Vertical 250 gallon smoker

[brokedana35]

Almost there! Completed doors but still have a bunch of welding to do.

 

[sunman76]

HECK YEA THAT IS LOOKING SWEET!!

I like your spud guns..

 

[alelover]

That is really taking shape. Lookin good.

 

[big twig]

That is looking really cool so far, I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[brokedana35]

OK. I had the first burn (no cooking until I sand blast). All wood. I found I could control heat OK. If I was not careful I could get the smoke box too hot. But could be quickly cooled down by choking the intake to it off. The pizza box was interesting. When keeping the smoke box at 200F the pizza box hovered around 400F but was a little harder to keep consistent. At one point if was 600F. IT would be challenging to smoke ribs and cook Pizza. But I think it could be done.

 

Second burn was all charcoal (no cooking yet). I tried a modified Minion approach. I called it the "Minion Snake". See pictures. It worked OK. I was a little aggressive on the charcoal, ran real hot, but did last for 4 hrs. This weekend I will try a "Minion Snake" a little skinnier and longer. It would be sweet if I could get it to last 6hrs without fuss’n with it. I do agree though, that is half the fun.

Has anyone been able to burn that long without adding charcoal or wood?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunman76]

man that is looking great!

 

[brokedana35]

thanks! makes me hungry looking at it.

 

[hoity toit]

I like that idea., let us know how it burns. Kinda like the Amaz-n smoker

 

[michael ark]

That looks greatThumbs Up

 

[sunman76]

how fast did you get up to temp?

 

[berninga87]

The amazen charcoal basket, sweet. Well the more air flow the charcoal has the faster and hotter it will burn, and the longer you need to keep your intake open to get up to temp the more fuel you'll use up in the process. There's definitely a learning curve as I'm experiencing with my build. Mine is quite a bit smaller than yours (60gal. vertical air tank) but I've found that if I get the smoker up to temp quickly and take good care to not let it go too far above my target temp right off the bat I can make a little charcoal last a long time with minimal air flow. The best way I've been able to get up to temp faster is to just use an extra full extra hot chimney to start and leave all valves wide open until temp gets close, and then start to work the intakes down, also I never close up the exhaust. Hope this helps! Maybe even with a rig that size a propane burner wouldnt be a bad idea for a crutch?

Oh..and I think your garage door is trying to tell you something! haha

 

[berninga87]

 so hows it coming?

 

[terry colwell]

Great looking cooker, and a new idea as with the way you built it. If your pizza oven is getting to 400 and above that is perfect, the best pizza oven fire their pizzas from 450 to 550 degrees. I think pizza cooked HIGH and fast make the best ones... just my 2 cents...

 

[brokedana35]

It takes about an hour to steady down at 225F in the smoke box using wood.

 

[sunman76]

thats some good time.  Have you got that girl painted and moved into place yet?

 

[brokedana35]

Berninga87,

Funny that u mentioned a gas burner. I have to admitted the last two cooks I cheated and uswed a burner. Suuuuuper easy. Set the temp up and walk away for hours. Plan on cooking a 14hr but through friday night.

 

[brokedana35]

Sunman76,

I was hoping to sandblast it, but that is proving to be a challenge.  Purchased a suction sandblaster for my compressor...junk. Purchased a sand blaster with a pressurized media tank...junk. Purchased a suction wet sand blaster for the power washer...Power washer died (that may still work but will take a while).

Looking like good old elbow sanding. :(

 

[JckDanls 07]

I've been very interested in this build.. I would say that your burner needs a little air adjustment... keep us posted

 

[brokedana35]

JckDnls,

Ya the orange flame was a little disappointing. I figured it was the long mixing chamber changes things. I have the air adjustment open all the way, but I will try taking the adjustment plate off all together this weekend.

If I am thinking this through correctly, the large orange flame means I need more air...correct? 

 

[stovebolt]

 Maybe the modification of the venturi is your problem.

Fantastic looking build.

 Chuck