Standard Reverse Flow Smoker Calculator... by DaveOmak and others... Ready to use.. rev5.. 6/19/15.

[daveomak]

 

Upper air inlet ??  YES...  folks have noted more uniform temps across the cooking surface AND reduced fuel consumption...

Hi Dave, thanks! Will also decrease the max temp?

You should be able to get the smoker up to 7-800 deg. pretty easily...    How hot do you want it....  You can't smoke food above ????   a debatable point...

 

[gary s]

Hi Gary,
Thanks this is really helpfull. Is there a calculation I should use to determine the size of the air inlet?

I use     -    .00015  to  .0002   x  cu. in. of cook chamber

 

[luckybasterd040]

Thanks guys! I will install the inlet according the calculations and test the temperature. Keeping you posted! [emoji]128077[/emoji]

 

[luckybasterd040]

So today I installed the new upper air vent and tomorrow will test the smoker and will putt 2 whole chickens on I hope I can reach 325 with ease now.
Here a picture of the vent. Thanks to Gary s and Dave Omak for your help!

image.jpeg

• luckybasterd040
• Aug 6, 2016

 

[daveomak]

So today I installed the new upper air vent and tomorrow will test the smoker and will putt 2 whole chickens on I hope I can reach 325 with ease now.
Here a picture of the vent. Thanks to Gary s and Dave Omak for your help!

image.jpeg

• luckybasterd040
• Aug 6, 2016

If you have a big enough fire / BED of COALS that will heat the neighbors house, and yours,  the lower vent will control the heat output of the fire...   The upper air inlet will move that heat from the FB to the CC and out the stack....   there is a learning curve...   I'd start with the upper air inlet about 1/2 open....  have a big fire and control it with the lower air inlet....    Once the smoker gets up to operating temp, the smoke should run by itself....  slowly consuming the fuel in the FB while you have a cold one.....

 

[gary s]

Why does he need to heat "his and his neighbors House" ???

Gary

 

[Bearcarver]

 
Why does he need to heat "his and his neighbors House" ???

Gary

Sometimes it gets really cold in the Netherlands!!! 

Bear

 

[toptrader]

I am on the process of building a reverse flow smoker. In my research found a link feldoncentral.com bbq pit calculations. It is user friendly. I think it uses excel. Just input the dimensions of your smoker to be. Results without having to do complex math.

What does everyone think of this calculator? Is it dead on accurate?

 

[smokejumper]

I am on the process of building a reverse flow smoker. In my research found a link feldoncentral.com bbq pit calculations. It is user friendly. I think it uses excel. Just input the dimensions of your smoker to be. Results without having to do complex math.

What does everyone think of this calculator? Is it dead on accurate?

I like it, and it is accurate.
"Dead on" accurate does not apply to smokers. You can have a pretty wide variation in dimensions and still have a good working smoker.
On this forum and this thread in particular, that is not a PC thing to say so weigh all the advice you get from multiple sources.
Look at similar builds and adjust accordingly based on what you have to work with.

 

[nwbhoss]

Well I have a few big cooks under my belt with my 500 gallon reverse flow and all I can say is this site and this calculator works!
If not for the knowledge I gained here I would have a huge boat anchor rather than a great working smoker that everyone who has seen it thus far says is a work of art.
I followed the calculator here to the letter (once I got schooled on how it works) and my smoker is almost on auto pilot. It is hard to not maintain 225* with it. The temps are within 3 or 4 degrees across the smoker at all times and the smoke is perfect thin blue!
I still have a hard time believing I actually built this thing but if not for the help I got here it never would have happened.
A HUGE thank you to everyone involved with developing and adjusting this calculator to work so well for me!
All the people who have eaten what it produces thank you also!

The difference from cooking on my propane smoker to using a stick burner is unbelievable! Its a whole different level of delicious!!!

 

[daveomak]

NWBHoss....   Thank you from all the members that participated with their input and trying out new stuff to see what worked best...  It really was a FORUM community effort.... 

 

[doug kiser]

Well I have a few big cooks under my belt with my 500 gallon reverse flow and all I can say is this site and this calculator works!
If not for the knowledge I gained here I would have a huge boat anchor rather than a great working smoker that everyone who has seen it thus far says is a work of art.
I followed the calculator here to the letter (once I got schooled on how it works) and my smoker is almost on auto pilot. It is hard to not maintain 225* with it. The temps are within 3 or 4 degrees across the smoker at all times and the smoke is perfect thin blue!
I still have a hard time believing I actually built this thing but if not for the help I got here it never would have happened.
A HUGE thank you to everyone involved with developing and adjusting this calculator to work so well for me!
All the people who have eaten what it produces thank you also!

The difference from cooking on my propane smoker to using a stick burner is unbelievable! Its a whole different level of delicious!!!

Could send pic of how far into your firebox is in your cook chamber

 

[daveomak]

Doug, the search function is your friend.....

Could send pic of how far into your firebox is in your cook chamber

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/500-gallon-rf-build-revised.243153/page-5#post-1580063

 

[doug kiser]

Doug, the search function is your friend.....





https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/500-gallon-rf-build-revised.243153/page-5#post-1580063

Dave ,I dont have a search on my phone I have to read and scroll through all posts

 

[daveomak]

At the top of the page it doesn't say "SEARCH"...

 

[Edward@SouthAfrica]

Will this calculator work for a center feed FB (cylinder) reverse flow CC (cylinder) design?

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/center-feed-reverse-flow-smoker-throat-size.286000/

 

[Edward@SouthAfrica]

Hi all. having a look at the pit calculator and have a question on the "Volume in cubic inches X 0.004 = Area under the RF plate in square inches" step. Is this the area when looked at in section view? In other words, the area between bottom of CC and bottom of RF plate?

 

[Bearcarver]

Dave ,I dont have a search on my phone I have to read and scroll through all posts

I never had that problem with my MacBook Pro, because the screen was wide enough.
However now that my MacBook Pro is temporarily out of action, I am using a smaller “IPad”.
Since the screen is smaller, it doesn’t show “Members”, “Recent”, or “Search”.
So to the right of “Media” there is a set of 3 Horizontal Bars, and when I click on them, the 3 (Members, Recent, and Search) Pop up.

Bear

 

[daveomak]

Hi all. having a look at the pit calculator and have a question on the "Volume in cubic inches X 0.004 = Area under the RF plate in square inches" step. Is this the area when looked at in section view? In other words, the area between bottom of CC and bottom of RF plate?

Yes.... You've got it correct....