Some Help needed from old baking rack to smoker (Intake and Exhaust)

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halfrikan

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 21, 2014
3
10
Panama City Florida
So long story short I purchased an old baking rack that had already been converted into a box for smoking, It was vertical using indirect heat. The offset smoke box was no longer available so I am making it just a vertical smoker. Through tons of research and the ease of set it and forget it I decided I wanted to use natural gas as a heat source, as it is already piped to my house and I have some free connections already (just closed off).  This is a picture of the front of the unit.



Internally it is 63 1/2" tall x 18 1/4" wide x 30" deep.


The back of the unit as 2 unsymmetrical and different sized holes of 1" and 2". My Idea here was to increase both holes to 3" and also make them symmetrical at the same time and use an old wood stove damper to control the air intake. I plan on using the AMNPS as my smoke source, finding a way to mount it around one of those 3" holes.


The other side of the unit has 2 small 1/2" holes at the bottom and a large 8 3/4" x 16 1/2" hole where the old offset box I assume piped into the cooking area. My plan is to cover this up completely  leaving just the 2, 3" holes in the back as the intake.


Just below the roof (where the tape is) lies another 1/2" hole on both sides of the unit as the exhaust, there is no way to control this as of now, I am unsure if this is enough exhaust for this size unit.

I have smoked in an old style MES before and actually had to keep the door cracked to keep enough oxygen going into the smoker to keep the AMNPS lit. I just want to make sure that with 2 3" holes I can have enough oxygen to keep the flame going cause the last thing I want is to continuously pump NG into a hot box.

The Burner I Have:



I know the burner is overkill, but I plan on using a cast iron griddle as a diffuser plate and also using that to sear steaks at crazy high temps (Door Open of that of course). I just need someone to tell me this all seems ok, I have looked all over these forums and not too many users are using natural gas. Even scouring the internet, very few references to natural gas in a smoker. 

So does everything look correct?
 
Hello.  Natural gas-propane the principle is the same.  I ALWAYS overbuild stuff.  My theory is better to put it in at the beginning and not need it rather than tear it apart and do it again.  When I was building smokers my rule of thumb was to make sure my exhaust was twice the size of my intakes.  Others may have different advice.  Just my opinion.  Good luck and post picts.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
I'm building / modifying something that's nearly identical to yours.  I'm going to have a griddle and the amps in there as well.  Feel free to ping me for questions.  I'm learning as well with this stuff, but it'll be fun to figure on it.

Some people have placed the amps in a mailbox or similar box on the side of smokers like this - that may be something you could do since there's a hole in the side already.
 
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