New Dyna-Glo vertical offset smoker

[Chasebanks]

Using lump charcoal ended up getting it to stable out at 285 +/- 10 degrees on the 3 guages towards the top of the unit with having the intake vent open about 1/3 the way and the chimney flu on the first notch up for 5 hours on 1 basket. I think after I get the baffle installed it'll probably need more air and a bigger vent

 

[OldFartFarmer]

heres the pics i promised, excuse the poor pics it is pouring out, and the sun was just rising, I couldn't wait and started its first burn using lump-hardwood charcoal, vents wide open it would go to 250. easily dampered down to
150 close all vents and poof coals went out, im a happy smoker,
to go above 250 and up all i need to do is barely crack the door,
but this is for jerky and bacon, so im good--I can alway add another pinwheel later ill see how it goes.
I only cut out the front-original vents then placed my sheet holding the two pinwheels over it, using the felt tape and the heat proof goo I bolted it down all along the outside edges,
,
the screen is a bread/baking rack with a zillion holes, I flattened out and bent to fit-been using that far a long time now,
,
the drip-hole is covered with goo and two small casing lids,

this thing now does not leak air
,

 

[PrezidentRedz]

Where did you get the new exhaust pipe and pinwheels?.

 

[jmtyndall]

Where did you get the new exhaust pipe and pinwheels?.

Same question, I'm interested in changing mine. The stock air vent has an air gap even when all the way closed, so I wouldn't mind something that seals a little better.

Also, never considered the air leak from the grease drain before. Is this something other people seal on their smoker as well?

For clarification: I have the 36" vertical, not the offset version

Edit: I found the following 3 options for pinwheel dampers. I believe the first one is what's used above. The other two look easier to install (less extra hardware) but not as thick and probably don't seal as well since they don't appear to have springs.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0178PSQJQ/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_mGlkDbCEGKDR6

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0178QBLEW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_mElkDbF0B56QB

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M4FH2MH/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_FFlkDbFNTEVY3

 

[Chasebanks]

So I added a foil pan with water and now it's hard for me to get up to temp. When I install a baffle or run with a foil pan and water will my temps be lower? Will I need a larger air intake and or smoke stack? Running the smoke stack and air vents that came with unit. Was thinking of dissecting my old charcoal grill to take smoke stack off of it if I need a bigger exhaust vent.

 

[OldFartFarmer]

from amazon,
2-
LavaLock® Smoker Pinwheel BBQ air Damper Pit Grill Vent, Steel 4 6 8 12 (4" Diameter)
,
1-
UDS Ugly Drum Lid Exhaust 2" Teardrop Flanged Vent Damper Builder Part
by lavalock

 

[OldFartFarmer]

I ground off the tab on one of the pinwheels, then i drilled 1-hole
in each side of the meaty side large enough for an angled head bolt to go through and sit below flush,
then placed the other pinwheel on top of that, running my bolt through the center hole , I cut a spring placed that on the bolt, then a nut
now i have a closing double stacked pinwheel
then i cut the 1st baffle bar out of my smoker box made sure my pinwheel would fit
measured and cut my sheet of metal to cover the original vent plus some extra
took pinwheel set apart, marked and drilled center hole, then traced out the pinwheel vents and cut those out, gooped up the pinwheel and bolted it on
with the two screws-then ran bolt in center hole and placed second pinwheel on
with spring and nut

bolted my metal plate on the firebox with smoker gasket and BBQ-calking
smoker gasket inside of screws, goop outside of screws

waited overnight then started fire

MY firebox had warped, so I needed to use 2 pinwheels-stacked- to make sure it
was a flush tight fit, and a large sheet panel to get as much of the bow away from interfering when i bolted it all on

THE Top vent went right over the ridge on the top panel
AFTER I ground/filed an angle on it,
a very nice fit,

hope this helps someone

 

[OldFartFarmer]

I dont know if anybody has covered up there grease hole,
Ive read every page here and dont remember anyone mentioning it,
maybe im the first to be stupid?
but to me a tin-foil pan and no air leak is worth ot
with the small trouble with grease
fold up the foil and toss it when done

 

[OldFartFarmer]

I got a 5hr smoke from one basket framed full with lump hardwood charcoal
and was able to keep my temp at 175deg
didn't have to fuss and fart with it, so im happy

before I always had to fuss and fart with the temps always going up
as the box fire burned more coals

doing a test with kingsford briquets today as i use those the most

 

[OldFartFarmer]

needing to get my probes into the smoker,
I carefully cut away some of the gasket the width of the cables
just above the top hinge (I hang my little probe-box on the handle)
there was just a slight wisp of smoke, Im going to goop the probe wires together just around where they go through by the hinge,
should seal it up,

 

[OldFartFarmer]

tested with kingsford briquets
lit 15 in my chimney
filled basket in the back
dumped lit ones in across the front of basket
filled it up to top of basket

went up to 300 deg
then dampered it down to 175
it cooked at the temp for 7.5 hrs with steady temp
it was 83 deg out

 

[jmtyndall]

LavaLock® Smoker Pinwheel BBQ air Damper Pit Grill Vent, Steel 4 6 8 12 (4" Diameter)

UDS Ugly Drum Lid Exhaust 2" Teardrop Flanged Vent Damper Builder Part
by lavalock

Thanks, I think I'll get these ordered. Are you finding the 4" big enough? I smoke a turkey so I like to be able to get up to 350, and down to 225 for things like ribs.

The vents appear to have the following free area when fully open: 4"-4.0 sq in, 6"-9.25sqin, 8"-16.25sqin. I spent this weekend doing some research about vent sizing. I spent this weekend doing some research about vent sizing. It looks like the UDS smoker people are using 1-3 square inches of intake area, which was shocking to me because my smoker has quite a lot more than that. Calculating the area of the stock vents with both sides fully open gives me over 20 square inches. That probably explains why on my seasoning cook the grill got over 500 degrees! I looked at the vent position my smoker was in for my last cook and it was about 25% open. So my normal cook position is somewhere around 5" of intake opening.

Then I measured the air gaps when fully closed and calculated that between the grease drain, and 2 dampers which don't seal completely I have nearly 3" of free area with everything closed! I went ahead and plugged the grease drain hole with a 3/4" pipe and cap, but based on my calcs I may need the 6" pinwheel (or 2x 4") to hit the same opening areas. It's weird because the UDS guys are using much less opening, a single 4" wheel is more than sufficient for them.

Worst case make the plate big enough to accept a 6" wheel, but only put 4" wheel on now and do a test cook to see if I can hit 350. If not, order the 6" later and just enlarge the inlet holes in my plate.

 

[OldFartFarmer]

im just guessing here,
I think you'll get your 350 with a 6 inch,
i havnt gone full out for any length of time, and started tampering down when i hit the 250 zone, although it was on the rise,
I figured id use the 4 inches and if needed add another one next to it,
but im happy right now with just the one 4 incher

I do jerky,ribs,and chickens, have yet to try a turkey,,someday ill snipe one traveling through my yard

 

[OldFartFarmer]

doing a beercan chicken for dinner,
full basket of briquets --kingsford
10 lit dumped in
1/8 slice on my 4inch vent
top vent half closed
temp has been a steady 240
2 hrs and a half into the cook, bird is at 112deg

I dont see any problems hitting 300 or 350
with the top vent fully open and the 4 inch fully open or even less,

hope this helps anybody,
cheers
John

 

[Roadblock]

I hope this thread isn't too old to be resurrecting. Is the consensus that the bottom drain hole should be plugged?

 

[jmtyndall]

I hope this thread isn't too old to be resurrecting. Is the consensus that the bottom drain hole should be plugged?

I would plug the hole. On the offset version it's a bit less of a problem than on the vertical. On the offset it let's a bit of cold air in and can affect the draft a bit, lowering the smoker temp and making it harder to hit higher temps.

On the vertical it feeds air to the fire and tends to make it a bit harder to control temps .

 

[PrezidentRedz]

Mine drains a ton of grease when I cook, to the point I use a hotel pan under instead the the lame thing it came with. I wouldn't plug it.

 

[Roadblock]

My thought was that I can see the benefit in plugging it, but I wouldn't want to lose the ability to drain it. So I thought that I might just put a cap and valve on it. That way it will be sealed until I open the valve to drain it.

 

[PrezidentRedz]

I think its a small enough hole and if you run a good fire it shouldn't really matter, its so far under where the heat even rises.

 

[RyanMoore]

Hey all,

Just bought one of these off of Amazon, I wanted to try vertical as opposed to another horizontal smoker. For the money, this thing is really NOT all that bad.

I'll get back with some unboxing pics and the initial mods I did as I've been putting it together.

Jerry

Edited title to make search easier.

I have the Brinkmann Trailmaster vertical which is exactly like what you have. I have found that I had to add the extra latches for the door because when the heat gets too hot it expands the cook chamber in the door always popped open. I have photos the difference between the Dyna-Glo in the Brinkmann is the metal I believe.