New smoker/BBQ build

[JJHess]

Hello all,

I've been grilling for years and started getting a little more serious about smoking. Decided to start on construction of a new combination smoker and barbecue set up using some miscellaneous items I've collected over the years in the back of my shop. My plans for this unit are to use an old wood stove as the smoke box and then be able to divert the smoke into either a horizontal chamber, a vertical chamber or both. I already have the smoke diverter set up sketched out, it's just a matter of putting it together.

The horizontal chamber will also double as a charcoal grill and I may possibly outfit half of that with a propane burner but I do prefer to cook over charcoal. I would like the vertical chamber for when I do hanging meats. I'll probably also outfit it with some removable shelves for if I wanted to do stuff on racks but I would mainly use the horizontal chamber for items that lay flat.

The horizontal chamber will be a reverse flow so if I would want to cold smoke in the vertical chamber I could run the smoke through the horizontal chamber before entering the vertical if I have problems getting the temperature down. the horizontal chamber will have its own chimney that is able to be sealed off to divert the smoke into the vertical.

I attached a picture of the beginning of the project. I'm hoping to have some time in the next week or two to start doing the cutting and fit up before final assembly. I'll be interested in hearing anybody's suggestions. The tanks are 100 lb propane tanks and the wood stove is more than big enough to supply smoke to both chambers if necessary. I've had this wood stove sitting around my shop for a couple years so I figure it's time to put it to use.

-Jeremy

 

[Kmm]

Jeremy,
Good thoughts, but there are a couple problems that you will need to resolve brfore you begin your build. First, you will need to calculate whether or not the stove is the right size for the size of your cooking chambers. To get an idea where you are at, run the numbers on Felton’s calculator. It will also give you proportional numbers related to inlet requirements, fb-cc openings, and exhaust size and length. Second, consider how you will attach a steel tank(s) to a cast iron stove and create a leak free seam......because welding is not an option. Good luck

 

[JJHess]

Thanks for the input. I did run numbers and the wood stove is larger than necessary for one tank, but a little undersized for both tanks. I don't see the need for using both chambers to smoke at the same time so I think I'll be ok there.



The air inlet on the wood stove door is just over the minimum needed, so I figure I'll make a new door with a larger opening if I see it's necessary. Not a big deal.


I'm going to make the 3 sections so they bolt together for final assembly to make transporting & eventual moving easier. Gaskets will assist with sealing. The wood stove has a lip around the top which will trap water when it rains, so I'll make a pan to cover the top which will help with shedding rain & give a non-welded connection between the cast and steel.