Thinking to Build an Off-set Smoker

[ILMsmoke]

First off, I’m a reasonably capable fabricator and welder and have most everything I need at to use to build whatever I want with material cost being my limiting factor. My question is should I build a vertical or horizontal off-set smoker? My concern with the horizontal is I’d have to pay someone to draw, cut and roll the drum. If I built it horizontal, I could just sheer off whatever size I wanted being it’s be square by nature.

Many believe that horizontal smokers are superior to vertical, but I’m open to the collectives opinion??

My biggest concern with either smoker is getting the reverse flow done correctly being I’ve never actually seen or used a high quality type of either. Any thoughts?

I’m open to any other thoughts or mishaps to avoid also…

[RonB]

Lookin' forward to seeing how this goes. I love a good build.

[Jerod Broussard]

I'd go with an Aaron Franklin/Moberg/Chud offset. Reverse would take more material. Chud picks up his pipe in a 4Runner.

[bbqLuv]

I look forward to the build. I friend of mine buily one from empty propane tanks.
Maybe you will be starting a side business.

[tbob4]

You aren’t going to get reverse flow on a vertical. I love mine. Phone power is low - charging. I will post photos in next post

[ILMsmoke]

On the "can’t get reverse flow on a chamber". I was thinking of creating a chamber that moves all the air from the fire box up a air chamber that’s sealed from main cooking except where it exits in the top. I was also thinking of having my exhaust be 6” 90° up to about 1’ over the top of the unit and exit the cooling chamber in the bottom opposite side of the fire box. This in theory would be reverse flow and the exhaust would be plants big enough to draft and get plenty of clean smoke.

[tbob4]

Sometimes posting multiple photos from the phone is a pain. Third try. this is a three shelf unit. Top shelf removed for photos

[tbob4]

This is unit #2 kind of reverse. Heat hits a water pan, smoke is diverted around back and hits a plate. It takes more fuel, is heavier but is stable at temp. If I had to give one is, this would be the one.

[rickgregory]

you MADE those? #respect

[tbob4]

rickgregory - I did not. Mike Bulen from California Custom Smokers did. I designed #2. Unfortunately, he made some really good money off of his trade and retired. I built his website (very amateur job) in exchange for "anything I wanted" after he built these. I never could decide what I wanted next. Darn indecision

[Mudkat]

Both are cool looking smokers.

[WI Bubba]

LSG does several horizontal smokers built with flat plate, as well as their pellet poopers. So maybe flat stock and horizontal would be workable.

[ILMsmoke]

Just sketching out some ideas. Is there any reason the air wouldn’t flow correctly with this type of air flow? Looking at 1/2” steel for fire box and reverse flow chamber. Then 1/4” for cook chamber

[tbob4]

One of the beauties of an upright is the amount of cooking space you get relative to an offset. I think you will give some of that up in the drawing. I get very good clean smoke in my units and do so even closing down the top vents quite a bit. If you want to do a pipe system for intake, don’t angle them up. I would do a single valve straight out.

[Jerod Broussard]

Oh yeah!! Run fat cap up on EVERYTHING.

[Waster]

I watched a few builds recently as well as a few reviews as I'm thinking of an offset also. I'm conflicted because I read that you want to make sure to insulate the firebox well, but I've also seen the top of the firebox used as a flat top, which is an idea I love. Maybe a slide out insulator plate at the top of the firebox to give options.

I would have thought that for air to flow as you want the top of the intake port should be below the bottom of the exhaust port - otherwise I would be concerned with a back draft.
Keep us posted fellow Wilmingtonian !

[Donw]

It might be helpful to tag two of our commercial builders for input. Ahumadora Henrik

[ILMsmoke]

I watched a few builds recently as well as a few reviews as I'm thinking of an offset also. I'm conflicted because I read that you want to make sure to insulate the firebox well, but I've also seen the top of the firebox used as a flat top, which is an idea I love. Maybe a slide out insulator plate at the top of the firebox to give options.

I would have thought that for air to flow as you want the top of the intake port should be below the bottom of the exhaust port - otherwise I would be concerned with a back draft.
Keep us posted fellow Wilmingtonian !

I would build the firebox and the flow chamber wall out of 1/2” which is supposed to help a lot.

I think you’re correct on draft issues. This was a first rough sketch and no thought went into that. My thoughts are to be able to run my billows on the intake and I wanted to get it away from the fire a little

[ILMsmoke]

Henrik, I think you're correct on all parts. The billows defeats the purpose and I've moved away from that. That'll also solve the draft problem I created. I'm in the process of trying to source material and would prefer to do Franklin style horizontal if I can source materials.

[ILMsmoke]

Henrik, In your experience, do I need to have a reverse flow in a horizontal off-set?

[Henrik]

Define "need" 😄. I think it is advantageous in smaller offsets to even out temps a bit more. But Mill Scale, Aaron Franklin, @ahumadoras, Chuds BBQ and I build commercial offsets, backyard size with great success, so: no.

[Ahumadora]

Hi,
I have been away with the family, camping for Easter. Let me know what you want to achieve and materials you can source. Are you wanting a home smoker or something semi comercial? Also waht deals you can get on materials to build on a budget kinds of sets what you are going to build. Maybe line the inside of the firebox with fire bricks to cut down on using 1/2" steel.

[ILMsmoke]

So, I found some 22"x3/16" pipe today at a salvage yard today for .30 per lb. Its pretty rusty but should clean up well. They offered to cut to my desired length for free because parts of the pipe have holes in it. I would need to re-cut the ends to get then straight, but this seems reasonable. It would be the piece with two holes near the end. There's plenty of clean pipe behind the holes to get my length out

Is there a standard for how long I should cut my firebox based on length of cook chamber?

[Ahumadora]

Pretty much, buy everything in the pic! Including the digger bucket. You can turn that into a BBQ.

[UncleSpike]

At 30 cents/lb I would buy it all...

[ILMsmoke]

I did the math and that steel was 150lbs per ft at 1/2"

[smokin fool]

My Nephew has/is in the process of building an off set out of and old compressor tank.
I've seen a few picks, and it doesn't look too bad a job from afar.
He's working on the damper system now and looking for cast iron grates for the fire box.
Try and get some picks.