New NC smoker with a new custom setup

[trogdor86]

Hi everyone. new to the forum and I would say pretty new to smoking. I live in NC Piedmont area and started the hobby about 3 years ago with a DIY mini WSM and have been slowly working my way up from things like wings, ribs and hot dogs to a turkey this thanksgiving to my fist brisket(technically a brisket flat) on my 22" weber. I still love my mini WSM and my 22" kettle has allowed me to do more but I have kind of capped out on capacity until today I finished a project I've been working on a couple weeks to make my own smoker extension ring for my 22" kettle. let me know what you think. I have not got to break it in yet but I'm really excited about the extra capacity and it just looks really cool.

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota. You are not concerned about you extension getting scorched or burning?

 

[Buttah Butts]

Welcome to the forum trogdor86. The Weber looks great. I too am from the NC piedmont area over in Reidsville

 

[Winterrider]

Like the looks. Like kruiser said, that would be a little concerning.

 

[JC in GB]

Welcome from Wisconsin.

 

[trogdor86]

thanks everyone. I did quite a bit of research before building the ring and of course still have some concerns. I saw a video where someone else built one on an 18" and did not seem to have issues. I don't expect to ever really take this rig up over 300 deg and the charcoal basket is a good distance from the wood. I also added a high temp gasket where the wood meats the grill so I am hopeful that I get some charring but no burning. all this is theoretical and I have considered adding a ring of flashing to the inner wall of the ring but hope that wont be necessary. I did find an easy way to make the wood fire retardant with a borax and water solution(basically under heat this gives the wood a primitive glass coating) but I am worried if the chemical is safe and or it may make a bad taste.

 

[trogdor86]

doing a test fire in her today so I will let you know if it ends in disaster.

 

[JC in GB]

thanks everyone. I did quite a bit of research before building the ring and of course still have some concerns. I saw a video where someone else built one on an 18" and did not seem to have issues. I don't expect to ever really take this rig up over 300 deg and the charcoal basket is a good distance from the wood. I also added a high temp gasket where the wood meats the grill so I am hopeful that I get some charring but no burning. all this is theoretical and I have considered adding a ring of flashing to the inner wall of the ring but hope that wont be necessary. I did find an easy way to make the wood fire retardant with a borax and water solution(basically under heat this gives the wood a primitive glass coating) but I am worried if the chemical is safe and or it may make a bad taste.

Small amounts of Borax are not considered dangerous, however, I am not sure I would want it as a food prep component in any event.
JC

 

[trogdor86]

yea that is my concern but the borax would not make contact with the food you dissolve it in water and paint it on the wood and then let it dry. it impregnates the wood with borax and makes it resistant to catching fire.

 

[trogdor86]

so loaded with a full chimney of coals (so way more than I would ever start a smoke with) and the vents open half way. temp went to about 400 and then settled to around 300 for the part hour. no charring so far and it seems to be working quite well. the wood seems to insulate very well and hold a lot of thermal mass along with the terracotta flower pot base I have in the bottom of the ring. there is about a 50 degree difference between the lid thermometer and the one in the middle of the ring.

 

[Inkbirdbbq]

Welcome to SMF