Problems with temp! Help!!!

[sniltz]

I have a oval offset pull behind smoker!   It has 2 smoke stacks.  The problem is I have a hard time getting it up to temp and when I do it won't stay there long.  Last night I let my friend borrow it and he said that it would not hardly get to 200, He had all vents open and it was really windy and a bit cold last night too.   We stack the wood in there, light it and let it get coals.  Then we put about 2 to 3 logs on it every hour or so and it won't get hot.   What can we do to get it hot and stay at the optimal temp?  PLEASE HELP!!!            

 

[so ms smoker]

  Is this a new (at least to you) smoker? Post some pics of the smoker so we can see what you have. Whole smoker, firebox to smoke chamber, exaust, etc.  That will help us help you.

  Mike

 

[sniltz]

 Yes this is a new smoker and I will post some pics in a few. 
 

 

[daveomak]

Sniltz, how how does the firebox get ?? If it gets real hot, you do not have enough air flow through to the cooking chamber....   

Like So Ms Smoker said, pics will help a lot....   Dave

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Sounds like you read my article on Stickburning101:http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/stickburning101

Send pics of the whole smoker ,inside and out of the FB,your throat may be a little small...

Good luck , have a Happy Holiday Season and...

 

[sniltz]

Here are the pics for my smoker pit!  Sorry it took so long to respond, having trouble with camera and computer.  The fire box is 2X2 1/4 in thick.  The air intake is 4inX4in.  Not very big.  The throat is 19in long and 3in high going from fire box to chamber and the chamber is 61 in or a 250 gallon tank.   It has 2 chimneys.  It has a gas element inside and I can get it to 400 degrees with it. But, it is hard to reach 200 degrees with just the wood in fire box.  I get the fire rocking flames and bring them to coals but, when I shut door it snuffs the fire out and smokes like a freight train.  What do I need to do to get this thing up to temp with just wood.

The Big Daddy!!!

Big Daddy.jpg

• sniltz
• Nov 17, 2012

The Grates in pit and you can see the throat on left side

big daddy grates.jpg

• sniltz
• Nov 17, 2012

The throat up above wood going into cooking chamber

big daddy throat.jpg

• sniltz
• Nov 17, 2012

The outside Air intake going into fire box  4inX4in

big daddy air intake.jpg

• sniltz
• Nov 17, 2012

 

[daveomak]

Firebox needs to be about 1/2 again bigger 19,250 cu inches (13824).... Air inlet to the firebox should be about 55 sq inches(16).... firebox to cook chamber needs to be about 111 sq inches...(57)

Calculated numbers are displayed...   Your numbers are in (  ).....  Dave

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

 

[pellet]

I dont have a smoker nearly like yours. On background I picked my junk up at the local Target store, it was their 150.00 set up but I got the display after labor day for a simple 25.00. I couldnt get the temps up and I stoked it but discovered that when I opened the lid to put in more wood it would begin to burn again so I started to hold the lid slightly open for a few minutes and the fire burned like a champ so I have propped it open while smoking and solved my problem although its not the fix.I have the vents wide open but the side fire box just gets plugged with ash but if I fan it with my hat and the lid closed completely, it gets the air it needs so its has to be in the venting part. No matter, I will learn what I need to if and when I get around to doing my own build. Dont get me wrong, Im not complaining for the price I gave its a starter smoker to build on but just relaying the same symptoms and how I resolved it for now.

 

[beefmeister]

Firebox needs to be about 1/2 again bigger 19,250 cu inches (13824).... Air inlet to the firebox should be about 55 sq inches(16).... firebox to cook chamber needs to be about 111 sq inches...(57)

Calculated numbers are displayed...   Your numbers are in (  ).....  Dave

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

 x 2

That's a great resource Dave.

 

[sniltz]

 Dave, I really don't know much about fabracating and the calculator was cool but, it confused me.   What someone told me the other day was that i needed to cut off intake and make it with 3-3in holes and have a slide to adjust the air coming in.  Also to make throat bigger.  They also told me to cut one chimney off and make it flat.  Then the farthest one away from firebox make it taller to create vaccum or draft.    Like I said, the above explantion with cubic inches and such is like Klingon to me.    

 

[daveomak]

Sniltz, evening.... here is a drawing I put together for another member... smaller smoker than yours....  

first... the firebox to cook chamber opening.. hash lines... cut yours to the contour of the cook chamber like in this drawing.....

second....  add 2 more 4x4 air intakes in the bottom of the door next to the one you have... add a matching slide damper for control.... 

third... add an air intake above the fire grate... that will allow for air flow through the smoker without adding air to the fire.. probably 3x3 with a slide damper also... 

Is it a reverse flow smoker ??  Tuning plates ?? Any way it needs a 6" ID exhaust stack 30" above the cook chamber starting  5" above the lowest cooking grate... and depending on the type of smoker will determine which end it goes on.....

FB air inlet Exhaust Plenum.jpg

• daveomak
• Nov 19, 2012

 

[sniltz]

 Dave, that explained it a lot better!  I think that is what I'm going to do.  Thank you for your help!

 

[diesel]

The first think I saw was the opening from the firebox to the cooking chamber.. that is way to small.  It looks like you have had plenty of help so far but I am interested to see how this turns out.   I used an angle die grinder w/ a metal blade to cut all my metal for my smoker.  If you have access to one it makes quick work out of cutting.

I would also do my best to make sure the guy that built you cooker got some plans to go by.  He had a good idea but didn't have any knowledge on the subject.

My 2 cents.

congrats on the new smoker and I am sure once you get that thing tweaked a little you will be a very happy smoker!

Aaron

 

[markmc60]

I would like to see the gas setup, I wantt o add a gas to my smoker but looking at different options.

 

[sniltz]

Diesel,  The person I bought the pit from has a business doing this!  All I can say is that it has been T total HELL getting this pit.  I don't usually bash people but, I ordered the pit in July and he said it would take 2 weeks to build.  I picked it up in October!  Now that I have it I can do what I need to it.  The gas element works great and it keeps temp well but, when I use strickly wood It won't get to temp at all.    

Mark, here is the gas element that is in mine.  It is 60" long and about

propane_burner.jpg

• sniltz
• Nov 21, 2012

 1" to 1 1/2" round pipe.  It ha

s a drip pan over it.  Here is the pick of the one installed in my pit off his website.

 

[frank621]

where did you get that heating element? I have a huge wood smoker as well but want to add a heating element for the days that I can babysit all day.

 

[sniltz]

I bought it at a Grill place in NC.  They aren't that hard to make.  Just look online or there might be someone on here that could show you how to make one.  

 

[frank621]

is it just a regular pipe burner with a drip cover? is a drip cover suggested to keep ash off from the wood?

i looked into making one but it all seems ver foreign to me

 

[smoking b]

One of the members on here - Boykjo - has a great thread on how to build one here  http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?28224-pipe-burner-build-instructions

 

[frank621]

completely awesome, thank you! time to build!!