First Build

Ive been using a metal off set for several years and had a spot in mind I always thought it would be cool to have a smoker built. So, I had this old fish pond in the yard that the wife and I have been wanting to get rid of. It had a brick border around it and it didnt look like there was that much brick. I was just going to stack it up along the building or something until I found a use for it. Well, the more brick I took away, the more I found. Its like the bricks were breeding under the pond. I ended up with a massive stack of brick, and a pile of chipped and half brick thrown to the side. The pond was about 20-25 feet from where I wanted the smoker anyways.
Now Im no mason and this is my first brick project, so critisism is welcome. Im just kind of making this up as I go. Im sure I made a few mistakes, and it just sits on a large rock. My yard has several large exposed rocks, and my thinking was, Hey, a pre made foundation. That were my off set has sat for years. I need some fire brick yet, but the rest is just finding the time to do it. It took a couple courses of brick to get leveled up off the rock. I never pulled a tape on it so I cant give you the size. I drew a sketch, did a rough dry fit to get a footprint, and went to work. I took the fish pond out sunday and started laying brick monday after work and tuesday.

One question is when I make the smoke chamber, do I want direct heat from the bottom by leaving it open from the coals to the stack, with a damper in the stack of course, or should I do a baffle so the heat runs up one side and across before going out the stack, and have the stack extend down closer to the rack?

Thanks for the compliments folks. Do you guys foresee any problems with it having been built on a rock instead of pouring a footer. I think it should last a pretty good while, by then I should be ready to expand the project anyway. There are a few on a hunting forum I frequent that seem to think it's going to fall over in a couple years. I'm not disagreeing, I really don't know. I just don't think it will. It's a sizeable rock that you can't dig more than six inches within twenty feet of what's exposed above ground. To the rear of the smoker, dirt was moved in to make a flower bed area, then bordered with rocks. Once I clean it up and I pressure wash the rock and get the mortar and dirt away youll be able to tell that's a pretty smooth rock with plenty of texture to grip.
Like I said before. I'm no mason. This might be a good one to practice on.

Slideguy01 said:

Right on! :eusa_clap
That is re-purpose with a purpose. And you'll get the satisfaction of standing around it one day going..."ya, I built that!"

Click to expand...

I'm already doing that. Lol

So now im kicking around some ideas on the grill side. I just used my smoker racks for a temperary support to get a feel for it. Of course Ill be using the thin 4X9 fire brick which will give me a little more distance (2-1\2'') beween the sides and a enough height between the bottom bricks and the grill to allow for a raised rack for the coals. I found some fire brick locally for $1.69\ea., but havent gone to get it yet. This should allow me to continue the smoke chamber from the ground, right up against the fire brick, and up to height. Im going to drill a few drain\air holes through the rear wall level with the bottom of the fire brick to allow air to the coals in the grill and rain water to run out.
Im also thinking of after one more course under the smokebox side laying a couple hinges on the brick and running some bar or bolts in the holes in the brick then fill them with mortar before adding the next course. This would be for a folding wooden tray for plates and IPAs to rest. One more course should allow enough room to hold a plate yet have the edge tuck just over the ledge where the lavant sticks out. That ledge will be a nice place for a hinged kickstand attached to the tray to rest.
Picks are a temperary dry fit with red brick just for an idea. I hope to get the fire brick this week.
Any input or warnings welcome.

I got a little more done today before I had to stop and cook dinner. I laid another course of brick and got the top brick on for the grill area and built the center wall to the wood storage side up to the ledge for the supports for the grill base and fire brick.




And don't forget dinner. I cheated and used the gas grill to add a little smoke to the pork chops by getting a little hickory going on the first burner and then cutting it off and letting them smolder. There's not enough oxygen down there so you have to reignight that burner every so often to get it going again then kill the gas.

I need a little help before I go much further. Do I need to build the chimney right off the top and leave it open? Do I need a damper in the chimney? I thought about building a false wall type vent to draw from closer to the rack so heat and smoke fills the top befor being drawn out from the bottom of the chimney.Would a damper be sufficient?

I leveled the surface of the rock by pouring a couple bags of Quikrete then put some block on top to set the fire brick on. I took some hinges and bent one side at a 90 degree angle and but it in the mortar filled hole in the brick and laid a course on top to set. The hinges will be for a folding shelf.