVERAL times how you think the upper air inlet, on the FB, is a waste as you have never used or needed any on your smokers.... Well... many folks find them helpful... perhaps you would find them an advantage if you installed an upper air inlet in one of your smokers... After a trial period, and a thorough investigation of it's possibilities, you may not find them useful... so be it.... until then, if you would save your opinion of the upper air inlet until you have tested it, I would personally appreciate it...
We are trying to help the starter of the thread, not denigrate members comments and suggestions whom are trying to help with many suggestions..
Perhaps, airflow is lacking in the FB so the heat can't get to the CC..... As you noted, the lower air inlets, to the FB, seems to be blocked...
Perhaps, if that's the case, the FB is overheating and an upper air inlet would help to heat the CC....
Since there is so little helpful information in this thread, we are all shooting in the dark and trying to help this member with whatever we can....
You have noted SEVERAL times how you think the upper air inlet, on the FB, is a waste as you have never used or needed any on your smokers.... Well... many folks find them helpful... perhaps you would find them an advantage if you installed an upper air inlet in one of your smokers... After a trial period, and a thorough investigation of it's possibilities, you may not find them useful... so be it.... until then, if you would save your opinion of the upper air inlet until you have tested it, I would personally appreciate it...
We are trying to help the starter of the thread, not denigrate members comments and suggestions whom are trying to help with many suggestions..
kam59
Smoking Fanatic
I am ready to help this member fully but to put in your post "No upper intake" is a bit premature as well. Especially when it is designed to help cool it down Dave.
I agree there is very little info to go by so why not wait before recommending hacking the top of the firebox.
The first thing I noticed was his possible obstruction and posted my concerns.
When and if the member gives more info on what has been asked then and only then would I suggest heavy modifications.
I agree there is very little info to go by so why not wait before recommending hacking the top of the firebox.
The first thing I noticed was his possible obstruction and posted my concerns.
When and if the member gives more info on what has been asked then and only then would I suggest heavy modifications.
brnhornt
Smoke Blower
I'm new here as well as the OP but I do take exception with this comment. You are basically saying "don't squash my input...squash your own." I don't think any idea should be sent packing in a forum where publicly sharing ideas is the point and encouraged simply because the two of you guys don't agree. Personally, I enjoy reading the many ideas that come from a forum and then use that information to formulate my own course of action.
kam59
Smoking Fanatic
I simply asked a question based on other posts on the use of the upper intake as I have read it is used to cool a firebox. This cooker is lacking heat hence my question on why would it help. My question was viewed as an attack it was not in any form an attack on Dave. In his post without any explanation of why the upper intake would help he posted "No upper intake."
The fire box does appear small for the chamber. I think vents on the sides of the firebox might help build the fire and generate more heat, but most importantly, allow you to control your temps.
Just about everything I know about building my smoker came from Dave, so he will guide you correctly.
I don't have a vent on my firebox door. I was planning to do so, but I have ran about 5 cooks on this smoker and the side vents (below the fire) have worked great.
imafishingfred
Smoke Blower
I agree with smaloof, Dave won't steer you wrong, and your firebox does look way to small for the size chamber you have. Get your measurements together and post them. Perhaps run them through this calculator to see where you may have other issues.
The fire box does appear small for the chamber. I think vents on the sides of the firebox might help build the fire and generate more heat, but most importantly, allow you to control your temps.
Just about everything I know about building my smoker came from Dave, so he will guide you correctly.
I don't have a vent on my firebox door. I was planning to do so, but I have ran about 5 cooks on this smoker and the side vents (below the fire) have worked great.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/reverse-flow-smoker-how-to-calculate-build-tutorial
I do have a vent on the top of my firebox door and it pushes the heat through my cooking chamber for even temps throughout.
You can see in the last pic how big my firebox looks as compared to the cook chamber. I got all my numbers from the link above. Now I'm not saying go and chop your smoker apart, but do a test. Get a piece of material that will work in place of the firebox door. Open your door wide open and set this piece on top of several blocks in place of the door.
When you have all the components together, start a fire as you would normally with the door completely blocked. Watch your temps as you slowly remove a block at a time to see if the air flow across from the cooking chamber opening has any effect on the temp in your chamber. You should see a rise as the air is pushing the heat through the chamber. It's worth a try before you start chopping and will answer the question of whether it will help.
I hope this helps. You can check out my build here, http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/171029/new-guy-and-this-will-be-my-1st-reverse-flow-smoker-build. I ask lots of questions and got all the answers from Dave and the guys here at SMF.
eightysecond
Newbie
Definitely seems like a no-brainer that the fire grate is WAY too high and the solid ash pan is basically cutting the air-intakes in half when the door is shut.
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