# Horizontal smoker w/offset firebox



## calvin hall (Jul 6, 2013)

I'm looking to build my first horizontal smoker with the firebox on the side but instead of having just the opening for the firebox and the cooking I want to weld a 10 or 12 inch pipe going from the firebox to the other side of the cooking chamber and putting 1 1/2 - 2 holes in the pipe with a baffle going over the top of it to help deflect the heat and smoke better across the whole smoker the smoker will be around 24"HX18"WX36"L and my firebox will be somewhere like 24"X24"X24"with one chimney stack on the cooking chamber those will be 8" in diameter and 14" tall your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated thank you


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## kc5tpy (Jul 12, 2013)

Hello Calvin.  I'm very sorry your post got missed and you have had no reply.  I hope this will not affect your opinion of our site.  Now and then some posts slip through the cracks.  I see this is your first post so would you mind swinging by Roll Call and introducing yourself so that we might give you a proper Howdy.  I built a smoker many years ago that while not the same it was very similar.  Your idea is sound.  Might take a bit of tweaking but if you are going to do the build, you can handle that.  Shoot us some picts and let us see how it turns out.  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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## calvin hall (Jul 12, 2013)

It's all good I've got my idea posted all over and have gotten some pretty good feedback I think I'm going to go the reverse flow route and I'm going to make it airtight to help with heat control there's a stove place here in salt lake city where I can get the high temp rope that's food safe and I can get the handles I want also from them I'm still trying to decide on the thickness of metal I want to use I'm in between 10 gauge &  3/16" I don't want it to be to heavy since I'm building this I'm my garage and I have nothing to move it around with besides my own two hands


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## kc5tpy (Jul 13, 2013)

Hello.  Reverse flow will add weight but it is a good design.  I would have to say I'd go with the 3/16th.  The thicker the better as it holds heat better.  The inside plate doesn't necessarily need to be that thick ( although heat retention ) but the outside I think should be.  As an idea, get a 4x4 long enough to span 4 ceiling joists in your garage.  Run a chain/cable up and over the joists keeping it on the 4x4 to spread the weight.  Hang a come along from there and it will help you lift it.  Assuming you can get to the ceiling joists of course.  Just food for thought.  Only my opinion.  Good luck.  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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## dennis oertel (Jul 13, 2013)

Would like to see pics when done, I have an offset smoker I bought years ago and would like to update to reverse flow


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## calvin hall (Jul 13, 2013)

Thanks Danny I was looking on another forum where a guy built a double walled insulated smoker using 10 gauge that I think I'm going to try being that I like to smoke year round and it can get a little cold hear not mention windy so I will definitely be adding some wait maybe I'll have to invest in a cherry picker and stop looking online at ideas before I need a 50 ton crane lol


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## kc5tpy (Jul 13, 2013)

Like the sound of that double lined.  Will increase the cost but this will most likely be the smoker you use forever.  I now live in England and am about to build a fridge smoker so that I don't have to worry about rain and cold temps.  Let us know how it goes.  Good luck.  Keep Smokin!Danny


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## calvin hall (Jul 13, 2013)

Thanks will do


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## daveomak (Jul 13, 2013)

Calvin Hall said:


> I'm looking to build my first horizontal smoker with the firebox on the side but instead of having just the opening for the firebox and the cooking I want to weld a 10 or 12 inch pipe going from the firebox to the other side of the cooking chamber and putting 1 1/2 - 2 holes in the pipe with a baffle going over the top of it to help deflect the heat and smoke better across the whole smoker the smoker will be around 24"HX18"WX36"L and my firebox will be somewhere like 24"X24"X24"with one chimney stack on the cooking chamber those will be 8" in diameter and 14" tall your thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated thank you


Calvin, evening.....  The standard Reverse Flow smoker works pretty darn good....   some folks on this forum have improved on the original concept a little...  I have seen a smoker, (pictures only), of the design you are speaking....   my suggestion, you are wasting time and money...   An Rf plate, properly installed, will be a better heat/smoke conductor than a pipe....    Even tuning plates is a better deal than a pipe.....

Dave


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## calvin hall (Jul 13, 2013)

Good evening Dave yeah I decided to go the reverse flow route but I'm going to do the double walled insulated smoker with where I live the weather changes every 5 minutes and get pretty cold but it looks like you live in Washington so you know all about weather changes lol


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## calvin hall (Jul 13, 2013)

Dennis I'll put up pics when I get started with it gotta save some money to get the supplies


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## dennis oertel (Jul 15, 2013)

When it gets cold in Wisconsin I use a welders blanket to help keep heat in and cold out, works great.


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## calvin hall (Jul 21, 2013)

Well I've started gathering a little bit of my metal I do have a question though on my reverse plate do I need to keep the same opening size throughout as far as like my opening from the firebox to the cooking chamber or does it matter I read in another forum where bbq engineer had his plate 6" from the bottom of his chamber and a 6" opening from the end


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## daveomak (Jul 21, 2013)

Calvin Hall said:


> Well I've started gathering a little bit of my metal I do have a question though on my reverse plate do I need to keep the same opening size throughout as far as like my opening from the firebox to the cooking chamber or does it matter I read in another forum where bbq engineer had his plate 6" from the bottom of his chamber and a 6" opening from the end


Calvin, morning......  If you have used a calculator for the FB / CC opening....  the area under the RF plate needs to be larger to eliminate friction loss of the CC....  and the opening at the end of the RF plate needs to be at least the area under the RF plate to reduce friction loss when the smoke/heat/air makes a 180 deg turn to head toward the stack.....


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## calvin hall (Jul 21, 2013)

Okay thanks Dave for the info I wasn't sure I did use the the pit calculator and my opening needs to be 6"X18.5"


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## calvin hall (Mar 15, 2014)

Well it's been awhile since I last posted butiI'm finally starting my smoker build I bagged the double walled insulation and  I'm just gonna do a single wall.  I do have a question I'm going to put in two racks but I'm curious how far my first rack should be away from my reverse plate or if it matters my cooking chamber will 30" tall X 24" deep with it recession towards the top leaving less room.  Thanks for any input and I'll be posting pics.


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## calvin hall (Apr 6, 2014)

20140331_181611.jpg



__ calvin hall
__ Apr 6, 2014






Here's my firebox partly put together I'm going to build an ash drawer for the bottom to make it easy to clean out that's what the space is for on the bottom.

 













20140331_181547.jpg



__ calvin hall
__ Apr 6, 2014


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## calvin hall (Apr 6, 2014)

The second picture is my cooking chamber it's going to have two racks the top one isn't going to be as wide as the bottom due to the top being recessed more pics to come as I get further along.


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