# How to measure draft in home made smoker?



## ryanmn (Apr 10, 2017)

It seems to me that creating a strong draft, pulling heat and smoke through the cooker, is an essential part of cooking good BBQ. If I am going to build a quality smoker then I need to make sure that heat and smoke are properly moving through the cooker, but how can I tell if this is working correctly? At what "speed" should the draft be and how do I know if there is too much or too little draft?


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## fwismoker (Apr 10, 2017)

Lets start with this.  What kind of cooker do you want to build?   The best answer for you will start with that.  Although the principle is the same there's lots of variances in the the type of cooker whether it be a offset, UDS, kamado, cabinet,  open air cooker etc...


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## ryanmn (Apr 11, 2017)

FWIsmoker said:


> Lets start with this.  What kind of cooker do you want to build?   The best answer for you will start with that.  Although the principle is the same there's lots of variances in the the type of cooker whether it be a offset, UDS, kamado, cabinet,  open air cooker etc...



I was thinking of building an offset cinder block smoker


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## ahumadora (Apr 11, 2017)

There are no set rules or exact calculations to give you.

BBQ is still in it's infancy and pretty primitive.  

You want clean combustion on the fire to produce light smoke with a lot of hot air passing through the cooking chamber to aid cooking.

thick acrid smoke doesn't make good BBQ.

If you look at Aaron Franklin's style cookers, thats whats happening.


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## fwismoker (Apr 11, 2017)

RyanMN said:


> I was thinking of building an offset cinder block smoker


Yes like said there's no exact science, especially with a cynderblock pit.   Just make sure your fire isn't choked and your exhaust is clean.   Here's a video you might have seen for a cynder block offset.


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## daveomak (Apr 11, 2017)

Plenty of air is important, as others have noted...   A clean taste to the food is an indicator of good air flow...   Below is what flows through my MES 30...  I don't know how much flow there is...  The food tastes really good..     Smoke coating, on the meat, is a good indicator...  I shoot for a golden smoke color...   Good burning pellets and lots of air...    A pellicle formed on the meat is also necessary... 













picnic done 002.JPG



__ daveomak
__ Apr 11, 2017


















Turkey 2-2016 004.JPG



__ daveomak
__ Apr 11, 2017


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