Vertical off set Smoker

[Whispering Hill Farms]

I am building a new shop and intend to put a smoker/cooker into the meat room of the shop. The smoker will be concrete blocks with a cement cap with the interior wals lined with 1/4" plate. My dad is a mason so we will build it in. I have read about cement block smokers taking along time to heat up so I am hoping the addition of the metal helps with some of that. Either way we are large batch smoking type guys so if I had to run the smoker in a warmup mode overnite that's not an issue. For our small stuff we like the Treagor or even better the good old weber grill.

My question is can I use Dave or Fentons calculator to figure the firebox. smoke chamber and exhaust pipe in a vertical offset smoker. The intended design would be to have a small firebox around 2x2x2 on the floor to the left of the main cook chamber 3x3x8. The main cook chamber would then have the chimney pipe up and out of the building. The two chambers would be connected with an opening that I could install a damper in. Keeping the drippings out of the firebox and in the main cook chamber where I have a floor drained installed is one key point for me.

I typically would smoke with a propane burner and a cast iron pan with wood chips. In the future I may consider something else that is easier to control temp on.

I'm listening so if anyone has any ideas or comments I would appreciate that

 

[smokerjim]

As for it heating up it wont take you over night to do so , I built one for my brother years ago, I sort of forget exactly how long it took but my guess would be 1 to 2 hours he was running steady temps.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Are you aiming to smoke only? Or is bbq on the menu as well?

 

[Whispering Hill Farms]

Are you aiming to smoke only? Or is bbq on the menu as well?

BBQ also. The firebox will be firebrick.

 

[civilsmoker]

I have two thoughts for you to consider:

1-if you want to smoke and have consistent and retained heat cooking I would suggest making both the FB and CC out of fire brick with a layer of rock wool around them both then build your block around that.....ie similar to a vertical pizza oven. This would heat up in an hour or two but would be a solid cooker!

2-if you want a more reactive cooker then building the FB and CC out if 1/4 plate and then wrap the with rock wool and then block it in. This would be more reactive because you are only heating up the 1/4 plate and it would get to temp quick. Just know you need a thermal expansion break or joint between the steel and block because they will move differently when they heat. If you don’t have this the steel will kill the block.

my son and me did a fire brick/steel cooker that may give you some ideas.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/the-x-fire-grill.284462/

I would also suggest you look at the brick builds as there are some very nice builds very similar to what you re doing.

By the way I love the way a brick lined cooker does it’s thing!

 

[Whispering Hill Farms]

You build one kick ass smoker! I like the idea of using the firebrick on the inside of the smoke chamber. Should cost me about the same as a new truck:) but only building one that has to last forever so its probably the right way to do it.

I run CAD so I plan on doing some drawings that I will post. At this point Im just getting the thoughts in my mind solid. The shop is just getting roof steel now so I have a bit. Probably a winter project in time for some Vension after hunting season!

 

[civilsmoker]

You build one kick ass smoker! I like the idea of using the firebrick on the inside of the smoke chamber. Should cost me about the same as a new truck:) but only building one that has to last forever so its probably the right way to do it.

I run CAD so I plan on doing some drawings that I will post. At this point Im just getting the thoughts in my mind solid. The shop is just getting roof steel now so I have a bit. Probably a winter project in time for some Vension after hunting season!

Thanks, it's a "bad" addiction that as my wife sometimes puts it....."I need therapy," to which I respond "building BBQ's is my therapy". Remember to use the standard non-insulating fire bricks not the insulating ones (those are $$$$$ and and made out of non-food stuff). And yes please do a build post as I would love to see it! What you have planned will be very cool!