OK, finnished putting it back togather. Here's what it looks like. tell me what you think.
That looks hot man. I like it. Personally I might have chosen blue, but that's because I'm a BYU grad and I hate the U of U.OK, finnished putting it back togather. Here's what it looks like. tell me what you think.
Look at the tuning plate configuration there. Heat travels UP. That thing tries to push it DOWN. So much of your heat will escape via the top of the firebox... bet you're doubling your fuel consumption for each smoke.I have the super pro with SFB; sealed lid, baffle with tuning plates, extended chimney to grate level with dryer vent tube, and built charcoal box for SFB. I still have 30-40 degree difference from one side to the other. I removed the tuning plates and turned the charcoal pan upside down and still got the same uneven temps. Any suggestions? I do have the damper plate removed between the grill and SFB.
Followed these mods: http://www.deejayssmokepit.net/Downloads_files/CharGrilleMods.pdf
Thanks!
I sort of did that on my last smoke with the charcoal pan but I left the baffle in place. I'll remove the baffle and try to find something other than the charcoal pan. Thanks for the info.Look at the tuning plate configuration there. Heat travels UP. That thing tries to push it DOWN. So much of your heat will escape via the top of the firebox... bet you're doubling your fuel consumption for each smoke.
My "tuning plate" is just a full size (26"x18") commercial baking pan. I have it on a pair of bricks to hold it just above the firebox output; this ensures all the heat is coming into the cooking chamber. I keep it mostly up against the firebox side, but slightly skewed so that smoke is coming out all along each side. My temps are pretty even from one side to the other if I want, and if I feel the need to make one side hotter I just slide that whole pan over to the left a bit.
My brother, who has had his New Braunfels Black Diamond for years, never worried about evening out temps. He feels that having one side hotter than the other is a very useful thing in many cases. And his product is awesome.
Is there a way to attach angle iron to the lid/lower effectively without welding that would still allow for a good seal? I have no welding skills, and only access to an arc welder, so I'm afraid any attempt to weld would burn a hole right through my cooking chamber. And I'm not sure how I could bolt it on without compromising the seal due to the bolts.I noticed there is a nice felt strip used with the BGE. If you use the angle iron around the cooking area, you can use this instead of the rope and caulk. The fibers come off of the rope and can get in your food.
Don't ask me how I know, but i know the same thing you do. :)
I bought aluminum angle iron from Lowe's. It cuts easily with a hack saw. To attach it, I used stainless bolts. Make sure you use a step drill bit. It provides a much cleaner hole. Currently I have high temp rtv in the angle iron, but I would like to use BGE felt instead. With the rtv on the angle iron, I have to add a small single layer strip of foil on the the angle iron because I pressed down too hard when making a groove in the sealant a little smoke leaks out. This mod has helped me to manage air leakage.Is there a way to attach angle iron to the lid/lower effectively without welding that would still allow for a good seal? I have no welding skills, and only access to an arc welder, so I'm afraid any attempt to weld would burn a hole right through my cooking chamber. And I'm not sure how I could bolt it on without compromising the seal due to the bolts.
Also, what type of felt material would you use to pack in the angle iron, and where would I buy some?
I'm constantly on the lookout for a good solution to this problem. I've done the rope method, and it just hasn't been as effective as I'd like. So far my best solution has been to pack the gap full of tin foil. I'd like a more permanent solution than that.
Good call on the fire rope on your ash pan. I've been wondering about how to deal with that gap as well. That hurts the ability to control air flow. I assume you haven't had any issues with the temp getting too high that close to the fire? That might not be a terrible idea to plug another leak I've had around the lid to my SFB. Hmm. Sounds like I've got another round of mods in the future. Gotta get them done for Thanksgiving.The metal on this unit isn't the best to be welding on. Like CrazyBoutSmoke I combined what a few people did and have had excellent luck. There is a very small amount of smoke leaking but that is because I screwed up my measurements when drilling on the right and the front ended up slightly lower than the rear. The leak is so small it isn't worth fixing it.
Here's the thread on what I did.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/58778/char-griller-smokin-pro-with-firebox-mods/300#post_842411
Additionally, I added wheels with brakes; now it's so easy to move my wife can do it.