Wes - I'm glad to see this build thread alive this long. That is indeed a piece of art!
I have a few questions:
1. What is the current dimensions inside the firebox (including height) and smoke box respectively? h x w x d
2. You mentioned you'd increase the inner dimensions somewhat... to what final dimension?
3. What is the outer dimensions of the smoker?
4. I believe you mentioned that your footer was 15' x 5' correct?
5. Because the heat in the smoke box should never be extreme, wouldn't 60% solid concrete block suffice? It does have a 2 hr fire rating which would easily get through the initial warm up period. IOW, does it need to be completely lined with firebrick?
6. Also, for some reason I'm not seeing how the air/ash clean-out channel fits into the overall design. particularly where it enters the firebox.
I'm a complete novice where masonry is concerned. I do have a 120" x 33" footer poured, and great desire for this smoker/grill dream to come to life though. My plans at this point are to block it out and wrap with cultured stone (wife likes the look better...and I know that the real magic is on the inside).
Good morning Emack.
When you get a chance if you could go into your profile and let people know what part of the world your from, it would be helpful to know when giving smoking advice. Thanks
I'll do my best to answer your questions. As I've stated, I built this thing on the fly. There are things I'd do differently if done again, but overall, it works very well.
1. The inside dimensions of the firebox are 22Dx201/2Wx221/2T. The height is to the bottom of the first shelf where I have it baffled with steel plates
This is the bottom shelf over the firebox. I put a full sized aluminum pan as a water pan.
The outside finished dimensions are 391/2Dx54W. This could be as big or small as you want. Its how it worked out with the way I designed the footprint.
2. With a full load of pork I can get 14 butts in this smoker. Of course by design, it cooks hotter on the bottom. I do rotate when I foil. I usually pull them out as they finish from the bottom up. With the cold mass of a full load I don't feel I get the air moving around it all the way up to get it as hot as it could be. With 3 butts to a rack I have about 2in. on each side for air to move. If I built another one I would build it at
least 8in. wider on the inside. That would give me 4in. on each side for hotter air to move without being cooled by the cold mass. It is plenty deep. It works perfect to reach to the back and pull out butts or put them in.
3. Ok, that one is answered. It can be as big as you want. Keep in mind the bigger it is, the more weight is being put on your footer.
4. Yes, the footer is 5x15x 13in. This is a massive footer. The ground under this build is soft and sandy. The build sits inside the footer approx. 6in. all the way around to help with stability. Also on this footing is a outdoor fireplace. I'll note that I also did a double run of 1/2in. rebar in the footing when poured.
5. This is my honest opinion. I wouldn't short it of firebrick. Firebrick are designed to hold heat and not break down over time. Yes, in 30yr. used everyday at hot temps even firebrick will burn out. For a smoker used once a week, it should last my lifetime and many years after that. Block or very porous. They also absorb a lot of moisture from the air. That's not good when trying to get a cold 13degree smoker up to temp. Even once up to temp your firebox is still going to be much hotter around the fire. Block will over time will start to break down from the heat. I'd rather spend 150 more dollars and be assured that I don't have to worry about moisture issues every time I fire it up and burnout 15yrs down the road from the block. I also used the firebrick as shelves. I cut the firebrick in half and laid them flat giving me a shelf every run up the smoker. I will also add that anytime you have heat, you don't want any more steel then you have to have. Steel expands when heated. It will crack whatever is holding it! Yes, by door frames are 3in. steel angle. Yes they do expand, no, there is nothing anything can be done about it. Its just the way it works. Once it cools back down, it all goes back into place and you can't even tell its moved. I guess what I'm saying is, you don't want to insert steal into the masonry for shelves. It will crack and
could work loose from the weight of what you are smoking. My honest opinion, I wouldn't use block. It will sweat year round when you heat it up. I will say this out of honesty, my firebrick even sweat, but very little and its gone within 15min. of firing up the smoker. I know there are other here who have had bad experiences with block smokers, hopefully they will chime in.
6. I don't think I posted the intake photo into the build. The vent access runs all the way into the firebox. I don't have a finished photo, but I layed the firebrick around the opening on the inside. Once I got it all layed up past the opening, I formed the inside and poured mortar around the opening to give it a channel straight through.
This is the opening in the block work for the vent. I poured the bottom solid and formed the upper to a 6in. opening and poured it solid a few in. into the upper block.
I hope I answered your questions. Its hard for me to explain things the way I want to sometimes. If you have any questions, or don't understand what I tried to write please let me know. If you'd like to see the finished vent access on the inside, let me know. I'd be glad to take one and post it. You could use any type of vent to let air in. It doesn't even get warm that far away from the fire.
Masonry work just takes time. Don't hurry yourself. I've had people ask me how to lay brick and block. The simple answer is. You lay one over two. Square and plume is your best friend. :-)
The most important advice I can give is. When you get your project done. Let it cure!!! It needs to cure for at least 45days to get the moisture out of the mortar. Then, build a small paper fire the first time you fire it. Wait a day or two and build a little bigger paper fire. IOW, warm it up slow, very slow before you build a big fire in it. If it isn't cured properly, the mortar joints inside will crack!
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Wes