A couple different people have asked about my custom built smoker, but I have been busy working (and lazy), so I haven't gotten around to it til now. But first, a little bit of background: Summer of 2014 both my UDS and COS were in the final stages of rust and decay to the point where they weren't even worth moving to the new house - so I decided to lay them to rest and start looking for something better. In a divinely blessed crossing of paths, I mentioned this during a conversation with my friend Shawn. Shawn is a good ole boy, ex-navy nuke welder who loves his BBQ almost as much as he loves his guns. Turned out, he was building a custom smoker for some guy who was having second thoughts (or maybe a lack of S.O. permission) about actually buying it. The build was going to be a smallish, reverse flow stick burner - but it was very early along and so I would have been able to come in and tweak it to my wishlist. We talked about some ideas, he agreed to talk to his client and get a commitment or else, then we shook hands and let it simmer.
A week later, his client gratefully bowed out of the build (and placated his wife!) and we were ready to red-neck engineer the design. Our original goals were:
After about 6 months of design, and 6 more months of fabricating on weekends it was done. Here is the final specs she ended up with:
Fire Box: 3/8" plate, with outside dimensions of 19"W x 19"H x 22"D so it would handle a full 20" log. The door is 1/2" plate and has a slight concave bend from the center (no clue how he did it) so that it actually seals tighter once it heats up during a cook. Shawn wanted a cool handle, so he decided to make one out of a rock hammer. 7 drill bits later, he vowed to never make one again, but I think it looks cool!
Diamond plate air intake spins on the all thread so the direction of the wind doesn't matter during a cook. Bottom of Firebox ended up 23" above the ground so I don't have to bend over so far to load and check the fire.
Cook Chamber: 24" diameter by 36" long piece of 3/8" thick oil field pipe. End caps are 3/8" plates. The shelf and lower grate are the same height so I can slide a pan straight in without having to lift it. FYI - they are also 46.5" tall as this is the same height as my arms when bent at the elbow (yes, even red-neck engineers study ergonomics =P). Bottom shelf is catwalk grate and measures 27" wide by 21.5 inches deep - perfectly sized for two hotel pans. Top shelf is heavy duty expanded metal 27" wide by 18" deep that can slide out or be removed. Mostly used for racks of ribs or pork tenderloins. Two thermometers at 1/3 and 2/3 the length of the chamber, installed at the same height above the lower rack as the lip of a hotel pan. Close as we can get to making them accurate. The reverse flow is actually a series of 1/4 inch plates that can be slid back and forth so I can retune the cooker if I move to some place with different elevation and humidity. There is enough room between the lower grate and the plates to put a drip pan or water pan if I wanted to, though I never need the water pan the way she runs.
Exhaust Stack: uses the same damper system as the fire box with the smoker's signature diamond plate and nails décor.
Lid: The lid is one of the hidden gems of the build. Because the smoker is made for my exact height, opening the lid is effortless for me with the offset stainless steel handle and roller grip. Fully open, it is just a couple inches past the balanced tipping point as it rests against the smoke stack so we decided not to install any kind of hold-open device (and I haven't missed having it.
Sundry Other Items: Nail hooks were added on the sides of shelves and the cook chamber for hanging gloves or utensils. The side opposite the wheels has a leveling bolt and nut to adjust the side to side level once you move it into positions. There is a cheater bar on the right to give you leverage for shifting it on the patio, but if you want to move her more than a few feet you need a tractor with some forklift blades. We don't know how much she weighs, but guesstimates are somewhere in the 1000 pound range. Funny side story: Got a call from Shawn about half way through the build - all ticked off and grumpy... Apparently he got her unbalanced and she fell over at his shop before the stand was finished. "Did it hurt the smoker I asked?" I asked. "No, but it cracked the concrete slab and left a fist sized divot in the floor where it hit!" Thatta girl!
And here she is in all her glory:
After two years, the high temp paint is wearing off, but I am liking the "well-loved" look that is coming through. I use mostly full size split logs, typically oak or pecan, though I will also run a bed of kingsford blue depending on my mood. Wood burns cleaner if you run it a little hotter, so I mostly cook between 250 and 275F. End to end, I normally see only a 5 degree F temperature difference across the cook chamber once heated up. If you haven't run away by this point and have some more questions - fire away!
Cheers,
Night
A week later, his client gratefully bowed out of the build (and placated his wife!) and we were ready to red-neck engineer the design. Our original goals were:
- Able to handle full size logs
- Sized to fit my height (I am 6'3")
- Reverse Flow
- Wheeled stand, no trailer
- able to hold at least 2 full size hotel pans
- Look unique, industrial, yet built very solid
After about 6 months of design, and 6 more months of fabricating on weekends it was done. Here is the final specs she ended up with:
Fire Box: 3/8" plate, with outside dimensions of 19"W x 19"H x 22"D so it would handle a full 20" log. The door is 1/2" plate and has a slight concave bend from the center (no clue how he did it) so that it actually seals tighter once it heats up during a cook. Shawn wanted a cool handle, so he decided to make one out of a rock hammer. 7 drill bits later, he vowed to never make one again, but I think it looks cool!
Diamond plate air intake spins on the all thread so the direction of the wind doesn't matter during a cook. Bottom of Firebox ended up 23" above the ground so I don't have to bend over so far to load and check the fire.
Cook Chamber: 24" diameter by 36" long piece of 3/8" thick oil field pipe. End caps are 3/8" plates. The shelf and lower grate are the same height so I can slide a pan straight in without having to lift it. FYI - they are also 46.5" tall as this is the same height as my arms when bent at the elbow (yes, even red-neck engineers study ergonomics =P). Bottom shelf is catwalk grate and measures 27" wide by 21.5 inches deep - perfectly sized for two hotel pans. Top shelf is heavy duty expanded metal 27" wide by 18" deep that can slide out or be removed. Mostly used for racks of ribs or pork tenderloins. Two thermometers at 1/3 and 2/3 the length of the chamber, installed at the same height above the lower rack as the lip of a hotel pan. Close as we can get to making them accurate. The reverse flow is actually a series of 1/4 inch plates that can be slid back and forth so I can retune the cooker if I move to some place with different elevation and humidity. There is enough room between the lower grate and the plates to put a drip pan or water pan if I wanted to, though I never need the water pan the way she runs.
Exhaust Stack: uses the same damper system as the fire box with the smoker's signature diamond plate and nails décor.
Lid: The lid is one of the hidden gems of the build. Because the smoker is made for my exact height, opening the lid is effortless for me with the offset stainless steel handle and roller grip. Fully open, it is just a couple inches past the balanced tipping point as it rests against the smoke stack so we decided not to install any kind of hold-open device (and I haven't missed having it.
Sundry Other Items: Nail hooks were added on the sides of shelves and the cook chamber for hanging gloves or utensils. The side opposite the wheels has a leveling bolt and nut to adjust the side to side level once you move it into positions. There is a cheater bar on the right to give you leverage for shifting it on the patio, but if you want to move her more than a few feet you need a tractor with some forklift blades. We don't know how much she weighs, but guesstimates are somewhere in the 1000 pound range. Funny side story: Got a call from Shawn about half way through the build - all ticked off and grumpy... Apparently he got her unbalanced and she fell over at his shop before the stand was finished. "Did it hurt the smoker I asked?" I asked. "No, but it cracked the concrete slab and left a fist sized divot in the floor where it hit!" Thatta girl!
And here she is in all her glory:
After two years, the high temp paint is wearing off, but I am liking the "well-loved" look that is coming through. I use mostly full size split logs, typically oak or pecan, though I will also run a bed of kingsford blue depending on my mood. Wood burns cleaner if you run it a little hotter, so I mostly cook between 250 and 275F. End to end, I normally see only a 5 degree F temperature difference across the cook chamber once heated up. If you haven't run away by this point and have some more questions - fire away!
Cheers,
Night
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