# Cinder Block Smoker



## porkysnightmare (Dec 9, 2018)

Anyone running a cinder block pit? Post up what you've done..thinking of building one right before Christmas. Fine china blueprints seen here lol


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Dec 9, 2018)

Holly2015 said:


> Around here we use CAD (Cardboard aided design) for laying things out.



LOL!


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## porkysnightmare (Dec 9, 2018)

Lol


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## SonnyE (Dec 9, 2018)

Many a brainstorm began on a napkin in a small diner.... ;)


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## fivetricks (Dec 10, 2018)

This unit is the one up at the family retreat. Use it for smoking pigs, mass ants of brisket, etc. 

Fits about 30 spatchcocked 4-6 lb chickens.

Take it from me. Make sure your base is level on all sides and in relation to each other. Fill all of your block voids with sand. That's super important, I learned the hard way. 

Finally allow several hours for preheating. They turn out AMAZING q but it takes a while to to get to temp. 

My CC is 32x64, if you make yours a similar size, I'd allow 12 hours for preheating and see if yours takes that long. Better to use more wood and time than to try and rush it up to temp and destroy the block in your fire chamber area. Ask me how I know that. :mad:


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## Gocubs1815 (Sep 15, 2019)

What kind of fuel do you guys use? I'm making one for a BBQ in a couple months. Want to use charcoal. How much fuel would a smoker that big need?


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## siege (Sep 15, 2019)

Following. Thinking about a pig cooker. Looking at block pit or a Caja China.


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## fivetricks (Sep 15, 2019)

Gocubs1815 said:


> What kind of fuel do you guys use? I'm making one for a BBQ in a couple months. Want to use charcoal. How much fuel would a smoker that big need?



So I made a few modifications to mine and it really changed the efficiency of the pit so I'll post a pic where you can see the changes.







Notice how I added an upper airflow inlet on the FB. This really helps to keep heat off of the lid and deliver it into the cc. Secondly, I extended the chimney by two courses to increase draft.

I also did a slop mortar job on the inside of the whole pit, sealing voids, corners, imperfections in the block etc. Finally I filled all of the voids with sand.

These 4 changes allow me to preheat the pit essentially with one whole 15lb back of charcoal and then I can start adding splits to that. Once I'm up to temp I'm now using 2 splits per hour or so to maintain even temps


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## Gocubs1815 (Sep 15, 2019)

fivetricks said:


> These 4 changes allow me to preheat the pit essentially with one whole 15lb back of charcoal and then I can start adding splits to that. Once I'm up to temp I'm now using 2 splits per hour or so to maintain even temps



Forgive my ignorance, but what is a split?


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## siege (Sep 15, 2019)

A split is a chunk of firewood. Usually 18 " long or so, depending  on your fire  box,  and " split " twice, into a triangular lengthwise wedge. 4 splits from 1  piece if wood.


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## Gocubs1815 (Sep 15, 2019)

siege said:


> A split is a chunk of firewood. Usually 18 " long or so, depending  on your fire  box,  and " split " twice, into a triangular lengthwise wedge. 4 splits from 1  piece if wood.


Okay. If I'm not using and offset smoker, would I still want to use wood? I'm just thinking about direct heat and flames messing up the meat.


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## siege (Sep 15, 2019)

Great question. This particular discussion is about a pit smoker. It is configured with a fire box feeding smoke and controlled heat into a smoking chamber. Smoke is drawn over the meat due to a draft caused by a chimney at the opposite side of the pit from the firebox.
 You are exactly right, you would be grilling, not smoking. With your heat source off to the side, or around the edge, you can add wood for smoke and flavor, and cook low and slow.
What kind of smoker are you using, or plan on using ? We can give you some information on adding wood that would be appropriate to you.


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## daveomak (Sep 15, 2019)

fivetricks said:


> So I made a few modifications to mine and it really changed the efficiency of the pit so I'll post a pic where you can see the changes.
> 
> View attachment 405949
> 
> ...



upper air inlet, Draft, Sealing air leaks, insulation... all add to the efficiency of a smoker...
Great job on "tuning up" your smoker...


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## fivetricks (Sep 16, 2019)

Thank ya sir. I feel like I took someone's advice on doing those things :-D

Use to just run the inlet wide open and have tons of energy loss issues. Well you see how I have 2/3 of the upper blocked off and when I was cooking on it I had that slide baffle prob 75-80% closed most of the time on the lower.


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## fivetricks (Sep 16, 2019)

Richardson said:


> Looks great. How much cost your constructoin?



Well, figure 1.00 per block. There's 75-80 blocks, including cap blocks.

5.00 for mortar, sheet of plywood we'll call 25.00, 20ft of 5/8 rebar maybe 15.00, various hardware for the lids 10.00, the expanded steel grate and the 1/4 steep lid were 100.00 total from a friend of a friend.

So 235?

But I got the sand, landscaping chips and the brick that lines the firebox for free.


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## JC in GB (Sep 19, 2019)

Why did you have to fill your blocks with sand?


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## siege (Sep 19, 2019)

It would hold temperature  more evenly. Kind of like a water pan or brick in your smoker.
Once the sand gets up to temperature it won't drop as fast as air space would.


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## fivetricks (Sep 19, 2019)

^^^ this. Last year I had neither inner mortar nor the sand filled blocks.

The pit took over 12 hours to properly warm and required new fresh splits ever 10-15 minutes, 2-3 at a time 

This year it heated up in less than 2 hours and took 1-2 splits every hour to maintain a hotter temp than I used last year.


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## S-met (Sep 19, 2019)

SonnyE said:


> Many a brainstorm began on a napkin in a small diner.... ;)


Or beer coasters in a pub.


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## fivetricks (Sep 19, 2019)

Preach brother!







Those were just the handful within arms reach of my phone when I read that post. I love me some beer coasters


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## JC in GB (Sep 20, 2019)

siege said:


> It would hold temperature  more evenly. Kind of like a water pan or brick in your smoker.
> Once the sand gets up to temperature it won't drop as fast as air space would.



I wonder if perlite would achieve that same thing?


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## siege (Sep 20, 2019)

Just the opposite.  Perlite is a construction  insulation used to provide a thermal break in concrete and masonry. It would block the heat, and not hold it. It is also more expensive than sand.


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## daveomak (Sep 20, 2019)

Perlite will add insulation..  It will not add thermal mass....


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## JC in GB (Sep 20, 2019)

siege said:


> Just the opposite.  Perlite is a construction  insulation used to provide a thermal break in concrete and masonry. It would block the heat, and not hold it. It is also more expensive than sand.





daveomak said:


> Perlite will add insulation..  It will not add thermal mass....



Right you are, however, would not an insulating material behind the firebrick give you enough thermal mass and also be insulated enough to reduce fuel consumption?

I used a great deal of perlite concrete when building my stone oven.  Mostly for insulation behind the cladding layer.  I think if I made a full concrete block type of enclosure, I would likely make the cook chamber insulated on the outer walls.




















Perlite cement with 1" dimpled stainless steel wires for reinforcement.

Notice perlite concrete layer, cladding layer, firebox layer.

For my design idea, I would have the walls made of the perlite concrete with full firebrick lining the inside.  That should provide both enough thermal mass and insulation.  IMHO


Just thinking out loud I guess....




Thanks,

JC


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## daveomak (Sep 20, 2019)

I'm not sure of what you noted...   
My thinking....
FB first...  insulation behind the Fire Brick.....

Other wise, the FB would be a wasted expense...


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## JC in GB (Sep 20, 2019)

daveomak said:


> I'm not sure of what you noted...
> My thinking....
> FB first...  insulation behind the Fire Brick.....
> 
> Other wise, the FB would be a wasted expense...



Yes, certainly.  I would not add the insulation in the cooking side of the enclosure.  The cook side would be firebrick with perlite concrete walls.  Similar to my photo above with out the cladding layer.


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## fivetricks (Sep 20, 2019)

Sounds like a 10,000 dollar solution to a 100 dollar problem IMHO.


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## daveomak (Sep 20, 2019)

You will have a great smoker to use for years to come...


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## JC in GB (Sep 21, 2019)

fivetricks said:


> Sounds like a 10,000 dollar solution to a 100 dollar problem IMHO.



Perlite is not that expensive.

Anyway, just a thought.


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## fivetricks (Sep 23, 2019)

:-) I more meant the labor


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