My 1st Smoker Build

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Bennymcorr
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My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Bennymcorr » Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:23 am

Hi everyone. I’m currently building my 1st vertical smoker. It is framed in 1”x1/8” square box section. Inside skin is 1/8” throughout and outside skin will be 16 gauge.
I have attached some pictures of the build so far and a sketch with sizes.
I’m undecided if I should fix the water tray and set up a water feed and drainage or make it removable. Any suggestions? I also need some help in calculating the firebox to cook chamber free area and the chimney length.
I will be filling the cavity with silica sand as thermal mass. There are 2nr 4”x4” square air intake vent on each side into the firebox.
Thank you for any advice you can give.
Attachments
992A1A3E-B77C-43BD-944C-1BC6FF524402.jpeg
Internal side with rack angles
95C03D75-6FCD-4BB0-B0E5-381AE2BA8688.jpeg
1” frame with bottom plate
049EB9F1-E76E-471A-A137-BC61B4A3EDD2.jpeg
1” frame with bottom plate
C8AA0273-3AC4-4D35-93E6-F92F7A8DD7FF.jpeg
Sketch with sizes
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby 02ebz06 » Sun Sep 27, 2020 1:08 pm

Thanks for posting, will be interesting to watch your progress.
LSG 20x42 Pellet Smoker (on order), CampChef PGXXL pellet smoker, Emozione Pizza Oven, CampChef Griddle
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Boots » Sun Sep 27, 2020 2:16 pm

Welcome buddy, check w KAM he is a build jockey himself as I recall and a go to on those matters. Sand is a great insulator but will make it a heavier unit.
BE WELL, BUT NOT DONE
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Bobby: "No."
Hank: "Well, there's really no wrong way to do it."
Bennymcorr
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Bennymcorr » Sun Sep 27, 2020 4:47 pm

Thanks Boots. I'll get in touch with KAM.
The wheels are rubber 6" and each rated for 330lbs each (1,320lbs total). I'm not worried about moving it around the yard, but if it needs to be transported anywhere the sand can be drained out the bottom, using pipe fittings and caps. Well, thats's the plan as it stands.
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:44 am

So your heat/smoke will come up and hit the water pan and then divert around the edges?
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Bennymcorr » Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:51 am

Yes, to the sides and rear.
I haven't started to fabricate the water tray yet so some things can change.
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Sep 29, 2020 11:12 am

I would make my water tray permanent with a fill and drain.
You will only need 6" x 6" or 8" x 8" opening into the chamber as you are relying on vertical draft.
The exhaust need only be 6" to 12" tall.
The water pan should be at least 1/4" thick or you will most likely experience warping.
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
Bennymcorr
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Bennymcorr » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:06 pm

Would the opening need to be square or can I have the same area (increased if necessary) at the rear of the water pan? Say 3”x21”?
I’ll get some 1/4” for the water pan.
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:32 pm

Bennymcorr wrote:Would the opening need to be square or can I have the same area (increased if necessary) at the rear of the water pan? Say 3”x21”?
I’ll get some 1/4” for the water pan.

3" x 21" will work. You are just trying to have enough area for the heat/smoke to travel. It is not like an offset where it is trying to pull a draft. horizontally.
I would probably increase my exhaust to 4" x 4".
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
strength_and_pow
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby strength_and_pow » Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:02 pm

This is the smoker I built. Same basic design.
If you can find Rockwool or ceramic blanket insulation for kilns, I’d recommend it over the sand.

Insulated Vertical Reverse Flow cabinet
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic? ... source=app


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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby Bennymcorr » Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:28 am

That is one awesome smoker. :cheers:
I didn't think that much about getting the chamber up to temp. I was more concerned about retaining heat when to door is opening and closing. Have you ever tried to start yours without the gas preheat?
Does cook chamber take long to get back to temp after the door is closed?
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby k.a.m. » Wed Sep 30, 2020 11:40 am

I agree with strength_and_pow on the insulation.
You can get your insulation here.
https://www.mcmaster.com/high-temperatu ... on-sheets/
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby 02ebz06 » Wed Sep 30, 2020 1:07 pm

I had used some high temp Ceramic insulation around my pizza oven before it was stuccoed.
Could put my hand on it anyplace, except door, and it was not hot, even when temp in the oven was 900+.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014V ... UTF8&psc=1
LSG 20x42 Pellet Smoker (on order), CampChef PGXXL pellet smoker, Emozione Pizza Oven, CampChef Griddle
strength_and_pow
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby strength_and_pow » Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:57 pm

Bennymcorr wrote:That is one awesome smoker. :cheers:
I didn't think that much about getting the chamber up to temp. I was more concerned about retaining heat when to door is opening and closing. Have you ever tried to start yours without the gas preheat?
Does cook chamber take long to get back to temp after the door is closed?

The only time I didn’t preheat the cook chamber was when I was seasoning it. I don’t recall exactly how long it took but it was not fast by any means.
Using the gas torch to preheat also gives me the opportunity to burn off any crap that’s on the shelves which I don’t see as a bad thing.
Texas is hot so the ambient temp probably averages around 90*, after about 10-15 minutes of torch preheat, the door thermometer and my grate probe both read around 150*. It takes the full chimney of charcoal about 45 minutes to get the temps to 240-250* range. That’s using 2-2” diameter valves for air intake and I’m closing 1 fully at 200* and then start closing the remaining valve to about 1/4 open once it hits 220*. Overshooting the goal temp and getting back down is a long process. I’d estimate charcoal consumption at 1#\hour. After opening the door, the temps recover in 5-7 minutes with no air intake adjustment. Once it’s chugging away, I might adjust the air intake 4-5 times during an 8-10 hour cook and never open the firebox door during the entire cook. This is the valve I use for air intake, the little sliver on the left side is all the air it’s getting.
Image
Lone Star Grillz makes a cabinet smoker similar to the style you are building, you may be able to get some size reference from their pictures. I used one of the online calculators for my dimensions and picked the style that most closely resembled what I was building.
Based on your drawings, the calculations for an offset should get you pretty close, maybe go a touch oversize on the air intake and firebox to cook chamber square inch requirements, you can temporarily block them off to dial it in


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strength_and_pow
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Re: My 1st Smoker Build

Postby strength_and_pow » Wed Sep 30, 2020 10:58 pm

02ebz06 wrote:I had used some high temp Ceramic insulation around my pizza oven before it was stuccoed.
Could put my hand on it anyplace, except door, and it was not hot, even when temp in the oven was 900+.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014V ... UTF8&psc=1

Got any pics? Not that I need another project but....


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