Ready for a test smoke!!
Still have to finish the racks and drip pan, but she's ready to fire up, and check for leaks....
Nice smoke coming out the top, had some left over charcoal from my last bbq, bag had been sitting outside, so it was a lil damp, took a while to get burning good, but figured it would work for a test burn.
Thermometer in the door was showing 180-185', seemed a little low, so I dropped a meat probe in through one of the top vents, and it was holding 203-205' up there for a steady 2 hrs. Not sure why the big difference in temps.
Maybe a bad thermometer, will put an oven thermometer in on a rack next time I heat it up.
Had plenty of air coming in through the bottom, and it seemed to have plenty of flow coming out the top, think I'm going to build a charcoal basket, so that the coals aren't down in a pan like they are now, maybe that will help with the burn.
So I guess tomorrow/saturday I get to finish making racks, and seal it up. Still want to make a set of folding shelves for the sides.
Then we will be doing nothing but smoking until I get my PID in the mail, so I can add the controls and change it over to electric.
Still have to finish the racks and drip pan, but she's ready to fire up, and check for leaks....
Nice smoke coming out the top, had some left over charcoal from my last bbq, bag had been sitting outside, so it was a lil damp, took a while to get burning good, but figured it would work for a test burn.
Thermometer in the door was showing 180-185', seemed a little low, so I dropped a meat probe in through one of the top vents, and it was holding 203-205' up there for a steady 2 hrs. Not sure why the big difference in temps.
Maybe a bad thermometer, will put an oven thermometer in on a rack next time I heat it up.
Had plenty of air coming in through the bottom, and it seemed to have plenty of flow coming out the top, think I'm going to build a charcoal basket, so that the coals aren't down in a pan like they are now, maybe that will help with the burn.
So I guess tomorrow/saturday I get to finish making racks, and seal it up. Still want to make a set of folding shelves for the sides.
Then we will be doing nothing but smoking until I get my PID in the mail, so I can add the controls and change it over to electric.