The only issue that I see with your plans is that not only your smoke goes up, but the blunt of the heat goes up to the sear plate. I might be kinda of hard to control even temperature across the whole smoker that the reverse smoker is known for.
Thanks, this is what I'm looking for. While I "got your ear" look at this center fire box. From what I've read, this might make for a more even heating and a shorter smoke path, lessening "friction" that I also read about. That's my problem, all reading and no "doing". I just need to decide on my basic plans and then fine tune the (very important) details. I'm at the decision point now and have just joined up on another forum looking for some other ideas. I'm all ears at this point. I just about have the door built, that is if I don't need to switch to a more "conventional" FB design.
Now that's a cooker! Well I'm making some progress and have changed my design a bit. I found another forum and they are very heplful. It seems that the proximity of the firebox (FB) to the cook chamber (CC) sort of makes this an UDS or ugly drum smoker, (they're abbrv) and the thin metal of my tanks will not stand up well holding in the heat. At least that's my interpartation of some of the answers to my questions. It looks like I should use charcoal with a bit of wood for smoke, and they are telling me that they make good cookers that require a lot less attention than a "stick burner" or an all wood cooker. I've put the FB in the middle under the CC and built some diverters to split the flow to each side, under the heat plate, then up above the food to the middle "tailpipe" and out.
Looks like a fun project, and nice welding/cutting They all try to achieve the same concept - indirect cooking with smoke wood. It can be done easy with a cheap grill or repurposed gasser - these styles suffer in cold ambient temps or rain. When you start getting on grill forums, so much emphasis is placed on long-long-long cooks for perfection. I think it's a replacement of phallic symbols with time for how much better the meat will taste(yes I just typed that)
Just the FB air intake- 2 opposing 4" pipe that can fully close off. One in the door and one 180* around. See any troubles? I'm really fudgin' my way through this one. According to the guy's on Smokerbuilder it'll be fine, I just need to use charcoal with a bit of wood for smoke.
You guy;s kill me! Lukem, "ratrod" that's what I was thinkin with some of the response's I got on one of the forums, they just didn't get it. I know it's not conventional, I know it's a little weird, but will it work, and will you help me make it work was all I was asking them. Nice guy's but they didn't seem interested. The other forum seem's to be more willing to help. I understand that there's 100's of guy;s building cookers for the first time and the same FNG question's prolly get old. basod, 'splain thermocouple vs. thermometer. Got a fav one? That's something I'll need soon. (remember "ratrod") If this doesn't work, I'll make a mailbox or a flower pot out of it or something and move on to the next one, albeit a little more traditional.
Thermocouples are made of two dissimilar metals fused at the tip and sheathed in a stainless jacket - the principle is temperature changes create varying millivolt signals that are standard depending on the TC type, the voltage is transduced by a handheld device into a digital readout. Thermometers are typically bimetallic (two strips of metal laminated together that expand at different rates) with a remote sensing tip to transfer the heat to the spring coil or fluid filled with a fluid that expands a bourdon tube(think spring coil) as the fluid expands under heat with gears to drive the dial. Thermometers are inherently inaccurate due to the gears & springs inside, springs lose their "k factor" and these thing get banged around in drawers etc. Thermocouples don't really care how hard you bang them around provided the connections aren't compromised - the send a repeatable voltage across a linear range that is transduced by the reader ....since I've bored you with the science side of things If looking for an entry level meat thermocouple get a Backyard Grill from wally world(they are actually cheapest), or search amazon for a next step up model with 2 TC's one for the grill surface temp and one for the piece of meat.http://www.walmart.com/ip/Backyard-Grill-Wireless-Thermometer/19525225 Remote capability on this entry level is a nice feature
I like your get up & go. If you haven't welded yet some duct tape and smoke can might save ya from the dreaded wuddacuddashudda. Is this a stick burner or planning on charcoal? Either the fun has begun.. Ray
Well, I thought that I was building a RF cooker, but the guy's on some of the smoking forums say it more of a vertical or UDS (ugly drum smoker) or combination thereof. They've suggested that it will be a charcoal smoker and a few sticks for the smoke. They are saying that it will transfer too much heat to burn wood. I'm learning, this is my first smoker, store bought or otherwise. Got a bunch more stuff done. damm cook door looks just like a concrete chute on a mixer truck.
