Custom build ? i like to think so !

Custom manufactured BBQ Pits, Do-it-Yourself projects, parts and ideas.

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J_G
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Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Wed Mar 16, 2016 2:26 pm

OK sit down, hold tight and try to keep awake reading this build.
Its 2014, could be 2015 also as its a bit confusing for me when i really started this build, first of all i am from the Netherlands, yes the little country in Europe known for the windmills, tulips, and wooden shoes. Please don't mind the bad writing as its not easy for me.
I work at the dutch railroads for 34 years and what does every train have, and needs? youre right, airtanks.
Well i started out with this one, 66 gallons big and a lid was easy made:

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Then onto the firebox, i figured out i need about 21 gallons of firebox, to bad my boss didnt have that one, but what he did have where 2 16 gallons airtanks"

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So what to do? well, i cut off the top of both tanks and welded them together again, now i am no mathematic but it has to be close to the 21 gallons like this:

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Made the firbox entry and i can close it tight with my dutch redneck locking system ( read chain):

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Heat has to travel so a hole was made , at first a little to small at second i was quit happy with it:

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Smoke stack with lid on it to get rid of the smoke later on:

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Next thing was to light up the firebox in order to get fumes and other unhealthy stuff out, tanks where blue when i was finished so the heat was enough to get rid of the nasty.
Did the same for the smoke chamber:

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Next on the list was cleaning the outside thoroughly and put some rust preventer on it :
Still some paint left on the bottom firebox, to bad i am to lazy to get it off, heat will take care of it

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After some research i was told to make a baffle plate to disperse smoke and heat:

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On the outside there is a lid support:

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And ofcourse i needed some oxygen in the firebox so a shutter was made:

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And i was in need for a ash tray/fireplace:

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Thats the outside for so far, on to the inside i say !!
Made a grid support from some angle iron and some stainless grids from the IKEA:

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and then to find out that i made the grid to close to the top lid so a beercan chicken was out of the picture, no way.
So another tray with angle iron and grids was made.

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How about some temperature measuring, well, got it covered:

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Thats the story so far, building the smoker was fun, i guess using it will be a lot more fun, hope to smoke a chicken on saturday, dont know how i go on about that but trial and error will teach me.
Thanks for staying with me so far .
Jeroen
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby Papa Tom » Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:02 pm

Looks great to me nice job and by the way your English (American) is very good.
Looking forward to pictures of the food that thing creates.
Welcome to the forum....
tarde venientibus ossa....
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby k.a.m. » Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:58 am

Welcome to the forum J_G. :D Very nice work on your cooker I like it. :D
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby iRIDElow » Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:02 am

Nice work
J_G
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Sat Mar 19, 2016 2:44 pm

Okay
i did try the chicken today and failed bigtime, i cant get enough heat into the smoke chamber, once i removed the baffle plate i got to 240f and thats it.
I think i need a bigger opening towards the smoke chamber.
Any ideas are more then welcome in perfecting the smoker.
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby OldUsedParts » Sat Mar 19, 2016 3:14 pm

nice pit, JG - - - just for my curiosity how much pit time are you talking about with the 240 temp ?
I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death. William Barret Travis - Lt. Col. comdt "The Alamo"
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Sat Mar 19, 2016 3:40 pm

OldUsedParts wrote:nice pit, JG - - - just for my curiosity how much pit time are you talking about with the 240 temp ?

I took an hour to reach that temp,chicken smoked for 5 hours and it was at the end off that time 163.4 F
Placed the chicken in alu foil wrapped a towel over it and placed in a cooler for 45 min.
I could pull the meat of the bone with very little effort, i suppose the meat turn into a light pink color ?
Tastes real good with a nice smoke flavor.

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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby OldUsedParts » Sat Mar 19, 2016 5:26 pm

I'd eat that in a second :tup: why did you say "failed bigtime" ? I must be missing sumpin'
I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death. William Barret Travis - Lt. Col. comdt "The Alamo"
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Sun Mar 20, 2016 3:17 am

OldUsedParts wrote:I'd eat that in a second :tup: why did you say "failed bigtime" ? I must be missing sumpin'


I feel like it took way to long for that chicken to get ready, an hour of 2 21/2 would be acceptable for me, this one took 5 hours and there was no heat regulation possible .
Fire box door was open and temp didnt go up so i have some re thinking to do on how to re design the smoker so that i can actually regulate some heat.
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby OldUsedParts » Sun Mar 20, 2016 6:04 am

OK, gotcha - that's what I figured - - - keep tweeking, you'll get it worked out :tup:
I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death. William Barret Travis - Lt. Col. comdt "The Alamo"
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:50 pm

Okay made the fire box a bit bigger, sliced my knuckle to the bone with a 1 mm cutting disc in the process.

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Fired it up and what i have found out it needs a bigger smokestack/chimney, firebox is hot as h..l but smoker stays 260 F and i cant seem to draw enough heat trough the darn thing.
So i am going to upgrade the smoke stack and see what happens next.

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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Fri Apr 22, 2016 8:17 am

Been awhile, i know, but i was searching for a bigger smoke stack.
And i did find a nice big one, a to big one, but hey i dont complain it was free and so the welding started again.
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After the welding i fired the smoker up and to my surprise it went to (drumroll please ......) 600 and i couldnt get it to 300 earlier.
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and it stayed there for more then an hour, then the temp dropped a little because i didnt feed the firebox any more food.
I think i can smoke a chicken a bit faster then 5 hours now.
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby garyspriggs » Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:07 pm

Nice Job, Looks great

Gary
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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby ChileFarmer » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:31 am

Pleased you got the heat up. now let the cooking begin. Looking forward to seeing some smoke. CF :D
OK, get over it, you lost. God bless America

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Re: Custom build ? i like to think so !

Postby J_G » Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:15 am

smoked some chicken today and now can i say it went very well, temp went up to 300 and stayed there all through the smoking process.
Looks excellent tastes even better and even the skin is good to eat, 2 hours cooking time.
Made my own spicy rub, and it tastes real good with a nice warm feeling when finished, last 10 minutes i layered the chicken with honey and it came out real great .
It tastes real good and i cant get enough of it.
Burnt the smoker with oak wood, and for smoke wood i used some apple wood chips, those wood chips where soaking in a mix off half brandy half water for a few days,
it tastes really really excellent i am over the moon with this.
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