proper ventilation for using a wsm in my old DETACHED garage.

[dandiele]

Hey everyone, I have been thinking about doing this for a few years and I am planning on trying to do it in the next month or so. I want to be able to use my WSM out of the elements. Ideally I would like to use some type of ducting and a chimeny but with the WSM I dont think that will work very well so, I am considering purchasing a fan like 
to use on the wall nearest were I would use the smoker. I would then either keep the door cracked or install something like this 
on the other side of the garage for a fresh air inlet. I am wondering if you guys think the 560CFM fan would be enough or if I should go for a 1400cfm or higher exhaust fan. My garage is not very large. maybe roughly 15x15 if that, its a single car garage built in about 1950.

What do you think? I dont really care if the garage smells like smoke, but I would like to be able to get a little heater out there and have our patio table out there in the cool months and play cards and keep an eye on the smoker without having to worry about poison gas or being choked by to much smoke.

 

[jirodriguez]

Might be easier to build a "cabinet" against the wall of the garage, then you could exhaust from the cabinet to the outside which would greatly improve the exhaust fan performance. Personally I just wrap my WSM in a welding blanket and use it under my covered porch - acts as both a wind break and extra insulation. I run it on windy 28° days with no problems.

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• jirodriguez
• Mar 16, 2014

 

[dandiele]

I haven't actually had much trouble keeping temps. mainly its for my own comfort haha. getting coals going and everything set up is no fun when its 0 degrees out side. and I was thinking if I could vent the garage and have a small heater in there to even bring it up to 50-60 it would make things alot more comfortable while I was checking the meat, wrapping ribs etc.

I would be worried about building a cabinet and using the vent fan because I dont want to have air forced through the smoker because that would affect temps alot. I plan on getting a pitmaster IQ so I can have steady temps in the winter ETC.

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Personally , I love the smell of Smoke , and if this is a non used Garage , I would leave it be... no worry about CO poisoning , so why not. Now a flame type Smoker will need fresh air exchange...

 

[thesmokist]

The only way to know is to try! I'd go with the bigger 1400 cfm fan and try to put it directly above the smoker

 

[dandiele]

Well, I use the garage for my motorcycle lawn mowers etc but I don't park the car in it unless a severe thunderstorm or something us coming through. In the past I've used the smoker just inside the door and it gets pretty smokey even with box fans. I don't mind the smell but if I want to hang out in there and keep it warm I'll need some kind if ventilation. And a heater that can keep up. Even a 50k btu propane forced air torpedo looking heater I think would do OK however its not an insulated garage.

 

[thesmokist]

yeah I'd try and put the fan on one side and the vent on the other. One of the kerosene salamander heaters works really good in a small garage. That's how I use to heat mine