Red's Newest Build: A Direct-Heat Smoker/Grill

[Winterrider]

That is a beauty red. Hope it performs as anticipated

 

[Brokenhandle]

I think that is what I love about this smoker / grill
The simplistic of it . I do not mean your build I mean for the use of your great build.

I will be looking around here to see if I can find something similar to yours .

As long as it can cook some little weenies , ha ha

David

I was thinking the same thing!

Ryan

 

[912smoker]

What a great box Red and can't wait to how well she performs!

Keith

 

[seenred]

I think that is what I love about this smoker / grill
The simplistic of it . I do not mean your build I mean for the use of your great build.

I will be looking around here to see if I can find something similar to yours .

As long as it can cook some little weenies , ha ha

David

I'm pretty taken with the simplicity too! I hope you can find something similar up there, David. At worst, you might find a welding shop who'd be willing to build one to your own specs...something to look into.

That is a beauty red. Hope it performs as anticipated

Thanks man!

I was thinking the same thing!

Ryan

I know where you could get one Ryan LOL!

What a great box Red and can't wait to how well she performs!

Keith

Thanks Keith - looking forward to that myself!


Red

 

[civilsmoker]

Absolutely Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the serious engineering side of it…..you have a kettle cooker, open fire roaster, and a low and slow all in one cooker!

Here’s another idea……you should make a square cone vortex for your basket…..it would be cool to see the square cone with the top full of thighs and wings……..

 

[seenred]

Absolutely Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the serious engineering side of it…..you have a kettle cooker, open fire roaster, and a low and slow all in one cooker!

Here’s another idea……you should make a square cone vortex for your basket…..it would be cool to see the square cone with the top full of thighs and wings……..

Thanks Buddy! I'm excited to see how it performs at all of those cooking styles. It'd be kinda cool to have a single cooker that could do everything well.

A square vortex...hmmm. I do have a round vortex - might have to try that first. But I don't hate the idea!

Red

 

[civilsmoker]

Thanks Buddy! I'm excited to see how it performs at all of those cooking styles. It'd be kinda cool to have a single cooker that could do everything well.

A square vortex...hmmm. I do have a round vortex - might have to try that first. But I don't hate the idea!

Red

Oh that cooker will do all of it well, I can just see it!!! I have used my vertical chamber on my copper pot for hot direct cooking more than the horizontal…….just food for thought!

In know the round vortex will work but square is a geometry thing….lol….. oh and say you wanted to roast a couple whole chickens…..a little larger square vortex would keep roasting temps for just about the right timing to finish!!!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Big Update!

This pit is ready to cook on! I'm not 100% finished...just 2 or 3 little piddly jobs left to finish, but nothing that will prevent me from building a fire in it!



Finished the exhaust stack and damper assembly, and got it all welded in the top.

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I welded stops on the back side of the hinges - to hold the door when it's open

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Then I fabricated a side table. After some thought, I decided I wanted to go with a rigid table instead of a fold-down...because it's also gonna double as the push/pull handle for rolling this pit around. I made it 12" wide and 21" deep - should be big enough to lay a full size tray or pan on it.

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I mounted the casters and re-installed the intake damper wheels.

The casters are 3" heavy duty (2000 lb. capacity). All 4 swivel, with double locking brakes.

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Well...how does she look?

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Like I said, a few minor jobs left to complete:

I ran out of welding gas again before I got the side table completely welded out - but it's solid enough to us it.

Gotta run to the hardware store and get a bolt and lock-nut that fits in the exhaust damper assembly. I have a temporary bolt that's too long, but it'll hold it until I get the right one.

Also still want to fabricate a heat shield to go above the coal basket, for when I want to use this pit for indirect, low-and-slow smoking. I'm planning to just use my sheet metal brake to bend some 16 ga. metal for that.

And I still plan to weld some little feet under the ashpan to make a little air gap under for rust prevention. Thanks to civilsmoker for that good idea.

Other than that, it's time for a test burn and cook! If that goes well, I should be ready to prep and paint this thing!

We've got some severe storms in the forecast for the weekend, so don't know when I'll be able to light a fire in it...but that's coming soon!

Red

Just awesome my friend, that is going to be a fun cooker for you. Very nice looking pit and the craftsmanship is second to none.

Can’t wait to see the maiden voyage.

 

[seenred]

Just awesome my friend, that is going to be a fun cooker for you. Very nice looking pit and the craftsmanship is second to none.

Can’t wait to see the maiden voyage.

Thanks Justin - really appreciate the kind words Buddy!

Red

 

[JckDanls 07]

Not Red Box... BUT, Red's Box

 

[Wet Spaniel]

That's absolutely superb Sir!! As we say here in the UK, its a Bobby Dazzler!!

 

[seenred]

That's absolutely superb Sir!! As we say here in the UK, its a Bobby Dazzler!!

Thank you kind Sir! I don't know this Bobby Dazzler person...but he sounds like my kind of guy!

Red

 

[Wet Spaniel]

Thank you kind Sir! I don't know this Bobby Dazzler person...but he sounds like my kind of guy!

Red

Trust me - it's a good thing!!

I must admit that I have watched and enjoyed Chud's videos on how to build his smokers as part of my teaching myself to weld to build my own. I would really like to make something similar at some point.

 

[seenred]

Trust me - it's a good thing!!

I must admit that I have watched and enjoyed Chud's videos on how to build his smokers as part of my teaching myself to weld to build my own. I would really like to make something similar at some point.

Having watched you own smoker build thread, I'd say you have the skills to do so whenever you're ready to go for it!

Red

 

[Wet Spaniel]

Having watched you own smoker build thread, I'd say you have the skills to do so whenever you're ready to go for it!

Red

That's really kind - thank you!!

 

[seenred]

Well the weather didn't cooperate this weekend for firing this pit up. Severe thunderstorms, temps in the 30s...we had a little bit of everything.

But I didn't let the time go to waste! Since I'm out of shielding gas, I finished up some non-welding chores to get it ready for it's maiden burn -which I hope will be tomorrow.


As I mentioned before, I want to be able to use this pit as an indirect, low-and-slow smoker as well as a hot n fast direct heat cooker. So I cut a piece of 16 gauge and used my brake to bend it so it'll fit in the FB on top of the coal basket.

It'll slide right in on the rails of the coal basket. 3" above the top of the basket so it'll have plenty of clearance over the fire.

You can just make it out in there above the rails.

I also got some Nomex gasket around the door.

And drilled a hole and installed the thermometer.

So it's ready to go! Hoping to build the first fire in it tomorrow.

After a test burn, if everything is going good, I'm gonna throw a rack of ribs on there...since there'll be a fire there anyway! No since in wasting a good fire!


Red

 

[DRKsmoking]

Trying to hate this Joel, so I can get it out of my mind.
BUT , no I love it , Thanks a lot. I don't know when but this style will be added to my very small collection of cook boxes ( Q, vertical duel smoker and 14" Smokey Mountain. ) oh and my fire pit with hotdog sticks, the original smoked and burnt cooker. lol

David

 

[JC in GB]

Well the weather didn't cooperate this weekend for firing this pit up. Severe thunderstorms, temps in the 30s...we had a little bit of everything.

But I didn't let the time go to waste! Since I'm out of shielding gas, I finished up some non-welding chores to get it ready for it's maiden burn -which I hope will be tomorrow.


As I mentioned before, I want to be able to use this pit as an indirect, low-and-slow smoker as well as a hot n fast direct heat cooker. So I cut a piece of 16 gauge and used my brake to bend it so it'll fit in the FB on top of the coal basket.

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It'll slide right in on the rails of the coal basket. 3" above the top of the basket so it'll have plenty of clearance over the fire.

View attachment 716236


You can just make it out in there above the rails.

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I also got some Nomex gasket around the door.

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And drilled a hole and installed the thermometer.

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So it's ready to go! Hoping to build the first fire in it tomorrow.

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After a test burn, if everything is going good, I'm gonna throw a rack of ribs on there...since there'll be a fire there anyway! No since in wasting a good fire!


Red

Looking good Red. Is it difficult to maintain proper temp in a unit like this? I never used this type of cooker but having live coals right under the cook area makes me think that temps would get too high. Maybe my thoughts are much ado about nothing. Looking forward to seeing your first cook with that bad boy..

JC

 

[seenred]

Trying to hate this Joel, so I can get it out of my mind.
BUT , no I love it , Thanks a lot. I don't know when but this style will be added to my very small collection of cook boxes ( Q, vertical duel smoker and 14" Smokey Mountain. ) oh and my fire pit with hotdog sticks, the original smoked and burnt cooker. lol

David

Thanks David...and sorry for the enabling!

This style of cooker has had me interested for a while now too...ever since I finished Jim's JLeonard smoker last year, with the extra coal basket for direct cooking below the cooking racks. Got me to thinking about that style of cooking, and watching lots of videos of Chud Boxes and other cookers like it.

Red

 

[seenred]

Looking good Red. Is it difficult to maintain proper temp in a unit like this? I never used this type of cooker but having live coals right under the cook area makes me think that temps would get too high. Maybe my thoughts are much ado about nothing. Looking forward to seeing your first cook with that bad boy..

JC

Thanks JC!

Today (hopefully) will be the first time I ever use this type of cooker myself...so I guess I'm not sure yet about maintaining temps until I play with it a little. But here is what I've observed and learned about this style from watching a bunch of people cooking on them in videos:

They do in fact cook at a higher temperature than indirect smokers do. Instead of cooking at 225-250*, most guys use these in the 275-325 range. The key to keeping them from getting too hot is the distance from the coals to the food. The coal basket is 20-24 inches below the cooking grate in all these cookers I've seen. So anyway, it's a little hotter and a little faster than low-and-slow. And also, I took an idea from Hasty Bake Charcoal Grills...they provide a heat shield to place over the coal basket for when you'd like to do lower and slower smokes - making them a little more of an indirect cooker.

My take on it is, these are basically designed to do traditional, Texas hill country style smoking. If you've ever seen any video footage of some of those famous old original Texas BBQ places, they cook in big brick or block cookers, and shovel hot coals in, directly below the meat.

Anyway...this style cooking has had my interest for a while. I'll know more about how it performs after I've had a chance to build a few fires in it!

Red