planning it all out

[boudreaux76]

So I've been looking around a while and I think I have gotten a pretty good idea of how I want to build my smoker/ grill combo.

I'm trying to do it pretty economically so I am planning on using cinder blocks, but I don't want to cut corners. Here are the questions I cant seem to find answers for.

1. Do I need a chimney for my smoker using these materials? I have seen quite a few online and it seems like very few of them have chimneys. I can't cost justify much more than sheet metal for the top with bricks holding it all down (unless there are some other options I havent seen yet), but will engineer the smoke stack to come out the rear very near the top.

2. I'm going horizontal - should I build up the bottom of my smoker cabinet to be equal with the top of where my firebox connects? It looks like most of them just come in about midway. I have the materials to build it up if that would be more efficient.

3. Should I put a couple of dampers around the bottom of the smoker cabinet? Nothing complex, just a few blocks on their side that can be covered up with a sliding metal plate.

4. Should I fill the bricks with sand to help hold in the heat?

Inside dimensions of the firebox: 24" H x 16" W x 16" L

Inside dimensions of the smoker "cabinet" 32" H x 48" W x 48" L

I have engineered and drawn up the plans so it fits the 3:1 ratio and everything else on the Feldon's Calculator (except the recommedation for the chimney).

ANY and ALL help greatly appreciated...

 

[dbga]

So I've been looking around a while and I think I have gotten a pretty good idea of how I want to build my smoker/ grill combo.

I'm trying to do it pretty economically so I am planning on using cinder blocks, but I don't want to cut corners. Here are the questions I cant seem to find answers for.

Not sure if you have seen my post but I used fire brick on all of the inside of mine. Many many years ago I built a burn pit out of concrete block stacked up. About two hours into the burn it sounded like a shot gun going off as the block exploded and fell apart. That is why I chose all fire brick due to the heat on mine. To much of an investment for me to watch it fall apart if it did the same thing.

1. Do I need a chimney for my smoker using these materials? I have seen quite a few online and it seems like very few of them have chimneys. I can't cost justify much more than sheet metal for the top with bricks holding it all down (unless there are some other options I havent seen yet), but will engineer the smoke stack to come out the rear very near the top.

IMO if you are building one as I did I would say yes.

2. I'm going horizontal - should I build up the bottom of my smoker cabinet to be equal with the top of where my firebox connects? It looks like most of them just come in about midway. I have the materials to build it up if that would be more efficient.

Per what I have seen the top of your fire box should be the required opening size from the fire box into the cook chamber per the cubic inches required.

3. Should I put a couple of dampers around the bottom of the smoker cabinet? Nothing complex, just a few blocks on their side that can be covered up with a sliding metal plate.

The calculator also recommends the fresh air intake into your fire box for combustion air or fresh air for your fire once you specify a large enough fire box for your cook chamber size.

4. Should I fill the bricks with sand to help hold in the heat?

Inside dimensions of the firebox: 24" H x 16" W x 16" L

Inside dimensions of the smoker "cabinet" 32" H x 48" W x 48" L

From what I see your fire box is undersized for your cook chamber. Your size above is 6144 cubic inches and the recommend size is 24,576 cubic inches. Or 25% of the recommended size.

I have engineered and drawn up the plans so it fits the 3:1 ratio and everything else on the Feldon's Calculator (except the recommedation for the chimney).

ANY and ALL help greatly appreciated...

Hope this helps