Smoke Vault gas smoker makeover

[Nefarious]

I got the vent plates on and have decided to change all of the exposed fasteners on the sides of the smoker to match that used by the vent plates. Eventually there will be 4 and maybe 6 more fasteners added to attach the thermal mass plates that are going inside the smoker. I think I will also change out the handles. The smoker will be somewhat heaver and the handles are already difficult to use.



The plates will be painted black and sealed with rtv in the spring. If they rust between now and then, i'm out 7 bucks.

I did get the bottom holes pilot drilled 1/8" diameter. Tomorrow I will finish up with the smoke generation and move to the thermal mass and the handles. Could finish this part up by end of weekend. Then I can use it again.

 

[Nefarious]

So, I drilled the 8 holes first at 1/4" and the result was the same. Very little draft and couldn't see any smoke from the top. I drilled them all again at 5/16" and tried again. Same result. Third attempt was all 8 holes at 3/8". If it is too much as Ringer says, I can just cover them.

Problem is, the result seems the same, so maybe it is something else. Here is what it looks like:

after I closed the door to the mailbox better less smoke comes out the sides of the smoke box, but it is going somewhere. The pic of top shows no visible smoke coming from the smoker.

So, I had a piece of steak frozen from two nights ago. I was going to grill, prepped the steak and we lost power. With only a headlight flashlight I was not comfortable grilling outside so I hit the CI. All fit but 1 so I froze it. As I was thinking about my mailbox mod, wondering where the smoke is, I remembered the steak and SmokinAl when he grilled the ribs frozen. I threw it on at 250* and let it cook for 1hr 20min and it looked like this:

So, some smoke is getting in the smoker.

Questions:
Is the smoke coming from the bottom of the mailbox caused by back pressure or is there still just not enough draw?

Do I drill the holes bigger or do I add a small stack at the top of the smoker to get more draw.

 

[Nefarious]

Another test I am doing is seeing if the pellets all burn. If so, then this is a small problem, if it goes out I have to figure out some other issue. I am going to try a mix of 50/50 wood chips in the tube to see if that makes a difference.

 

[Ringer]

So, I drilled the 8 holes first at 1/4" and the result was the same. Very little draft and couldn't see any smoke from the top. I drilled them all again at 5/16" and tried again. Same result. Third attempt was all 8 holes at 3/8". If it is too much as Ringer says, I can just cover them.

Problem is, the result seems the same, so maybe it is something else. Here is what it looks like:
View attachment 526223 View attachment 526224
after I closed the door to the mailbox better less smoke comes out the sides of the smoke box, but it is going somewhere. The pic of top shows no visible smoke coming from the smoker.

So, I had a piece of steak frozen from two nights ago. I was going to grill, prepped the steak and we lost power. With only a headlight flashlight I was not comfortable grilling outside so I hit the CI. All fit but 1 so I froze it. As I was thinking about my mailbox mod, wondering where the smoke is, I remembered the steak and SmokinAl when he grilled the ribs frozen. I threw it on at 250* and let it cook for 1hr 20min and it looked like this:
View attachment 526225 View attachment 526226
So, some smoke is getting in the smoker.

Questions:
Is the smoke coming from the bottom of the mailbox caused by back pressure or is there still just not enough draw?

Do I drill the holes bigger or do I add a small stack at the top of the smoker to get more draw.

I did add a stack to mine so that could be one possible difference.

 

[Nefarious]

I did add a stack to mine so that could be one possible difference.

Does yours come out of the top or the side. I haven't seen a top stack extension.

I looked at your thread and know the answer. Now I have to sort out if I want to close the vent on top and put the stack on the side or if I want to take a OK Joe stack and modify it to fit in mine.

Another piece of evidence that points to the stack. When I open the door much more smoke goes into the smoker and the flow out the bottom seems to stop. Tomorrow I am going to put a fan on the top to pull out of the smoker.

 

[Ringer]

Does yours come out of the top or the side. I haven't seen a top stack extension.

I looked at your thread and know the answer. Now I have to sort out if I want to close the vent on top and put the stack on the side or if I want to take a OK Joe stack and modify it to fit in mine.

Mine is a side stack but here is a top stack

UDS Ugly Drum Lid Exhaust 2" Teardrop Flanged Vent Damper Builder Part
Hunsaker Smokers LLC 2 Inch ID Bolt On Tear Drop Exhaust

 

[Nefarious]

Mine is a side stack but here is a top stack

UDS Ugly Drum Lid Exhaust 2" Teardrop Flanged Vent Damper Builder Part
Hunsaker Smokers LLC 2 Inch ID Bolt On Tear Drop Exhaust

Thanks for the stacked pieces, don't k ow why they didn't come up with my search.

My top vent is in the center and is 3.5" in diameter. It might be better to plug the existing hole like I did the others and put a vent in the back corner opposite the mail box. Might help circulate the smoke. I do plan to add a fan like OldSmoke has on his to even the smoke out so I need to look up that mod and see how it affects the mounting of things. Maybe putting the stack on the side makes sense depending on its length, longer would be better.

 

[JckDanls 07]

thermal mass plates that are going inside the smoker

Are these plates laying down flat ?? What size are they ?? anything else that would be blocking air passage (ie. waterpan, drip pan) ...

I would experiment with something to make a temporary exhaust stack before buying one or relocating the actual exhaust vent ...

 

[Ringer]

Thanks for the stacked pieces, don't k ow why they didn't come up with my search.

My top vent is in the center and is 3.5" in diameter. It might be better to plug the existing hole like I did the others and put a vent in the back corner opposite the mail box. Might help circulate the smoke. I do plan to add a fan like OldSmoke has on his to even the smoke out so I need to look up that mod and see how it affects the mounting of things. Maybe putting the stack on the side makes sense depending on its length, longer would be better.

I do have a fan from a convection oven in mine but I still had good draft with just the stack.

My stack is located on the opposite side of my smoke box just like you are describing. The fan may be enough to get things moving on its own

 

[Nefarious]

Are these plates laying down flat ?? What size are they ?? anything else that would be blocking air passage (ie. waterpan, drip pan) ...

I would experiment with something to make a temporary exhaust stack before buying one or relocating the actual exhaust vent ...

They are not in yet. They are across the sides up against the two side walls.

I have some 1.5" diameter pipe flanges. I was going to make a stack with tomorrow. They are smaller in diameter then whats for sale. Another idea is to just make one out of aluminum foil and see if that makes a difference, the stack doesn't even have to be round to see if it makes a difference. I thought of a couple of hangers wrapped with foil. At this point i'm just throwing out ideas to see if I can sort out what the real issue is.

Thanks for your ideas.

 

[Ringer]

I think tallbm did a fan expiriment as well but his was attached to a cardboard stack. Could be a cheap way to test?

 

[Nefarious]

I think tallbm did a fan experiment as well but his was attached to a cardboard stack. Could be a cheap way to test?

I'm thinking of building a stack with heavy duty aluminum foil wrapped around a couple of hangers. Then I can make it as tall as I need. Maybe I put a fan on it to see how that works.

 

[Ringer]

I'm thinking of building a stack with heavy duty aluminum foil wrapped around a couple of hangers. Then I can make it as tall as I need. Maybe I put a fan on it to see how that works.

One thing I hadn't considered is ventilation around the burner area, could your draft be coming in from there rather than the box?

 

[DougE]

One thing I hadn't considered is that your smoker is open on the bottom where the gas burner is. It may be drawing from there rather than the box.

Yea, it will draw from the path of least resistence, so if his box has a hole under the burner for it to draw air, and serve as a bottom vent, That's where the air is going to enter.

 

[Nefarious]

One thing I hadn't considered is ventilation around the burner area, could your draft be coming in from there rather than the box?

Thats a good point. I thought of that when I first.started drilling the holes in the mailbox. The draw seemed to be improving so I let go of the idea. I will check that in the morning, there is a plate that covers most of the open area, i thought it was in.

 

[Ringer]

Thats a good point. I thought of that when I first.started drilling the holes in the mailbox. The draw seemed to be improving so I let go of the idea. I will check that in the morning, there is a plate that covers most of the open area, i thought it was in.

I used to check for air leaks with a match by just watching the flame. You could also try introducing smoke under or near that burner area and watch the top vent to see if it comes out. That may be your answer.

 

[Nefarious]

Yea, it will draw from the path of least resistence, so if his box has a hole under the burner for it to draw air, and serve as a bottom vent, That's where the air is going to enter.

Thats correct, and I haven't changed anything about how the bottom fits together. It worked correctly, plenty of draw, before I added the mailbox, it.would be odd for that to be the problem. There were also two vents near the bottom that I closed so it is now tighter then before, at least thats what.I think now.

 

[Nefarious]

I used to check for air leaks with a match by just watching the flame. You could also try introducing smoke under or near that burner area and watch the top vent to see if it comes out. That may be your answer.

Right above the burner is a heat deflection plate. It is where the chips would sit and burn in the original design. I'll put the smoke tube there and see what that does.

 

[Ringer]

Right above the burner is a heat deflection plate. It is where the chips would sit and burn in the original design. I'll put the smoke tube there and see what that does.

You are close to getting it resolved.

 

[Nefarious]

You are close to getting it resolved.

Just a thought, but heat rises and it is this rising heat thermal that caries the smoke up in the smoker. Some smoke is rising, the steak did have a smoke ring, and it was cherry so not that big. So, you are right, it should be a simple change, all I have to do is find it.