Smoker Design/Construction

[davidmcg]

Speaking of R&D, what do you guys thing of a 4' or 5' UDS made from 24", 30" or 36" pipe? With a door on the side rather than a lid and mounted on some nice big casters, a wide base, and a table on the side? Just thinking out loud...

Later,
Andy

Well Andy that sounds like an idea. Only concern would be a tight fitting door with good gaskets to minimize heat loss and disruption of air flow. 36" would be ideal, especially for ribs, , they spread out and take up a lot of space. But making them with smaller type would definitely widen the inventory possibilities. So, if ya go with pipe, are ya gonna have domed tops or flat? Air intake is easy, a few gas ball valves and ya got it licked, right off the UDS design ya know.

But if you go with plate metal, a cabinet would be awful easy. Not very hard to take a sheet, cut it to size and run a bead. Thats another reason to like cabinets, awfully simplistic. Not complicated at all until you move over into reverse flow territory.

Ya add this line along with shucking some Coshell and even selling wood and you could do well.

[WALLE]

goddamit! i try to come up with something original, and you guys go and out-do me again. lol. that's almost exactly what i was thinking... a little wider, a little shorter, and put the fire in the bottom, rather in the side. if you had the ability to improve on that, what would you do to it? it obviously gets the job done... i want to go live in that barn. lol

Later,
Andy

Thanks AC, I'll pass that on to my bro. Honestly don't know what I would do to improve it other than removing the need for a 950 CAT Loader to move it!

On your smoker in general, I would have to vote for insulated. Unbelievable difference in mine and I can use it year around with no issues.

My $.02 on your idea... if you are going for the grand slam custom build... the Big $G Smoker so to speak... you are in a totally different league than constructing a smoker for the common guy, and I'm not so sure I would limit myself with A design so much as having a VERY indepth knowledge of Space/Heat X Flow, and just build them what they want given their space/geography/crowd size, and accessorize! Make sense? cuz when you have that kinda money, generally you don't have much sense!

If you're wanting to appeal to the average consumer, I would think that something more along the lines of an insulated cabinet vertical, that has wheels would ideal.

[aczeller]

My $.02 on your idea... if you are going for the grand slam custom build... the Big $G Smoker so to speak... you are in a totally different league than constructing a smoker for the common guy, and I'm not so sure I would limit myself with A design so much as having a VERY indepth knowledge of Space/Heat X Flow, and just build them what they want given their space/geography/crowd size, and accessorize! Make sense? cuz when you have that kinda money, generally you don't have much sense!

If you're wanting to appeal to the average consumer, I would think that something more along the lines of an insulated cabinet vertical, that has wheels would ideal.

this is a good point. i guess what i am looking to build right now is a showpiece. something that i can take to a show, explain a few different options/accessories, and hopefully place an order. in order to get it all up and running, i figure i need a 20'+ trailer (probably triple axle), mount a long 30" dia. offset smoker to it, then i can use the rest of the deck space for hauling the other smokers around to the shows... obviously a cabinet, a mini-offset like my daughter's, probably an average-sized backyard smoker, possibly a nice fridge to show as a novelty? i dunno... probably getting way ahead of myself at this point. in order to haul a trailer that size, i need a bigger truck... lol

Later,
Andy

[GOT14U]

If you want a "da BomB smoker show piece" I would build a Jambo clone....Those are pricy for a reason and are used by the top teams for a reason.

this is a good point. i guess what i am looking to build right now is a showpiece. something that i can take to a show, explain a few different options/accessories, and hopefully place an order. in order to get it all up and running, i figure i need a 20'+ trailer (probably triple axle), mount a long 30" dia. offset smoker to it, then i can use the rest of the deck space for hauling the other smokers around to the shows... obviously a cabinet, a mini-offset like my daughter's, probably an average-sized backyard smoker, possibly a nice fridge to show as a novelty? i dunno... probably getting way ahead of myself at this point. in order to haul a trailer that size, i need a bigger truck... lol

Later,
Andy

[aczeller]

If you want a "da BomB smoker show piece" I would build a Jambo clone....Those are pricy for a reason and are used by the top teams for a reason.

THAT'S who i was thinking about... Jambo... i had seen them before and saw they were very nice. that's pretty much the direction i want to go in. top-notch smoker, but with a decent price tag. I think i could make their backyard model for a substantially smaller cost. i'll have to run the numbers when i get home.

Later,
Andy

[SMOKE FREAK]

Well Im one of those idiots who doesnt care about set it and forget it...I like to be involved...Ya know...tend a fire and...get in controll...master the flame...I dont care how much wood I burn or how lokg it takes...I'm just having fun...

Andy if I had your skills I woulda turned my Longhorn into a reverse flow instead of using tuning plates...

For me, a decent sized wood burning reverse flow would be the ultimate smoker...

[GOT14U]

I know the 2" insulation he uses isn't outrageous

[aczeller]

I know the 2" insulation he uses isn't outrageous

that's something else i need to look at... the stuff i use is about $5 per SF, but it's the same stuff that is used to wrap grease duct in restaurants. ceramic fibers rather than minerals or fiberglass. I have heard rumors about a pour-in or spray-on foam that is high-temp rated, but i'm not going to trust anything that is rated for less than 1500-2000...

Later,
Andy

[GOT14U]

I use Kaowool, BBQ Engineer turned me on to this stuff. Comes in 1 inch thick which is perfect. It's rating is around 2500 if I remeber right. They use it for kiln insulation

that's something else i need to look at... the stuff i use is about $5 per SF, but it's the same stuff that is used to wrap grease duct in restaurants. ceramic fibers rather than minerals or fiberglass. I have heard rumors about a pour-in or spray-on foam that is high-temp rated, but i'm not going to trust anything that is rated for less than 1500-2000...

Later,
Andy

[new smoke]

that's something else i need to look at... the stuff i use is about $5 per SF, but it's the same stuff that is used to wrap grease duct in restaurants. ceramic fibers rather than minerals or fiberglass. I have heard rumors about a pour-in or spray-on foam that is high-temp rated, but i'm not going to trust anything that is rated for less than 1500-2000...

Later,
Andy

I just got some 1/2" and 1" superwool from Allied Insulation in Omaha. The 1" was only about $1.32/sq ft. It has a temp rating of 2372°F.

The place is just north of Sapp Bros. If you want the number, I've got it. The guy there says they sell a lot for cookers.

[aczeller]

I just got some 1/2" and 1" superwool from Allied Insulation in Omaha. The 1" was only about $1.32/sq ft. It has a temp rating of 2372°F.

The place is just north of Sapp Bros. If you want the number, I've got it. The guy there says they sell a lot for cookers.

yeah... we actually use them for one of our insulation suppliers here in town. we typically use some stuff called FyreWrap and that's what i have on my firebox for the fridge smoker. it works, but it's actually wrapped with a foil/FSK cover... it melts off pretty easily, but the insulation is mainly used to protect the area around the grease duct in case of a fire within the duct... those things will turn into an incinerator pretty quick. i wasn't aware that the superwool was that cheap. i might have to look into that a bit more. thanks for the heads up.

Later,
Andy

[new smoke]

yeah... we actually use them for one of our insulation suppliers here in town. we typically use some stuff called FyreWrap and that's what i have on my firebox for the fridge smoker. it works, but it's actually wrapped with a foil/FSK cover... it melts off pretty easily, but the insulation is mainly used to protect the area around the grease duct in case of a fire within the duct... those things will turn into an incinerator pretty quick. i wasn't aware that the superwool was that cheap. i might have to look into that a bit more. thanks for the heads up.

Later,
Andy

No problem.

Yeah, the 50 sq ft. rolls of 1" were like $66.xx each and the 1/2" were like $33.xx each.

[BBQ Engineer]

Andy,

When I was building my stuff, I bought from this place...they are the largest distributor of thermal ceramics in the west.

http://hightempinc.net/

They also have an ebay store, but if you call them, they will just send it out at the same price, so you don't have to mess around with ebay. Decent people to talk to if you are looking for info too.

[minnbill]

Checked those Jambos out .looks like a fancy Lang cept lang puts thiere exhaust on the same side as the fire box wich I spose is maybe why its a reverse flowis that rightIf it is i would tend to belive thats better than the Jambo In my eye's any way .mabey someone can explain to me how they both work if I'm wrong.or not