# Installing a bbqguru  Blower adapter advice needed.



## ddrian (Apr 15, 2017)

I want to add a pit bull blower to my fire box.

They recommend the rear of the box above the fire section.

Any advice here before I start the hole saw and miss the target? LOL

What position has been the best for ya'll?

DDR


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## gr0uch0 (Apr 16, 2017)

ddrian said:


> I want to add a pit bull blower to my fire box.
> 
> They recommend the rear of the box above the fire section.
> 
> ...


Whaddya have and where are you?  You're likely to get quicker, better answers if you put pertinent details in your signature and profile.


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## ddrian (Apr 16, 2017)

I am near Dallas Texas. I have the OKJ Bandero  Vertical Smoker













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__ ddrian
__ Apr 16, 2017


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## gr0uch0 (Apr 16, 2017)

Good luck.  Once OKJ sold to Char Broil, they're a nightmare virtually with all their rigs to control the temps.  CB decided to sacrifice the quality and ingenuity of the Davidsons--not to mention quarter-inch steel--for the sake of selling to the masses in Wally, Lowes, etc, and using cheap Chinese steel.  There should be no reason to have to put a hole saw and a blower on anything that has any modicum of airflow engineering.  None.

Why do you think you need to do this modification?  How many times have you cooked on this?


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## ddrian (Apr 16, 2017)

gr0uch0 said:


> Good luck.  Once OKJ sold to Char Broil, they're a nightmare virtually with all their rigs to control the temps.  CB decided to sacrifice the quality and ingenuity of the Davidsons--not to mention quarter-inch steel--for the sake of selling to the masses in Wally, Lowes, etc, and using cheap Chinese steel.  There should be no reason to have to put a hole saw and a blower on anything that has any modicum of airflow engineering.  None.
> 
> Why do you think you need to do this modification?  How many times have you cooked on this?


I feel for you not liking the quality. Many items have been raped of quality to meet the price points of the big box houses...

I sealed it when I assembled it and put rope on the door and the fire box. It is pretty tight now..  Any mods to improve the smoker I can do at my shop in reference to the build... if needed.

Moving on....

I prefer to set it and forget it to the extent that I can that's why I want the blower and controller. 

DDR

Moving on, I just would like info on placement of the blower iof anyone has experience and could offer adice.


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## gr0uch0 (Apr 16, 2017)

ddrian said:


> I feel for you not liking the quality. Many items have been raped of quality to meet the price points of the big box houses...
> 
> I sealed it when I assembled it and put rope on the door and the fire box. It is pretty tight now..  Any mods to improve the smoker I can do at my shop in reference to the build... if needed.
> 
> ...


Last questions:  why the need for a blower?  Is the airflow inadequate?  How many cooks are on it?  My advice would be to have a dozen or more cooks on- it-"learning a smoker"--before bringing a hole saw into play.    Not to mention a rig like this will never be "set and forget":  it's a charcoal/stick burner that needs to be fed on a frequent basis, regardless of what some marketing hype may say.


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## ddrian (Apr 16, 2017)

gr0uch0 said:


> Last questions:  why the need for a blower?  Is the airflow inadequate?  How many cooks are on it?  My advice would be to have a dozen or more cooks on- it-"learning a smoker"--before bringing a hole saw into play.    Not to mention a rig like this will never be "set and forget":  it's a charcoal/stick burner that needs to be fed on a frequent basis, regardless of what some marketing hype may say.


Point taken, 

thanks.


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## gr0uch0 (Apr 16, 2017)

ddrian said:


> Point taken,
> thanks.



Get some cooks under your belt--besides burning it in--before jumping straight to "redneck riggings".  Save yourself a bunch of time, money, and headaches, as they're largely ineffective.  Good luck.


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## ddrian (Apr 16, 2017)




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## SmokinAl (Apr 16, 2017)

To answer your original question.

The Guru port should be right in the middle of the back side of the firebox, below the charcoal grate.

Right under the cooking chamber.

Al


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## notorious q u e (May 10, 2017)

Flame Boss is an upstart competitor to BBQ Guru and I just ordered the 300 WiFi unit yesterday.  Like Al wrote, blowing beneath the grate is ideal because it mimics the natural draw of the fire.  It gives the stoker the ability either to choke off or stoke the fire as if you were doing it yourself.  I'll keep you posted on Flame Boss and hope to learn alongside you Sir!


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## ddrian (May 10, 2017)

I bought the flameboss also It's sweet After tuning I did my first brisket the new smoker the other day! It was fantastic


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## notorious q u e (May 10, 2017)

Awesome!!  Can you post some Que View pics?  I'm getting pumped.  I've been working with firecraft.com and I love their service.  It's 4 guys that opened their own small BBQ business and Andy as well as Bob walked me through requirements to stoke my Shirley Fab beast.  They're selling Flameboss like hot cakes and they're back ordered just 2-3 days until they are resupplied by the manufacturer.  

If I may ask, did you find that the stock fan was working overtime or was it adequately given a rest?  I guess the criticism of Flameboss is that they use lower Cubic Foot Per Minute (CFM) fans compared to BBQ Guru.  That being said, Flameboss claims that their software makes their lower CFM variable-speed fans just as good.  I figure I'd bounce a question right off of a real-world Flameboss owner.


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## ddrian (May 10, 2017)

Notorious Q U E said:


> Awesome!!  Can you post some Que View pics?  I'm getting pumped.  I've been working with firecraft.com and I love their service.  It's 4 guys that opened their own small BBQ business and Andy as well as Bob walked me through requirements to stoke my Shirley Fab beast.  They're selling Flameboss like hot cakes and they're back ordered just 2-3 days until they are resupplied by the manufacturer.
> 
> If I may ask, did you find that the stock fan was working overtime or was it adequately given a rest?  I guess the criticism of Flameboss is that they use lower Cubic Foot Per Minute (CFM) fans compared to BBQ Guru.  That being said, Flameboss claims that their software makes their lower CFM variable-speed fans just as good.  I figure I'd bounce a question right off of a real-world Flameboss owner.


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## ddrian (May 10, 2017)

burnt ends.png



__ ddrian
__ May 11, 2017


















bacon.png



__ ddrian
__ May 11, 2017





I bought the pit boss for mine!! It's great!   













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__ ddrian
__ May 10, 2017






Burnt ends,bacon and Pastrami from about a week ago


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## ddrian (May 11, 2017)

>





Notorious Q U E said:


> Awesome!!  Can you post some Que View pics?  I'm getting pumped.  I've been working with firecraft.com and I love their service.  It's 4 guys that opened their own small BBQ business and Andy as well as Bob walked me through requirements to stoke my Shirley Fab beast.  They're selling Flameboss like hot cakes and they're back ordered just 2-3 days until they are resupplied by the manufacturer.
> 
> If I may ask, did you find that the stock fan was working overtime or was it adequately given a rest?  I guess the criticism of Flameboss is that they use lower Cubic Foot Per Minute (CFM) fans compared to BBQ Guru.  That being said, Flameboss claims that their software makes their lower CFM variable-speed fans just as good.  I figure I'd bounce a question right off of a real-world Flameboss owner.


I chose the Pit Boss fan. My Offset is a vertical OKJ Bandero. It seems to be a good fit. anything smaller would not be enough I feel.


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## notorious q u e (May 11, 2017)

Ddrian,

That pastrami seems out of this world, I keep reminding myself that food processors "tell" us what we can eat.  When I see those thick gorgeous slices, it tells me that I need to step up my game and learn more.  Nice work amigo!


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## ddrian (May 11, 2017)

Notorious Q U E said:


> Ddrian,
> 
> That pastrami seems out of this world, I keep reminding myself that food processors "tell" us what we can eat. When I see those thick gorgeous slices, it tells me that I need to step up my game and learn more. Nice work amigo!


Thanks for the kind words.

To let you all know where I went with my smoker...I  covered total outside with 1/8 inch plate making the thickness of the smoker 1./4 inch after words. I built a lump coal basket, added the smokeboss with a pit boss fan. Built a smoke and heat distributor in the bottom of the smoke box. In the lid of the fire box I put 1/4 inch plates on the inside lip and then used self tapping screws to hold them in place making the fire box lid a plate that stop heat from going inside the thin box lid. I also built another 1/4 plate with 4 wing vents to control the air flow of the smoke and cut off the smoker box cook size to accommodate the size of my cook. After testing the pit temp are within 1 degree of each other.

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## notorious q u e (May 12, 2017)

Strong work!  That's the beauty of BBQ : you can soup up a rig like a hotrod and beat more expensive units.  Congrats on just a one degree differential !!


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