side fire box or reverse flow

[kenny willis]

hello smf, im new to the site and was looking for some of your experiences with the different style smokers. i currently am using a sfb trailer pit that a buddy has built. im gonna be building my own soon and not sure which design to build. ive got a 120 gal and a 250 gal propane tanks that im gonna use. both will be on one trailer side by side, the 120 will have one door that will be 4 foot long and a single 4 foot slide out rack( for doing whole hogs) and a removeable top rack. the 250 tank will have two doors and two slide out racks and also upper racks. i would like to use one firebox for both tanks so i know the box will be huge. I want to be able to shut off one or the other tank from the fire box also. But not sure if i want to do sfb or rf. what are yalls opinions, every comment will be greatly appreciated. thanks kenny

 

[daveomak]

Kenny, evening.... Trying to control the heat on two cookers from one firebox sounds like a chinese fire drill......  One huge firebox would be needed and it would have to be dampered on  the outlets to the two cooking chambers....  It might work.....  Just thinking there would be no time to sit back and have a cold one while stuff was cooking......   

 

[kenny willis]

thanks i know the box will be big, i got a buddy that has an inclosed trailer that he put 2 500 tanks in and he uses a 120 tank as a firebox, it seems to work fine and he has dampners to close off one or other. i more than likely not firing both tanks at same time but dont want to build two trailers either. has anyone done this other than the gut i know, and if so how does it work.

 

[more ice]

Im  with Dave on this one its hard enough to control one . If u had gas as your main heat and a fire box for wood flavor sounds more manageable . Thinking 2 cook chambers needs 2 fire box. 250 tank is plenty big for more of a bbq cooker or a hell of a large grill. what im saying 250gal is plenty big to be able to put coals on one side and still indirect cook.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Myself it sounds like it could work.. providing you put dampers in to close off the one not in use... I'm also thinking the FB only need be big enough for the 250... Maybe put the FB at the end of the 250 as a normal FB (yes, make the 250 a RF).. and then put the 120 on the side of the fire box (90` to the 250) across the back of the trailer... just some thoughts...

 

[kenny willis]

thanks for the input, still not sure what to do yet, just some thoughts i was hoping to put into smoke soon

 

[ribwizzard]

I would go with two fireboxes.  If your willing to put in the labor to make these tanks into a nice pit, dont cut yourself short and cut corners trying to use one firebox.  The fire box is probably the single most important part of any smoker design, its what makes the difference between a great pit and a so so pit.  Do yourself a favor and ditch that whole ideal.

As far as reverse flow, Its very much worth the extra labor to build it as a reverse flow.

And there are plenty of us on here to share info and ideals with and are willing to help you build the best pit possible.

So get some pics and lets get this one started!!!

 

[kenny willis]

thanks for the input, i believe i will do some more research on the fire box befdore i get started