Horizonal Offset Smoker Mods

[billbo]

Me too Eaglewing!

 

[rivet]

Okay you all, here's my basket thread. It's a great design that has several members of the SMF that will vouch for it, since they have one too....

Great post by Dan, by the way. He's the one who got my idea-juices flowing and sparked my designs.

The stock grate takes a big hit early on. After my first 14 hr brisket it was warped crazy. Still used it for almost a year, but it drove me nuts. This mod will make one of the 3 best overall improvements to your SnP.

Why?

Cause the grate holds the charcoal too close to the bottom of the firebox and after a few hours the ashh chokes off your draw. Not good. I wanted a design to maintain the awesome draw the SnP is known for, as well as allow for fuller loading without having the coals come into contact with the body of the firebox, something that happens without a basket, and will shorten your unit's lifespan. I've seen a lot of basket mods, mostly DEEP ones, but that is not what I wanted. That just continues the ash-choking problem. I designed a basket that sits higher and wider than the ones I'd seen.

Result was a real nice even hot burn, hours and hours and hours without worryin' about cleaning out the ash, and plenty of space to add or just use pure wood, for your fuel. I like to cook a PPB on wood alone, just like back in North Carolina.



And a shot inside-



So, my design was roughly a 13" X 14 " rectangle. 3" tall, using 1 inch angle iron for bracing all around. Length, width, and corners for warp-prevention and quality fit. It's tight in the box and bullet-proof. I cannot remember the type of expanded metal my welder said he used, but I do recall it seemed way too heavy-duty for my application when he showed me the sheet. He recommended against my original application preference as being too thin and would warp quick. He recommended a brace underneath the basket if I decided to go with my original choice, but I went with his expanded metal recommendation. Glad I did!

He did a professional job in that instead of bending the expanded metal, he cut it to length and spot welded each point to the angle iron. He understood bullet-proof, and made it the way he knew I wanted it.



Fits snuggly in the fire-box. The most important part, I think, is keeping your basket UP OFF of the bottom of the firebox. Thus, I designed mine to sit 4 and 1/2 inches up off the bottom dead center point of the firebox arc.

You can see how much more air space there is available for flow and clean burning. It makes all the difference in the world.

 

[eaglewing]

OK...cool...now we're gettin somewhere!!!

 

[ddave]

All the links work now.

Not sure what the trouble was. They were working fine when I created the thread. I know some of the Search IDs change over time but the first link is to another one of my threads that isn't even a year old.

Anyway, I guess I'll just have to check 'em from time to time.

Dave

 

[billbo]

Thanks to everyone for getting this thread alive again. I still think this should be a sticky.

 

[beer-b-q]

Nice Tutorial John...

 

[ddave]

Thank you. And if anyone notices the links not working at any time, just shoot me a PM and I'll fix 'em again.

Dave

 

[alx]

I agree on the sticky for what it is worth....

Funny,my neighbor landed one of these being thrown out and he has not used.I do not need another smoker,but i think i will fix it up for him........

 

[badfrog]

Excellent mod Rivet. I have been fighting with this problem for a long time and have made several different attempts to solve it...each attempt a little better than the previous; your design far exceeds anything I have done!!! I will be copying it and will engrave "Designed by Rivet" on it somewhere!!!!

Thanks

 

[waytoodeep03]

What can we use to keep the smoke in the grill if we do not have a tailpipe laying around?

 

[olewarthog]

Get a disposable oven liner from the grocery store/walmart, etc. They generally come in a pack of two for a couple of bucks. You can cut the size you need easily. All you do is roll it into a tube & push it a few inches into the stack opening. It will unroll with enough tension to hold it place.

 

[etcher1]

I think I will be doing some mods shortly!

 

[tasunkawitko]

shouldn't be any trouble at all to go to a muffler shop and ask if he's got any scrap (cuttings) of NEW tailpipe and then have him cut one to length, then cut the 45-degree angle in one end, then swage the other end so it fits into the base of your chimney (bring that with you to the muffler shop). my muffler guy did it in about 4 minutes and charged 4 dollars.

 

[realtorterry]

thank you sooo much for this post. It answered sooo many questions for me being still new. I do have a quick couple though. You explained EVERYTHING so weel except the charcoal basket & what it does to help??? Second questions is a seen a thread from Rivet on his version of a tuning plate, which simply sets in front of the firebox. Could I use that as both the baffle & tuning plates?


Thanks again for everything on your thread. I have a busy mod weekend now!!

 

[jirodriguez]

Charcoal basket lets you load more fuel in one go (via the minion method), which gives you much longer burn times with steadier temps. Most people get 3-4 hours with a basket, some can go as long as 6-8 (read UDS owners here).

 

[ugaboz]

thanks for the info

 

[jrmcg1]

wow dave thanks for the ideas, havent been smoking too long and own a pit like this one. i have been looking for mods since the first day i got it! how even does your heat stay with the configuration of ur tuning plates as shown? i have turned my charcoal pan over and put it in the fire box hole with some holes strategicly placed, and so far seems to be doing well thus far but not sure how long it will last.....

Joe

 

[rivet]

Hey Bad, you are very welcome! Glad to hear you have everything squared away, but if you need more help, give me a holler via PM. The firebasket works its wonders best in conjunction with the manifold. Lets you keep a decent fire going in cold inclement weather (especially good way up in the Northern parts of the USA) and the manifold will retain that heat and evenly distribute it along the length of the smoker.

Let me show you pics of TasunkaWitko's design that I had made up. He needed a bit longer primary manifold to accomodate a water pan if he wanted one, and had a secondary, separate manifold that he could take out if the weather was warm.

This is how they would be arranged inside the SnP smoking chamber...



Once summer comes, the secondary, or smaller manifold is removable, to help heat flow and fuel consumption in the warmer weather. Both are 1/4 inch steel.




Yes Real, the manifold acts as both a baffle and a tuning plate. here's a pic of mine in the smoker so you can see how it will both act as a baffle for the firebox heat as well as gently radiate the heat throughout the smoking chamber due to it's design and thickness (1/4 inch steel)




Here's a shot of the manifold through the grilling grates. You can see that it extends near halfway across the smoking chamber's area, and thus its thickness will gently radiate that heat evenly throughout the same area-


Hope I've been able to answer you alls questions and clear up any confusion. If you have any more, feel free to PM or ask away, I'll be glad to help out!

 

[ddave]

End to end temps are usually within 5 to 10 degrees of each other. Sometimes the firebox end is actually cooler than the stack end depending on how the plates are arranged. Works great here in Northern California.

But as Rivet pointed out, if you live up where it gets really cold, some added mass may be in order. The manifold that Tas built is a great solution in that case.

Dave

 

[nw pat]

Can't open the link..?