Question about my keg smoker before i upsize it..

[biggqwesty]

So i've had my 50l keg smoker for some time now and its a great little bit of kit and im up scaling to 100L keg smoker (custom build) but before i do id like to run a few little issues i have with the smaller unit in hoping i can build out these issues..

so first up my little smoker has 2 trays in it..and this is my main issues..

seeing its a small keg smoker ive simply cut 2 discs which are a snug size in the keg.. 

what im noticing is the bottom tray cooks much quicker than the top.. is this due to lack of flow around the chamber?

im using perforated stainless steel sheet so im unsure if flow is the problem..

my new smoker being much larger will have a front door on it so the trays wont fill the fill diameter. there will be roughly 50mm spare either side of the tray so air flow will be greatly improved.. even with the perforated sheet..

next up

being a vertical smoker my heat will be at the bottom.. im going to have it in a seperate keg which ill drop my cooking chamber ontop of.. im thinking a 100mm opening between the 2 chambers but then have a 6mm thick plate over it to disperse the heat, plate of about 10" diameter in a 16" drum.. and then a 3" flue ontop about 12" long with a adjustable cap on it..

so..

am i on the right track? any other input?

 

[biggqwesty]

Anyone have any input

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[moikel]

I like the sound of it mate but I need a photo.
I can't get my head around it. Not sure I have much to offer but the metal heads here may be having the same problem.

 

[drewed]

On a vertical smoker with the fire in the bottom, the low tray will always be hotter than the upper, as it is closer to the fire.  You do have a heat deflector in there?

 

[biggqwesty]

On a vertical smoker with the fire in the bottom, the low tray will always be hotter than the upper, as it is closer to the fire.  You do have a heat deflector in there?

Not in the small one but the new one will. It'll have a 4" trasition hole from FB to CC and the a 10" disc roughly 2-3" above that to disperse the heat around the keg.
I'll take some pics of where I'm at tomorrow for you

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