Need Help with smoker box

[buck_golf]

Hello all ... I built this smoker box on this trailer grill. My problem has been that I cannot get temperature much over 200 without building a HUGE fire. There are no vents in the box. The two pipes that connect the box and the grill are both 5 inch pipes. The only air getting to the heat is by opening the door. When cooking I have elevated the fire a couple of inches and cracked the door and am just not getting the heat much over 200. The gauges are on the grill doors. I have checked the gauges with hand held gauges and they are accurate.

With all that said, I think the box needs vents. Can any of you give me advice on placement and size of vents. Also, how high should the fire be elevated off the floor of the box. T

[Gator]

It looks like the airway to the main chamber could be bigger (to me).

Lets see if we can get a few more opinions.

[Smoked]

I agree with Gator, you need to open the pathway from the firebox to the pit.. And since it looks like you have double wall firebox your best option on a intake is at the door.. Then you would need to build a raised charcoal basket to allow the airflow to go under the coal..

[bigwheel]

Well air intake is precisely the problemo I think. Whether them two pipes leading from the firebox to cookchamber are adequate is a bit of a moot point till you get the intake situation resolved. Taking a wild guess they should be just fine especially if coupled with a tall stack. Frist or all if there is any way possible I would move the hinges on the firebox door from the top to the side. Make it a side opener. Dont see any advantages of making it open from the top. If you made it open from the side..you could get rid of the big lifting handle on the door and give give you some room to put an intake at or near that location. You would still need a latch but it could go higher up on the right side an be less obstructive. To figger out a good intake scheme you be well served to examine the intake of a Klose BBQ Pit or maybe a Gator. You will find they are a sliding louver configurations which range across the total width of the fire and can all be opened the same amount with a single slide of the louver. In general an offset pit intake should hit dead center of the fire grate....meaning you should have the same amount of intake above as below the fire. Hope this helps a little. Maybe somebody who owns a Klose or a clone of it could send you a pic of the intake. You would get the idear quick if you could see one.

bigwheel

[ruger686]

I'm no pit builder, but, as we know, fire needs oxygen to grow and maintain. I would think an air intake on the firebox door would help you significantly.

[OSD]

Sounds like no air flow. I'd start with vents in the door of the fire box and then raise the fire grate in there. Sounds like it's just not drawing enough air for the fire to burn right.

[buck_golf]

I raised the coal floor 3 inches by using angle iron braces and expanded metal. Also cut a hole on 2 sides of the box at the bottom (below the fire) that are 2x6 inches. Started cooking today and seemed to have solved the temp problem. Have had no problem getting 300 degrees.

Thanks for the input.

[JamesB]

Well, the others beat me to the punch and gave some of the same advice I would have offered... Actually kinda surprised that you were able to get a big fire going in there with not air intakes...

Great to hear that ya got the temp thing figured out...

As bigwheel said above, I'd strongly suggest moving that door to a side opening configuration if at all possible... The thought of having to reach under a screaming hot hunk of metal that would inadvertently fall on me, gives me the heeby jeebies...

Good luck with the pit and looking forward to a lot of new pics!

[Papa Tom]

Bigwheel making sense.....Hey it happens sometimes.....

[JamesB]

Bigwheel making sense.....Hey it happens sometimes.....

Well, it was still early in the day...

[bigwheel]

Hey...I resemble that remark:)

bigwheel

[honu41]

Great job on the pit construction. As other have suggested and as you had revised, the pit appears to "run" correctly now.

As BW suggested, the only thing to do is to move the hinges to the side so the firebox door is hung vertically. Safer and also easier to open as in no weight to lift.

a hui hou,