A New Build: 24x30 Vertical Offset - A Custom Build For JLeonard!
- Thread starter seenred
- Start date
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Very kind, Keith - thank you Sir! It'd definitely be cool if Jim's grandkids were still cooking on it some day!
Yeah, I expect it might get a little hot - especially closer to the fire...but oughta still be OK. And remember, it's not an insulated pit - every surface will be hot during use. So...just like with all uninsulated stick burners, caution is always recommended.
Thank you Sir!
Red
Oh crap! So I need to be looking at renting a trailer and a hotel pretty soon!
And I gotta beat
JckDanls 07
to Oklahoma! I’m gonna need to set a password with Joel so he’ll know it’s me!!!! 
Jim
And I gotta beat
JckDanls 07
to Oklahoma! I’m gonna need to set a password with Joel so he’ll know it’s me!!!! Jim
You could just sleep in the smokerOh crap! So I need to be looking at renting a trailer and a hotel pretty soon!
And I gotta beat
Jim
And I gotta beat
Jim
LMAO!!
Yep!! It'll need to be a "Double Secret Hi Sign"
That's not too far from being true Jake! If Jim were a smaller man, he just might be able to get in there LMAO!!
Red
Very nice Joel, and why would Jim not be happy with a rolling thunder of a smoker like that.
You do get work, and I know Jim will do great work with it also.
David
You do get work, and I know Jim will do great work with it also.
David
Thank you very much for the kind words David! I'm really looking forward to seeing Jim cooking on it!
Red
As big is this Beauty is I'm thinking Sister Mary Elephant. CLASS, CLAAAAASS!!!!!!!!!
Just like Christmas around here. Anxiety is killing us, to see finished product. Its a beauty already !
Today was test-burn day!
So this morning, I drug it out of the shop (had to put a couple boards under the back wheels to level it up) and poured some lump charcoal in the V-basket...then lit a chimney full. When that was red-hot, I poured that over the coal in the basket.
Started with 3 small splits of hickory.
As it burned and came up to temps, I kept the dampers wide open, and kept plenty of fuel in the FB - wanted to see how high the temps would go in the CC. Turns out, it was pretty easy to get it up to near *350. After closing the dampers down some, it became clear I only needed 1 or 2 splits in the V-basket at a time to maintain temps in the cooking range - which for me is usually *250-*275.
And I have to say, I'm a fan of the V-basket! Seems to make it easier to get a hot coal bed going, and easy to maintain that coal bed over time.
I put a couple of probes in the CC - one on the middle rack (probe 1) and one on the top rack (probe 2). This screen shot is during the climb up to *350. I was happy to see even temps from bottom to top.
After adjusting the dampers, I got it to settle into a temp range of *250-*290...which is right where I like to cook.
It stayed in that range for over 2 hours.
After dialing it in to the "sweet spot" for a couple hours, I was happy with the test, and closed all dampers to begin shutting down.
I was also happy to see that the dial thermometers in the door were pretty consistent - although it seemed that for most of the test, they both showed maybe *10 lower than my Inkbird probes. My experience with analog thermometers...that seems pretty good to me.
Bottom Thermometer:
Top thermometer:
I'm not gonna lie - I was happy and proud to see Thin Blue Smoke rolling out of the stack!
Conclusions:
I consider this test burn a smashing success! The airflow was spot-on...it drew like a charm! It was very easy to get it nice and hot (*350), and also easy to bring it back under control in the nice cooking range of *250-*290. My first estimate is that it'll be fairly fuel-efficient as well. Seems like it's gonna need 1 or 2 small/medium splits every 45 minutes to an hour to maintain a nice temp and a nice coal bed.
Up next: I want to build a fire in the CC coal basket and see how that draws and performs. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get that done - we've got some storms moving in late this afternoon.
Definitely one step closer to Jim cookin' on it!
Hopefully I'll have another update tomorrow...thanks for checking in!
Red
So this morning, I drug it out of the shop (had to put a couple boards under the back wheels to level it up) and poured some lump charcoal in the V-basket...then lit a chimney full. When that was red-hot, I poured that over the coal in the basket.
Started with 3 small splits of hickory.
As it burned and came up to temps, I kept the dampers wide open, and kept plenty of fuel in the FB - wanted to see how high the temps would go in the CC. Turns out, it was pretty easy to get it up to near *350. After closing the dampers down some, it became clear I only needed 1 or 2 splits in the V-basket at a time to maintain temps in the cooking range - which for me is usually *250-*275.
And I have to say, I'm a fan of the V-basket! Seems to make it easier to get a hot coal bed going, and easy to maintain that coal bed over time.
I put a couple of probes in the CC - one on the middle rack (probe 1) and one on the top rack (probe 2). This screen shot is during the climb up to *350. I was happy to see even temps from bottom to top.
After adjusting the dampers, I got it to settle into a temp range of *250-*290...which is right where I like to cook.
It stayed in that range for over 2 hours.
After dialing it in to the "sweet spot" for a couple hours, I was happy with the test, and closed all dampers to begin shutting down.
I was also happy to see that the dial thermometers in the door were pretty consistent - although it seemed that for most of the test, they both showed maybe *10 lower than my Inkbird probes. My experience with analog thermometers...that seems pretty good to me.
Bottom Thermometer:
Top thermometer:
I'm not gonna lie - I was happy and proud to see Thin Blue Smoke rolling out of the stack!
Conclusions:
I consider this test burn a smashing success! The airflow was spot-on...it drew like a charm! It was very easy to get it nice and hot (*350), and also easy to bring it back under control in the nice cooking range of *250-*290. My first estimate is that it'll be fairly fuel-efficient as well. Seems like it's gonna need 1 or 2 small/medium splits every 45 minutes to an hour to maintain a nice temp and a nice coal bed.
Up next: I want to build a fire in the CC coal basket and see how that draws and performs. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get that done - we've got some storms moving in late this afternoon.
Definitely one step closer to Jim cookin' on it!
Hopefully I'll have another update tomorrow...thanks for checking in!
Red
Excellent results now just
waiting on the paint scheme.
Frames? Cartoon characters?
Keith
waiting on the paint scheme.
Frames? Cartoon characters?
Keith
Those temps that close are fantastic. Are the River Country therms calibratable, not that it would be needed?
Awesome work. I believe that’s a successful first burn to me also. Sounds very easy to get to temp and easily adjusted if needed.
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