Eureka! Why didn't I think of this before?!?!?!

AllenOK

AllenOK

New member
I've read a couple of posts on this board about creating a baffle to shield the heat a bit from my firebox.

Inspiration hit in a FLASH! I went outside, pulled off my cooking grates, yanked out the firegrate, dumped the ash, FLIPPED THE FIREGRATE UPSIDE-DOWN, hooked the handles back on (a little skewed, but it works), and put it back together. Here's a link to the pic. Be warned, IT'S BIG:

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4756/dsc0001i.jpg

If you'll look, you'll notice that the handle on the right side, next to the firebox, is all the way down, and I have a minimal gap between the firegrate and the firewall. The handle on the left side is actually up a little bit, giving the smoke an incentive to move to the left. I've got a cheap disposable aluminum pan in there for use as a drip pan, just for demo. I may get a different pan when I actually go to fire this up in this configuration.

I'm also thinking about extending my exhaust stack down to the cooking level. I'm going to have to either completely remove the warming rack, or cut out part of the cross-wires to allow the stack extension to come down.

I may just get a piece of sheet metal, cut it to size, drill some holes for the handles of my fire-grate, and swap it out with the fire-grate whenever I smoke something. This would give me a level surface for a drip pan, and I could even put a pan with some apple juice or something on the right side to add moisture.
 
AllenOK said:
I've read a couple of posts on this board about creating a baffle to shield the heat a bit from my firebox.

Inspiration hit in a FLASH! I went outside, pulled off my cooking grates, yanked out the firegrate, dumped the ash, FLIPPED THE FIREGRATE UPSIDE-DOWN, hooked the handles back on (a little skewed, but it works), and put it back together. Here's a link to the pic. Be warned, IT'S BIG:

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/4756/dsc0001i.jpg

If you'll look, you'll notice that the handle on the right side, next to the firebox, is all the way down, and I have a minimal gap between the firegrate and the firewall. The handle on the left side is actually up a little bit, giving the smoke an incentive to move to the left. I've got a cheap disposable aluminum pan in there for use as a drip pan, just for demo. I may get a different pan when I actually go to fire this up in this configuration.

I'm also thinking about extending my exhaust stack down to the cooking level. I'm going to have to either completely remove the warming rack, or cut out part of the cross-wires to allow the stack extension to come down.

I may just get a piece of sheet metal, cut it to size, drill some holes for the handles of my fire-grate, and swap it out with the fire-grate whenever I smoke something. This would give me a level surface for a drip pan, and I could even put a pan with some apple juice or something on the right side to add moisture.
Click to expand...

I was planning on going this route. But there is one problem. It pretty much forces the smoke to the far end of the chamber where the chimney is. Thus the smoke travels under the baffle and straight out the chimney. This is why I was planning on trying to move my chimney to the side close to the fire box. Thus the smoke travels the length of the chamber and then has to come back all the way across the chamber (and across the meat) to go out the chimney.

As for the chimney, I saw a pic somewhere in which someone used 3 inch flexible duct to extend the chimney down and around the warming rack to bring the chimney hole down but not have to augment the warming rack. No way I get rid of my warming rack. That is extremely valuable real estate...

Once it gets warmer I am going to play with all of this. At least the flexible duct and once I can talk my cousin into moving the chimney for me, doing the baffle method you have shown in your picture.

The beautiful part of your method there? You can flip the baffle back over and use it for just a big ole grill to cook a messa brats or burgers for a large family function....
 
i have done it .. it does help even out the temps ...
i think it was bam who posted a link to a guy doing it ...
as far as the smoke .. i did not notice a difference in the food
except for cooking time ..
 
Allen it looks like you have a Char-Griller Smoker I have the same one! I'm using a Charcoal basket and I extended my exhaust stack down to the cooking level next time I do some smoking I'll turn over the firegrate and see how it works out! Thanks for the heads up!
 
I got to thinking about this more on my way in to work. While flipping the fire-grate is a "quick-fix", I really like the idea of getting a piece of sheet metal, cutting it to size, and using that as my baffle. I'm thinking that leaving enough of a gap around all the sides will allow smoke to travel more thoroughly threw the cooking chamber. I'm thinking about possibly drilling holes in the baffle as well to have smoke filtering up through the center as well as the sides.

Moving the stack from the left to the right also makes good sense, to create reverse flow. I'm thinking something a little more complicated, though. I do use my cooker for both grilling and smoking. I prefer to have the exhaust on the left (default) for grilling. I can see the benefit of having the exhaust on the right for smoking. I see two options right now to have both:

1) Get some ducting that is easily removable, and install that onto the stack on the inside, and run it over to the right. This will create reverse flow with a baffle installed.

2) More costly. Order a second stack, cut and drill the lid for a second stack on the right, and install stack #2 there. For grilling, close the top of Stack #2 and open Stack #1. For smoking, open #2 and close #1.

These are just things that I'm tossing around.

Heck, if I drill just the right amount of holes (I'm thinking 1/8", possibly as big as 1/4") in the baffle, I may not even need reverse flow.

I'm going to take things slow, and cheap. The next time I smoke, I'll just flip my fire-grate and see how that works. Then, I may actually make a baffle. Again, test the product and see how my fuel consumption vs. heat production/retention rates. THEN start thinking about implementing reverse flow.
 
heres the thought on a couple of things

1. the extention that you put on your stack at grate level,ie. metal sheeting, ducting... causes a vacuum thus drawing the smoke over your food.

2. the baffles can and alot of times are drilled with holes. some baffles that i have seen are a series of different adjustable "tuner plates".(with a little experimenting you can get it tuned just right..

3. reverse flow is a great idea on these smokers but IMHO, by the time you put that much money into one, you can build a small reverse flow bbq cheaper(for which i have the plans...pm if you really need them..lol)

4. one of the biggest things with these cookers is that you have to seal all joints..ie..between the side firebox and the actual cooker... seal the cooker door.. seal those with a woodstove gasket or you can seal the cooker door with tinfoil
 
Figures. I read that thread back when everyone was posting. Maybe my subconcious held onto it, but my concious thinking did not?

You, there's a school of thought among some people that "there are no more original ideas". Seems like every time I think of something, someone else has already thought of it.
 
If I were to use the tray upside down I would perforate it. Smaller holes near the firebox gradually getting to larger holes on the opposite side. I don't know the exact formula needed but the idea is to regulate the heat/smoke near the firebox and spread it out evenly throughout the chamber.

Using the tray unaltered you are pretty much creating a reverse flow smoker so you would have to move the stack to the opposite side. Otherwise the heat/smoke will go from the chamber, under the baffle to the left side then up and out of the cooker totally avoiding the meat.
 
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Talked to my cousin on Sat. Said he could move the stack in about 30 minutes but that I need to bring the grill to him. Gotta borrow a truck from the dealership but that shouldn't be a big deal...So I will be going reverse flow this season....
 
Sweet!

My fishing buddy (also a BBQ addict) just found thesmokering.com over the weekend. I hit it up some last night and this morning. There is a 13 PAGE THREAD on mod's specific for Char-grillers. Sweet!

I'm going to get some 3" flexible dryer tubing, and extend the stack on the inside. I may have the opening on the left side somewhere, but I might just run it over to the right for reverse flow.

Several folks flip the charcoal grate upside in the cooker. A few folks have gone so far as making tuning plates out of stainless steel or aluminum (NO ZINC PLATING!).

I might get some kind of ceramic tiling to line the bottom of my cooking chamber with. I'm thinking the kind with the flexible wire backing, if I can find such a thing. Hopefully that will also help with the temps.

One other thing I did the last time I cooked: I flipped the charcoal basket in the SFB upside down. This gave me more clearance for ash underneath. I really did this as the grate had bent downwards over the years from the heat and weight, and I was hoping to reverse this. The extra air-flow was just a benefit.

Some folks go so far as to actually make a basket for charcoal, and mount it high enough so they can pull the ash tray out without disturbing the fire itself. I can see where this will benefit for longer cooks. I usually don't cook more than 5 hours, and I'm using logs, not briquettes/lump/chunks for the minion method. Ash has never really been a problem for me.
 
AllenOK said:
Some folks go so far as to actually make a basket for charcoal, and mount it high enough so they can pull the ash tray out without disturbing the fire itself. I can see where this will benefit for longer cooks. I usually don't cook more than 5 hours, and I'm using logs, not briquettes/lump/chunks for the minion method. Ash has never really been a problem for me.
Click to expand...

I've got a basket for this along with some screws, nuts and washers. I have not put it all together yet and may have to go back and buy different screws as I sort of just eyeballed it. But once it warms up, and this weekend it may do just that I'm hoping to get in nice session. Maybe a brisket?
 
Ok, after more than a month of trying to figure out how to "brake" the metal and put a crease in it, I have news. I've thought of several different ways to "brake" them metal. From building a form and hammering or pressing down on the metal to shape it, to the hammering method that someone else mentioned.

Just today, I decided that I would try bending the sheet metal I have by hand, using the top support for the chain-link fencing as the pivot. I never even got that far. I grabbed the first piece of sheet metal, and as I turned around, it hit me! The support post for the roof over the porch has right angles on the base and the top. I just lined the piece of sheet metal centered over the corner, and using my hands, managed to bend the piece of sheet metal enough that it's rigid. There's maybe a 15 degree angle in it now. I did the second piece as well. I even dropped them into my smoker to see how it works. So far, so good. I'll need one, maybe two more pieces of sheet metal.

I'll get that tomorrow, or maybe tonight. Dunno right yet. Once it get it done, I'll have to test-fire my smoker to see how the temps run.
 
Well, I got some mods done to my CG.

My last piece of sheet metal was 12 x 18". I bent it just like I bent the first two, except I used a couple of pieces of 2x4 to apply leverage to the metal, instead of my bare hands. I was able to get a neater "crease" in the metal. I bought a digital probe thermometer when I bought the first two tuning plates.

I did a test burn a couple of days ago, to see how it acted. I realized that, like most folks, my stock thermometer was off, about 50 degrees F low. No wonder any time I try to smoke longer than 5 hours, it comes out overcooked, and bitter. I was able to use the tuning plates to spread the heat out. Heck, as soon as I poured in some hot charcoal, put in some wood, and closed the lid, I immediately noticed that the tuning plates started getting warm. I think I'm going to like this! I was able to use half as much fuel to maintain a good temp.

Today, I sealed up the six holes in the main chamber that are used for mounting a rotisserie. I also replaced the wheels. I hadn't intended on doing that, but this morning, I noticed one of the wheels was broken. I also slipped a cotter pin into the hole in the axle, since the caps that came with the cooker came off last year. I'm planning on filing some grooves into the other end of the axle, and putting a clip on that end.

Today, I bought a couple Char-Broil replacement thermometers from HD. I'm going to drill a couple 3/8" holes in the lid, just above the cooking grid, on either side of the lid. This will give me more accurate indications of what the temp is at the cooking level, and how it differs from one end to the other.

I have not yet extended the exhaust down to the cooking grid level. I'm concerned about creosote condensation onto the interior surfaces and food. I've had the happen once before, and don't really like eating that kind of junk. I have found a source of 3" flexible tubing, so if I decide to go for it, I know where to go.
 
you can never have too many thermometers..

also if you want to drill a hole just below grate level, you can put some more thermometers there and get a true reading.. i use turkey deeper thermometers when doing this because they are so much cheaper

25s60at.jpg
 
I hear ya on the "never have to many thermometers". You should see how many instant-read analog bio-therms I've got floating around at home and at work.

The "replacement" thermometers that I bought only cost $8.97 USD + tax / ea. They're stubby, and the business end is threaded near the dial, and comes with a wingnut. I'll take a pic of it when I get ready to install them. I've got a bunch of pics on my camera; I just haven't ripped them onto the pc yet.
 
Ok, I got the 3/8" drillbit today, along with the hose and clamp to extend my stack down into the main chamber. I'll try and get that done today.
 
Ok, here's some pics:

The tuning plates, new. I originally had the 12" plate on the left side, but by sampling temps with the digital probe, I thought that the temps were more even if the plate was in the center. The other pics of the plates will show the 12" in the center. I also had to rotate all the plates 180 degrees to get even seasoning.

tuningplatesnew.jpg


Here's the grill, smoking. Notice that the smoke comes up pretty much everywhere.

tuningplatesatwork.jpg


Here's the tuning plates, all seasoned.

tuningplatesseasoned.jpg


Here, I've got the holes in the side filled. The bolts, nuts, and washers are all stainless.

holesfilled.jpg


Here's my new twin thermometers. The packaging specified that the thermometers needed a 3/8" hole. I used that size drillbit, but had "wiggle room". I think a 5/16" drillbit would have worked fine.

newtherms.jpg


And here's the stack extension. I've got a hose clamp holding it onto the stack, and it's just slipped onto the lip of the lid. Tension from the hose keeps it in place. I had to bend the hose a bit to get it to fit.

stackextension.jpg


I haven't had a chance to do another test burn to see how it works. I'm not sure if I'll get to tomorrow. I'm planning on it, but something else has come up that could delay that test burn.

And yes, I know I need to sand off the rust and re-paint my cooker!
 
mods look great Allen...and rust just gives it character..lol

AllenOK said:
Ok, here's some pics:

The tuning plates, new. I originally had the 12" plate on the left side, but by sampling temps with the digital probe, I thought that the temps were more even if the plate was in the center. The other pics of the plates will show the 12" in the center. I also had to rotate all the plates 180 degrees to get even seasoning.

tuningplatesnew.jpg


Here's the grill, smoking. Notice that the smoke comes up pretty much everywhere.

tuningplatesatwork.jpg


Here's the tuning plates, all seasoned.

tuningplatesseasoned.jpg


Here, I've got the holes in the side filled. The bolts, nuts, and washers are all stainless.

holesfilled.jpg


Here's my new twin thermometers. The packaging specified that the thermometers needed a 3/8" hole. I used that size drillbit, but had "wiggle room". I think a 5/16" drillbit would have worked fine.

newtherms.jpg


And here's the stack extension. I've got a hose clamp holding it onto the stack, and it's just slipped onto the lip of the lid. Tension from the hose keeps it in place. I had to bend the hose a bit to get it to fit.

stackextension.jpg


I haven't had a chance to do another test burn to see how it works. I'm not sure if I'll get to tomorrow. I'm planning on it, but something else has come up that could delay that test burn.

And yes, I know I need to sand off the rust and re-paint my cooker!
Click to expand...
 
Ok, I did a cook today. Smoked some leg-and-thigh quarters.

I should have done another test burn before actually doing a cook. I have very EVEN temps now, and it's easy to hold those temps for over an hour. The temp at grate level varies from equal across the grate, to maybe 25 degrees F different. Surprisingly, the stock thermometer usually reads somewhere in between the two new thermometers, if not agreeing with them! I attribute that to the stack extension. However, I did have to leave the intake pretty much wide open for the cook.

I might try a test burn to see how just the tuning plates work, and remove the stack extension.

PeppA was kinda of hacked for a minute, as she thought I had converted the CG into a dedicated smoker, with no grilling capabilities. I had to enlighten her that I can remove the tuning plates at will, no messing with screws, nuts, bolts, etc. Everything else can stay.

I did forget one thing. I didn't bring out the probe thermometer to monitor the temp of the chicken. I ended up overcooking the chicken. Oh well, it's still edible, but some of it has "bark".
 
I've actually got about 25 degrees F difference between my right and left side. Sometimes, I've noticed the hot spot on the LEFT side, instead of the right, depending on how I had the tuning plates positions. Sometimes, I get even temps on both the new thermometers, and the stock POS thermometer.

I've been lurking on SMF and thesmokering.com for over a month now. Just today, I found a post by "teacup" and recognized some pics. ROFL!
 
yup that would be me..lol

i am also known as jtwisted13 on some forums... it all depends on when i registered for a forum and what was going on in my life.. at the time of those forums, bamsbbq was just a thought in the back of my head..lol

AllenOK said:
I've actually got about 25 degrees F difference between my right and left side. Sometimes, I've noticed the hot spot on the LEFT side, instead of the right, depending on how I had the tuning plates positions. Sometimes, I get even temps on both the new thermometers, and the stock POS thermometer.

I've been lurking on SMF and thesmokering.com for over a month now. Just today, I found a post by "teacup" and recognized some pics. ROFL!
Click to expand...
 
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