My Smoker/Grill Build

[steveaggie]

Sorry, just saw this.  I used 1/4" steel plate.

 

[noxwaste]

I'm incredibly jealous. I've wanted a grill/smoker setup like this for the longest time. Something that's just built-in to the patio so that it doesn't have to be moved, etc. Great job! Only thing I would suggest is next time you do a project thread, post your updates at the end of the thread instead of the beginning. The natural scrolling progression through a thread should have us reading the oldest to the newest updates, and make for a more natural "story."

Either way.. Awesome job!

 

[smokedad]

I started digging yesterday to get ready to pour the pad for my outdoor smoker, so I'm excited to see how this goes.  Steveaggie, what are the dimensions of your smoker and firebox?  Is there pretty good airflow from the firebox to the smoker?  Thanks for your help.

 

[steveaggie]

Be sure to post some pics of your build as you go through it!

Here is the link to the BBQ calculator I used.  I believe the values I have in there are what I ended up with (approximately).

http://feldoncentral.com/bbqcalcula...40,11.32&fi=0,0,0,18.14,0&fc=7.85,11.10,48.38

Also my scaled drawings are in the first post in this thread.  They are probably accurate within 1".  I had to make some on-the-fly adjustments due to the way the brick was laying or what looked better, etc.  

I have done 6 smokes or so on it now and it is working great.  I can't think of anything I would change in the design.  It doesn't leak at all and holds the temperature well.  I will say that the firebox intake has to be 95-99% shut to keep the temp at about 225.  I don't think I would shrink the firebox though because right now it's sized about right for a standard size log.  I usually keep about 2-3 split logs going in there during a smoke.  It burns about 1 split log per hour which I think is totally reasonable given the size of the smoking chamber.  I can fit 5 briskets in there comfortably.  I think if I turned them sideways I could probably fit 10, but I usually only do 2-3 at a time.

After switching from a WSM with charcoal + wood chunks, my brisket flavor has improved a lot.  I think smoking with all wood makes a huge difference in the taste.

Good luck with your build!

 

[smokedad]

Thanks for the quick reply, I hadn't realized that the numbers in the calculator were your dimensions.  I didn't see any dimensions for your opening that goes from the firebox to the smoker - what is that size?  Thanks.

Sorry, I was looking at the calculator again and I saw that the square inches for the opening was listed, so I can figure it out with that.

 

[sqeejo]

Reviving.
How's the smoker holding up and cooking a year later?

 

[steveaggie]

It is doing great. One issue I had was that I didn't really put anything between the top of the firebox and the granite counter top above. It was getting too hot and starting to cause fissures in the granite. If I controlled the heat and kept it low it was fine, but I still didn't like it. So, I opened that part up and put some firebrick in. I also bought this to stuff on top of it.

It seems to be working pretty well. The counter still gets warm but in the 200 degree range instead of 400+ degrees. I can live with that. Everything else has held up well.

 

[sqeejo]

Very nice. This is how my wife wants ours set up in the back. Glad to hear its got some life to it.

 

[archeryrob]

Have you done any all day smokes and what kind of temps are you getting in the smoker? Have you run it hot like an oven yet? Like chicken cooking hot?

I have a brick fire box for my smokehouse and it gets really hot after fired for a while. All the wood fired oven people tell me I can't build a over over the fire box. I mean, yours looks like an oven with a hot fire and a hot smoker with a small one.

I'll post another thread with my ideas for mine.

 

[steveaggie]

Have you done any all day smokes and what kind of temps are you getting in the smoker? Have you run it hot like an oven yet? Like chicken cooking hot?

I have a brick fire box for my smokehouse and it gets really hot after fired for a while. All the wood fired oven people tell me I can't build a over over the fire box. I mean, yours looks like an oven with a hot fire and a hot smoker with a small one.

I'll post another thread with my ideas for mine.

Yes, plenty of briskets run through this thing now. I've done some 325/350 for chicken. No problem. I usually have to keep it pretty closed down to keep the temperature low. Once it gets up to temp and I build a coal base in the firebox (this takes about an hour or so) it's very temperature stable.

I added a CyberQ to the damper to help regulate the minor fluctuations in airflow needed. Burning all wood is a sneaky deal, but it tastes so much better!

 

[archeryrob]

Ok, so your firebox is totally separate from the smoking oven, correct? You have not problem heating it up and how long does that take? The oven being the chimney for the fire box, correct?

I posted another thread about wanting to rebuild my smokehouse firebox to have an oven over it. No responses yet. The wood fired oven people tell me it won't work, or wont be hot enough. I am hoping it would be hot enough. I could even build a fire in the top oven and push the coals into the bottom to continue the smoke production if needed.

That CyberQ looks too pricey for me. Is it making it an auto damper?

 

[steveaggie]

Mine wasn't really designed to be an oven, but a smoker instead (225-250 degrees). So I don't really know about your design. What temp are you trying to get to? You'll probably have better luck putting the smoking chamber over the fire and deflecting the heat somehow. The farther away from the firebox you go, the more the smoke cools. That's what I needed though. If you show me your design and what temp you're trying to get to I can give you my opinion.

 

[archeryrob]

Its in the thread right below this one in Brick Smokers.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoker-oven-combo-idea.287170/

 

[millos3]

i saw your post a while back and i finally decided to build one myself but i have a question about the doors and frame...what kind of metal did you use? Thickness? I cant seem to find any answer on your replies other than the link to a metal store. TIA