Firebox

[jimtincher]

I designed this smoker (see photos) with my dad, and built it with my family. I really enjoy having it. But as I get deeper into the BBQ rabbit hole, I'm reading Meathead's posts about how you need a hotter fire to create clean smoke, which was confirmed by a Meat Scientist at the University of Minnesota last week.

I can't crank up the heat with this design, because that will create too much heat to cook low and slow. I need a separate firebox that can create the smoke that feeds into the smoker. I'm not a metal smith, so I probably need to buy one. Does anyone have a good source? As you can see, I have a hole for this purpose. The only one I've run across is the Lavalock, but I can't find the manufacturer's site, and all the retailers only have one photo.

I'd love your thoughts on how best to get better smoke.

[realdocBBQ]

Mmmm.... wood smoker, not good for hotter temp cooking. I don't think so, anyways.

If you attach an outside firebox for generation of smoke AND heat, and connect with it with a pipe or something through that wooden wall, you ARE going to eventually combust the wood. I mean, even to get that larger shed up to 225-250, the lowest cooking temps I would recommend, your throat opening (the passthrough from the firebox to the cook chamber) is going to be 400-500ºF. Definitely hot enough to combust that wood over time, I would think.

What you've got there is a great setup for cold smoking meats, cheeses, etc., but I don't think it's a great setup for hot smoking - i.e., actually COOKING large hunks of meat. I could be wrong, I've never built a wooden smokehouse - but I do know how hot the throat openings of true offset cookers get, and it is plenty hot enough to combust that wooden wall. Sorry.

[Ace]

I agree with realdocBBQ comments above. If you add an outboard firebox and pipe in the smoke, you've basically turned your unit in to a cold smoker. You don't want that unless you plan on cold smoking cheese but it's not recommended for meat. Most of the heat / fumes from the outboard firebox will exhaust out that chimney while the smoke would be drawn in to your unit by existing draft produced by your wood unit. I have an electric cabinet smoker with an optional cold smoker attachment and it works that way. Smoke is drawn in to the cabinet with reduced heat and the attachment exhausts the heat produced through its own chimney. Hope that helps...

[jimtincher]

Let me see if I understand. From Ace comments, could I use the external firebox to cold smoke the meat, while using the existing gas burner to provide heat?

[Ace]

Let me see if I understand. From Ace comments, could I use the external firebox to cold smoke the meat, while using the existing gas burner to provide heat?

No... Cold smoking meat is very dangerous and it's something that you don't want to do. Cold smoking involves very low temperatures that will put meat in the danger zone for long periods of time. I've cold smoked cheese but would never try to cold smoke meat, fish, poultry, or anything else. Low and slow is different than cold smoking. Low and slow is at a temperature that is well above the danger zone. I think it's great that you want to salvage and use the unit that you and dad built together but I'm not sure that there is a way to retrofit it to make it do what you're hoping for. The unit I was talking about above was designed and tested to work together but with cautions about smoking temps and what not to do. My apologies if I made that info a little confusing. Here is an article from Meathead that may help explain the dangers of "cold smoking." Please be safe...

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/safety-and-health/cold-smoking-meats-dont-do-it/

[Ace]

jimtincher It just a occurred to me that the term "cold smoke" may be where some of the confusion lies.
Also as stated by realdocBBQ above, an outside firebox connecting pipe could be too hot and may catch the wood smoker on fire.

[realdocBBQ]

EH. I cold smoke all the time, literally did 20lbs of bacon last week. Cured meats, it's no big deal. And it doesn't have to be LOW low temps - again, not if cured. Like bacon, cured sausages, etc. Doing FRESH sausages would be a whole other story. But, to each their own, and yes, you need to know what you're doing, but it's not a big deal. Easy enough to learn.

[jfmorris]

Ok, so just to understand what you've built - you built a small wooden "smoke house" like the old timey smoke houses that were actual buildings, and are heating it internally with a gas burner (turkey fryer style), and making smoke with wood chips or something in that cast iron skillet I see at the bottom on top of the burner. And the hole in the side with the damper is your temp control?

You've basically built a wooden version of something like the Camp Chef Smoke Vault type smoker.

I can see what you have done as workable, if the temps of the wooden walls don't get above 225 or so, but it seems unsafe in many ways, and as others have already pointed out, the "small hot fire" part of things is not really workable with a wooden smoker. I would just be sure this is well away from the house or other combustible structures when in use.

[Skip]

Hello jimtincher I only live a coupler hours south of you! Maybe you need to get a more dedicated Smoker/Grill setup. I have a Lonestar Adjustable with an optional Fire Management Basket for using wood only if desired. The LSG Adjustable is pretty versatile as you can Grill direct or indirect and use it similar to a Stick Burner. It's unique in design. There are several others out there too.

https://lonestargrillz.com/products/24-x-48-adjustable-charcoal-grill

[jimtincher]

Love the conversation! From a safety standpoint I'm fine with the existing setup, as it has to get 400 or hotter before wood combusts. And yes, jfmorris, you've perfectly described my setup; I use either wood chips for chunks. And it's working well - I put on a BBQ every year with 100+ people and this serves all of them. Yes, it's 30 feet from the house. I don't want to replace this, as my Dad and I built it together.

It's just that I'm getting geeky with wanting the pure smoke. So, I'm wondering if I use an external firebox to generate the smoke while I use propane to get it to 225. If so, where would I get such an external firebox?

[jfmorris]

I think I would just keep using it like you have been, and if you want, follow some of the other advice about using a smoke tube (which burns pellets) or something like that if you want more smoke.

I don't think you will get more "pure smoke" though, as pellets tubes smolder the pellets to produce smoke, same as the chips and chunks in your skillet.

[realdocBBQ]

Love the conversation! From a safety standpoint I'm fine with the existing setup, as it has to get 400 or hotter before wood combusts. And yes, jfmorris, you've perfectly described my setup; I use either wood chips for chunks. And it's working well - I put on a BBQ every year with 100+ people and this serves all of them. Yes, it's 30 feet from the house. I don't want to replace this, as my Dad and I built it together.

It's just that I'm getting geeky with wanting the pure smoke. So, I'm wondering if I use an external firebox to generate the smoke while I use propane to get it to 225. If so, where would I get such an external firebox?

People use old wood stoves and such. You could use something like that. Also you can buy pellet burning 'smoke generators' just to inject more smoke into your environment. If you're happy with how you COOK for right now and are just looking for more smoke flavor? Honestly a pellet smoke generator would be the easiest way to add more smoke.

Here's a Smokai version that is made just for wooden smoke houses:

https://smokai.com/en-us/collections/the-smokehouse-collection

Here's the Bella's cold smoke generator from Smokin-It Smokers - works with pellets or wood chips (I like chips for cold smoking, but pellets last longer, so I often mix the two):

https://www.smokin-it.com/product-p/bsmkgen2.htm

Again - if you like your setup for how it COOKS and just want more smoke? This is the obvious way to go, I think.

[Ace]

+1 on generating more smoke ideas. I thought that he wanted more heat which may or may not produce more smoke. The solution is a lot easier now... I think that we're on the right track now... 👍

[jimtincher]

Thanks! It's encouraging when someone posts a competitor alongside their product - shows real confidence. So I ordered on! Looking forward to it.

I'm using a Meathead recipe that calls for 375 degrees, which is far higher than I typically use, and I found that the wood chunks kept starting on fire, dramatically raising the heat, so thils will prevent that from happening again.I have a big cook coming in two weeks, and I look forward to seeing how this works!

[fzxdoc]

I remember seeing Elvis' smokehouse (brick construction) the last time we visited Graceland. I thought it was so cool to have an entire structure dedicated to smoking and curing meat. Apparently back in the day they were more common. Now I rarely see one.

Your smokehouse looks wonderful. I've never seen a wooden one constructed like that, but now that I've just surfaced from my morning Google rabbithole, I see they're pretty common. So now I've learned something new, thanks to you, jimtincher . I hope you find a perfect way to mod your smokehouse to your satisfaction here. Looks like realdocBBQ is on to something for your needs.

Kathryn

[realdocBBQ]

Yeah I see a fair amount of these, but I am a member of several groups where they are common - bacon making, sausage making and cold smoking groups. I've learned a ton. Love making my own stuff!