New guy on the block

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 10:31 am

First, thanks for adding me! I’m new and learning what to do! Introduction? Well I’m a professional firefighter/EMT and enjoy my off-time working in my shop. I have lots of hobbies and a huge adrenaline junky if you will. I’ve just began my first smoker build and accumulated most of my plans from watching the omega teacher -YouTube. I’ve been trying to enducate myself to the best ability on getting my smoker right. I have already began my build last Thursday and as of now I’m in the short rows. The pit is a reverse flow with a warming cabinet above the firebox. It’s been rough in some spots but I see light at the end of the tunnel unless I learn something new that should have happened between steps. Learn, adapt, apply and repeate the process! I’m working with 3/16 plate as I figured was just right for my quest. I used calculators provided on this site as well as the other, Feldon? I right between the lines on most of the build as far as the math goes but I’m worried about a few areas. Good thing about metal is I can weld it back, grind and make it flow like it never happened haha! Well it’s good to know I’m surrounded by a lot of builders like myself and hope to learn ideas/knowledge if not for my first smoker but the second one down the road!

Post by **Pete Mazz** » March 10th, 2019, 10:45 am

Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 10th, 2019, 11:18 am

I’m not too sure where “the short rows” are but it sounds like you have already made a lot of progress on your build. How about a few pictures to show us what you are building?

Welcome to the site. We do our best to be helpful so feel free to post your progress as well as issues you have.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 11:47 am

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McBroom · Post by **McBroom** » March 10th, 2019, 11:54 am

Welcome Aboard from Denison Texas
A few questions about your build.
1- ya planning on putting wheels on it?
2- how many racks are in the cook chamber?
3- do ya think it’ll hold a whole hog?
That’s a great looking smoker for sure. I guess I should’ve started with that sorry

lol

I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Tradesman Power Wagon

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 12:39 pm

Ok so the dimensions are:
Firebox- 18w x 18d x 16t
Chamber- 36L x 23t x 18w
Chamber stack- 20t x 4w
Cabinet- 18w x 18d x 32t
Firebox inlet- 8” half circle
Throat- approximately 17w x taper towards the bottom maybe 8-10” (not able to measure it off hand)
Chamber to Cabinet throat- 10” half circle

I plan to place two racks in the main chamber and four in the cabinet and it will get wheels for sure. By “short rows” it’s consisting of building racks, gussets, wheels, stack dampeners, installing a spring handle, firebox basket with ash pan and propane assist, reverse flow tuning plates, thermometers, side burner and side mounted shelf. Can a pig fit? In pieces yes

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Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 12:42 pm

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Post by **Big T** » March 10th, 2019, 2:18 pm

Welcome aboard!
:LG:

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 3:02 pm

I appreciate it!

mp4 · Post by **mp4** » March 10th, 2019, 4:26 pm

Awesomeness! Welcome aboard!

Chromeski · Post by **Chromeski** » March 10th, 2019, 4:29 pm

Welcome. For a first time builder and someone who is not a welder by trade you seem to have done very well. Is it large enough to feed the entire fire house? I think it is. Looks great .

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 10th, 2019, 6:16 pm

Haha at first I was actually thinking the pit was too small! I upped the chamber length and tallness a few inches from my original drawings.

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Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 11th, 2019, 11:08 am

We all want a bigger pit but most of us don’t really need the space. That looks like a great size.

Nice work...

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 11th, 2019, 11:29 am

I’ll be working on it today trying to get it wrapped up between today and tomorrow. According to the calculator provided here on the site everything is right at 100% proportioned. I want to cut out a name for this pit also so I’ll be pondering while I’m grabbing the remaining steel needed to complete.

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Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 12th, 2019, 12:28 am

Out of curiosity, what is your thought on a damper on the far side of the cook chamber? Your frame extends a bit there too so I’m guessing you are adding something.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 12th, 2019, 11:32 am

Yes!... I plan this smoker to have the capability of not having to use the firebox to cook in the main chamber. Instead, you could remove the tuning plates and used charcoal right in the main chamber with a rack! I thought I’d give this smoker another option.

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Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 12th, 2019, 12:20 pm

Removable baffle plates always cause problems because they don't seal properly. it will definitely decrease the efficiency of your smoker and greatly increase the risk of a grease fire.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 12th, 2019, 6:36 pm

Thanks for the heads up! I now understand the issues you mention with plates. Efficiency is definitely my goal! While we are discussing tuning plates, I’m curious to hear what everyone’s opinion is before I decide. Anyone cares to drop a few cents verses a solid plate? Just trying to view all options.

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Post by **Big T** » March 12th, 2019, 7:04 pm

I would say that it depends on your style of cooking, if you like to have a couple of different temperature zones then a traditional offset with TP's is probably your best bet. You can adjust the gaps between the plates and cook chicken on one end at 350 degrees and ribs on the other end at 250 degrees. If you prefer a more even temperature throughout the CC the RF is the way to go. It'll be pretty even from end to end but the upper racks will be a bit hotter than the lower racks due to thermal dynamics so it will still have some different zones, just not as extreme and not really adjustable. There have been quite a few guys through the years that have built hybrids that could be ran either way and I'd say the vast majority all chose to run them as RF after some trial and error. It really comes down to your preferences, there's not really a wrong way to go when building a cooker. Just for the record, I'm an RF guy, they just seem to be more forgiving than a offset and more overall usable space. jm2cw.

Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 12th, 2019, 9:15 pm

I cooked on a traditional offset for years and it was hard to regulate and impossible to cook a rack of ribs evenly without turning it end for end during the cook. I could never load up the racks because I needed to leave room to move everything. The temp zones gradually drop off left to right. Tuning plates can help this but it takes a lot of work to get it where you want it and then you don't ever want to move them.

The new RF is a dream. I never move food around during a cook and it is much easier to maintain temps. I can use every square inch of rack. The bigger advantage is the heat zones are vertical so each shelf is pretty consistent on temps left to right.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 12th, 2019, 9:25 pm

So I’m gathering to place a solid plate that is removable instead of tuning plates. I’ll start this way. It’ll be removable so I can still in the future make the plate tunable

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Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 12th, 2019, 9:27 pm

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy.

Hope I'm wrong but I feel you will be subjected to a grease fire in short order.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 12th, 2019, 9:30 pm

Even if I do a solid but removable RF plate? Not tuning plates

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Dirtytires · Post by **Dirtytires** » March 12th, 2019, 9:36 pm

Yep...if you don't weld it in the grease will eventually creep down the sides into the firebox...unless you take steps to block it.
One of the joys of a RF is the baffle plate traps all the grease and drippingsn top which makes cleanup quick and simple.

Gray1 · Post by **Gray1** » March 12th, 2019, 9:43 pm

I see, I like your idea. I’m going to make the RF plate so that it catches run-off. And by the way, can I be enlightened on how short I should make the plate from the far side of the chamber?

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