A Sight to Behold w/ Q-View!

[stonebriar]

A good friend that recently introduced me to the joys of smoking, sent me these pics of his newly finished project today. Enjoy!

http://tinyurl.com/travelin-smoker

 

[meateater]

I love it! One opinion is that I'd use stainless ball valves for the drain. PVC will melt with the heat and/or release toxics. JMHO.

 

[dirt guy]

Using the link will give descriptions to the pics.
For those not wishing to follow the link:

 

[txbbqman]

Ok I Have Pit Envy Now!!!!!!!!!!!

Nice rig

 

[Dutch]

Nice build that your friend did there Stonebriar; but owning a reverse-flow smoker meownself, I hate to burst the bubble on his claim that his smoker is a reverse-flow. In order to be classified as a reverse-flow, the smoke/heat needs to travel under a steel plate under the food, come up into the chamber on the other end then flow over the around the food back toward the firebox and the smokestack to exit. There is a diagram somewhere here in the forums that explain the differences between a conventional stick burner and a reverse-flow.

 

[dirt guy]

This is another variation on "reverse flow". The heat/smoke enter at the top of the vessel and has to travel downward (reverse from normal flow--heat rises) through the cooking area and down to the outlet of the smoke stack.

It is a much simpler way to accomplish the same thing. It also keeps the temps amazingly even in the cooking chamber.

 

[mballi3011]

Hey there StonebrierI would ahve to buddy up to your friend and see if we could build me one like that. It's awesome and a good smoker to me. Now that would be one I would like to smoke on yes with a couple of improvements. The first improvement I would do is there is NO meat in it. Then the next one I would work on is the fire I like mine alitle hotter then that one had going.

Nice Build

 

[dirt guy]

Here is a quick sketch I made. It explains my thoughts on what constitutes reverse flow in a smoker.

 

[Dutch]

I guess if you build it, you can call it whatever you want.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...7&postcount=21

The Reverse Flow Horizontal Smoker-Cooker


Now we're going to take a look at a different type of smoker-cooker which operates in a very different way.

Before we begin, we need to review the questions you have asked since there are some significant differences in the way this smoker-cooker works.


Let's take another look at the questions since some of the answers have now changed....



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryoma
1) Is it better to build an horizontal or a vetical smoker??
I'd like to use the water (water smoker) and I need to understand if it is possible with an horizontal smoker.

A-1) If built properly, water can be used in BOTH a horizontal and/or a vertical smoker. In this type smoker-cooker it is not necessary to place a container into the cooking/smoking chamber.

Water may be added directly to the 'Drip Pan' to provide moisture in the chamber if desired.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryoma
2) Does the heat reach the smoke chember from the firebox directly??

A-2) No. With this type smoker-cooker, due to its design and the way it is constructed, the heat always enters the cooking/smoking chamber in an indirect manner as you will see.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryoma
3) Is there a bulkhead to distribuite the heat homogeneously like in this photo??

A-3) Yes. The 'bulkhead' in this type smoker-cooker is, in actuality, the 'Drip Pan'.

Note that there are no 'Tuning Plates' needed, nor is there a place to put them.



Now let's take a look at the graphics as I attempt to explain how they work...

One of the first things you will notice is the 'Exhaust Flue' is now located at the same end as the 'Firebox'
rather than the opposite end, as in the first cooker we looked at. The 'Reverse Flow' Smoker-Cooker
requires this for proper operation, as we will see.

The second thing you will notice is the absence of 'Tuning Plates' in the chamber, since there are none
needed in this type cooker.

The third thing you will notice is that we now have a 'Drip Pan' in the area occupied by the TP's in the
first cooker we looked at.

The primary purpose of the 'Drip Pan' is to cause the heat/smoke to enter the cooking/smoking
chamber in an indirect manner by acting as a duct to the end of the chamber opposite the firebox.

In doing this it also acts as a thermal mass that stores some of the heat, and releases the stored heat
in an even manner to the food above it, thereby causing the temperature to be fairly even throughout
the chamber.

In other words it acts as a buffer to tame and even out the heat thereby eliminating hot spots, and
this is accomplished without the need for 'Tuning Plates', or the tedious adjustment they require.

The end to end temperature differential is typically less than 10* in this type of smoker-cooker.

The secondary purpose of the 'Drip Pan' is to collect the fat (grease) that drips from the meat being
cooked and channel it out of the cooking/smoking chamber through the open drain to an external
container placed under the drain.

A third minor function of the 'Drip Pan' is that with the drain valve closed, water may be added to it
in order to add moisture to the cooking/smoking environment inside the chamber thereby, in effect,
causing it to then operate as a water smoker.

This will also help to moderate any temperature differentials inside the chamber.


http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/117/reverseflowhorizontalsmbb8.png

 

[dirt guy]

Dutch,

It looks like we have the same components, they're just configured in different ways. I didn't think to put my water pan in the diagram. We hang it on the top of the baffle (as seen in the earlier pics).

I'll bet it would all taste good!

We also have a smaller smoker built on the same priniciple. Both (along with four or five others) are in service today. A local fraternal organization is having a fundraiser. They are cooking 234 racks of ribs over today and tomorrow morning. I'll try to take some pics to share later. There are several different styles of smokers on display.