planning a brick smoker with lining of ceramic tiles

aggro · Jun 30, 2014

hi all from the uk

I plan to build a vertical smoker out of bricks with 2 chambers. firepit and smoke area. I was wondering is it best to line the smoking area with ceramic tiles for cleaning and retaining heat etc. Or can i just leave the brick finish.

Also should the brick structure be 2 bricks thick or is 1 ok as i dont plan to make it to tall.

thanks

Lee

aks801 · Jun 30, 2014

Seems like using fire brick for the inside would be preferable.

nolatech · Jun 30, 2014

I've contemplated doing the same thing, so I'd be very interested in what the consensus is. Do you plan on creating the firebox with a grill top for the times you want to grill?

aggro · Jun 30, 2014

no a straight forward smoker with firepit,then a shelf for water/sand or other difusser and the 2 shelfs for food then a domed top with chimney.

as stated earlier my main concerns are is 1 thickness of brick is that enough to retain heat. If lined with tiles will they crack and does this help for heat retension.

thanks

nolatech · Jun 30, 2014

I'd thought about using slabs of fireplace brick like I have lining my fireplace, but I honestly haven't done any homework to see if they are food safe. The are obviously high heat safe. They seem thin enough that I would imagine that if they are food safe, using them as a liner would be ideal. Is that something you would consider?

Carbon · Jun 30, 2014

Firebricks are food safe. Most pizza ovens are built with firebricks and pizza dough peeled directly onto the brick floor.
But really, you don't need firebricks because you're not dealing with high temps here. Clay bricks in the smoke chamber should be sufficient and thickness will determine heat retention. Too thick, it can take extra time to bring the chamber to temp as it takes more time for the thicker walls to absorb heat. You can also go thin walls and insulate.
Now the firepit, on the other hand, can use firebricks.

Happy Hapgood · Jun 30, 2014

Fire brick or the like will season over time better than ceramic. That's what makes a good pit.

jgame · Jun 30, 2014

Fire bricks on floor and sides. Common face brick for smoke shelf and throat. I'm a bricklayer and have built several.

matadorbait · Jun 30, 2014

Mine has concrete blocks (aka cinder blocks), 8x8x16, for the exterior and for the cook chamber walls. The firebox is concrete blocks on the outside, firebrick on the inside, with a gap between filled with rockwool. I also have rockwool in the channels through the blocks, but you could pour insulating concrete there also (ie, concrete + perlite or vermiculite).

In a vertical, the door is usually pretty large, so that's an important part of the cost/thermal. Are you going to commission a custom welded door+fram or make one?

Thingfish · Jun 30, 2014

I have no experience with this, but always admired the pit in this link:

http://www.ibiblio.org/lineback/bbq/wdh.htm

aggro · Jul 27, 2014

i have started my smoker , but was wondering will a tall thin chimney or a short fat chimney be better once I get the roof on. I thought not bad brick laying as this was only my second ever attempt at brick laying.

sassage · Jul 27, 2014

Tall chimney would get a better draft through (likely a desirable trait)

planning a brick smoker with lining of ceramic tiles

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