Old Country Brazos Mods....

[mph33]

So... I got this smoker moved up on my back deck. still haven't done any Cooks on it. just been doing a couple of test runs. Here's the mods I've done. LSG firebasket, Tel-Tru thermometers, smoke stack extension using HVAC pipe, and I have some very heavy duty tuning plates but I haven't messed with those yet. What I'd really like to do is to get a mobile welder to come out here and add 2 ft round quarter inch carbon steel to the smoke stack but I'm having an issue of finding one that's willing to do it due to the fact that it's on a wooden deck. these guys claim that it's a very serious fire hazard to do this. I guess if I'm serious about adding length to the smokestack, I'm going to have to move that smoker back down to the driveway.

With this pit, it looks like the thermometers are about five degrees off and from left to right it's about 25° off. Overall this cooker looks solid. That smoke stack extension looks stupid as hell though LOL. also done gasket seal and that high temperature silicone around the door. the door doesn't leak at all. it really didn't leak that much before doing that. Also got some latches for the door but until it warps and and gets weird on me I'll just not add the latches. Next is to add a drain bucket. This is my first stick burner. I was pretty set on getting the Shirley patio cooker but my check was returned to me. they're not taking any new orders until they move over to a bigger Warehouse.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Looking at those temp diff's, it shows what the baffle does.



In most offsets, the concern is too much heat on the FB end. That's how Yoder and Horizon design their convection plate and what tuning plates are suppose to do, spread the heat out to the stack end. In your pics, the hot end is the stack end.


You have the FB door open. Close the door and the temps will begin to even out. With the door open , it increases the air flow and pushes heat to the stack end. There's a sweet spot with the FB door open about 2" .


I no longer play around with the FB door. I keep it closed. Adjust the damper in the door from 1/2 to wide open.


And with the baffle, it complicates using tuning plates. A lot of people have taken the factory coal grate from the FB, and used it as a tuning plate in the cook chamber. But they leave a gap between the baffle and the plate.



This is why I no longer use tuning plates, its just another variable and there's already enough variables.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

BTW, I don't know what size duct you bought for the stack extension. The 6" duct I use fits perfectly on the stack.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Here's the convection ( or tuning ) plate sold as an accessory to Horizon smokers. You can see its meant to move heat to the stack end.

 

[mph33]

BTW, I don't know what size duct you bought for the stack extension. The 6" duct I use fits perfectly on the stack.

I used 6" pipe. Maybe I didn't cut the gap right to slid over the damper? Can you post close up pics? Thanx

 

[Lynn Dollar]

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Something interesting to test, when you've got the FB door closed and temps end-to-end look fairly even ........ then take the stack extension off. What will happen, is temps on the FB end will increase, because there's less draw through the smoker.



That's how I arrived at the conclusion that the stack extension was improving the draw through the cook chamber. I found it out by accident.

 

[mph33]

I found out that I accidentally bought 7-in pipe which is way bigger than the 6". This fits much better and it looks better. I might just use this instead of going all out and having a mobile welder come out here and do an extension. Do you leave your pipe on all the time I was thinking about just leaving it on and if there's going to be rain just put a plate on top.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Yes, I leave it on, but the smoker sets on a covered patio.

 

[Speeed]

I was thinking about just leaving it on and if there's going to be rain just put a plate on top.

Get yourself a small metal bucket. Turn it upside down and place it over the stack when not use. It won't blow off.
Something like this but with an appropriate sized metal bucket

 

[1MoreFord]

Even with the damper closed on mine I always added a small bucket over the top.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

On the LSG Fire Basket, I've moved mine as far to the right as I can get it. That takes the fire further away from your cook chamber. If you look at Workhorse and Franklin pits, they have long fireboxes, that allows the fire to be moved further away. The LSG Fire Basket makes your FB longer.


I believe the Brazos has a 20" FB. Workhorse has a 27" , IIRC . I found no matter how hard I tried to keep it from happening, without the fire basket the fire would some how migrate to right up next to cook chamber. Moving the basket to the door gives up to an 8" buffer between the fire and cook chamber.



Some will tell you the LSG Fire Basket is not necessary in a smoker with a round FB, that its built for offsets with a square, flat bottom FB. And there's truth to that. The round FB helps keep the coal bed centered. Especially on a huge FB on a 1K or 500K propane tank smoker. But our fire has to be so small on these backyard pits, the round FB does not help that much.


Also, I load splits through the FB door. There's just too much heat loss if use the top door. I don't open the top door on the FB unless I have to , like when a split just does not want to catch and needs a lot of air. I found a set of fireplace tools cheap on CL , a set that has that " claw " type tool for handling splits, and I use that to put the splits on the fire.

 

[mph33]

On the LSG Fire Basket, I've moved mine as far to the right as I can get it. That takes the fire further away from your cook chamber. If you look at Workhorse and Franklin pits, they have long fireboxes, that allows the fire to be moved further away. The LSG Fire Basket makes your FB longer.


I believe the Brazos has a 20" FB. Workhorse has a 27" , IIRC . I found no matter how hard I tried to keep it from happening, without the fire basket the fire would some how migrate to right up next to cook chamber. Moving the basket to the door gives up to an 8" buffer between the fire and cook chamber.



Some will tell you the LSG Fire Basket is not necessary in a smoker with a round FB, that its built for offsets with a square, flat bottom FB. And there's truth to that. The round FB helps keep the coal bed centered. Especially on a huge FB on a 1K or 500K propane tank smoker. But our fire has to be so small on these backyard pits, the round FB does not help that much.


Also, I load splits through the FB door. There's just too much heat loss if use the top door. I don't open the top door on the FB unless I have to , like when a split just does not want to catch and needs a lot of air. I found a set of fireplace tools cheap on CL , a set that has that " claw " type tool for handling splits, and I use that to put the splits on the fire.

So you put the LSG firebox as close as you can to the door all the way to the right to get the fire as far away from the cooking Cham responsible? I saw your post about workhorse smokers. I strongly considered one of them before buying the Brazos. The Brazos was just to see if I actually like using a stick burner. So far the Brazos looks pretty solid but those workhorse pits are very nice Dot I guess I'm a fanboy for them so because I'm from Atlanta and they're not far from me

 

[mph33]

On the LSG Fire Basket, I've moved mine as far to the right as I can get it. That takes the fire further away from your cook chamber. If you look at Workhorse and Franklin pits, they have long fireboxes, that allows the fire to be moved further away. The LSG Fire Basket makes your FB longer.


I believe the Brazos has a 20" FB. Workhorse has a 27" , IIRC . I found no matter how hard I tried to keep it from happening, without the fire basket the fire would some how migrate to right up next to cook chamber. Moving the basket to the door gives up to an 8" buffer between the fire and cook chamber.



Some will tell you the LSG Fire Basket is not necessary in a smoker with a round FB, that its built for offsets with a square, flat bottom FB. And there's truth to that. The round FB helps keep the coal bed centered. Especially on a huge FB on a 1K or 500K propane tank smoker. But our fire has to be so small on these backyard pits, the round FB does not help that much.


Also, I load splits through the FB door. There's just too much heat loss if use the top door. I don't open the top door on the FB unless I have to , like when a split just does not want to catch and needs a lot of air. I found a set of fireplace tools cheap on CL , a set that has that " claw " type tool for handling splits, and I use that to put the splits on the fire.

So you put the LSG firebox as close as you can to the door all the way to the right to get the fire as far away from the cooking Cham responsible? I saw your post about workhorse smokers. I strongly considered one of them before buying the Brazos. The Brazos was just to see if I actually like using a stick burner. So far the Brazos looks pretty solid but those workhorse pits are very nice Dot I guess I'm a fanboy for them so because I'm from Atlanta and they're not far from me

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Yes, I'm givin Franklin BBQ Pits some more time to call my name and allow me to buy a pit from them, but if that doesn't happen , I'm gettin in touch with JD at Workhorse. I like what they do.


Or I could have a welder completely rebuild the stack end of my Brazos.


My youngest daughter was dating a welder, I really hated to see that relationship break up :sad:

 

[mph33]

Yes, I'm givin Franklin BBQ Pits some more time to call my name and allow me to buy a pit from them, but if that doesn't happen , I'm gettin in touch with JD at Workhorse. I like what they do.


Or I could have a welder completely rebuild the stack end of my Brazos.


My youngest daughter was dating a welder, I really hated to see that relationship break up :sad:

From the mobile welders I've talked to it doesn't seem like it's really expensive it ranges from $150 to $200. My problem is it's on a wooded deck if I would have left it in the garage they wouldn't have a problem doing it.

You didn't answer my last question do you keep the LSG firebox all the way closest to the door farthest away from the cooking chamber and you keep it all the way to the right

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Sooo, a welder will build a collector and put a larger stack on your Brazos for 150 to 200 ? That's pretty reasonable. Do you provide matierial ?


Here's my FB , I want my fire as far away from the cook chamber as I can keep it.

 

[Lynn Dollar]

Just a word of caution before you get a welder to start cutting on the Brazos, you need to cook on it, as it is, for a good while, at least 6 months to a year. Cook different meats and learn the cooker. It makes good barbecue just as it is.


I have my theories about it, and how it could be better. But its just theories and I don't have enough confidence in my theories to start cutting on this smoker. Yeah, I think the baffle is baffling, but the risk and cost benefit of trying to improve this cooker, doesn't measure out.


It will make dam good barbecue just as it is, its a learning process.


Here's where I was a year ago, asking questions in this forum about the baffle. The last post in this thread from Sickhick, is high likely to be right on, but I decided just to work with the smoker as it is.



https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279075


Jimmy at Workhorse modified a Yoder Wichita, he made two videos , he basically did the same thing I've contemplated for the Brazos



https://youtu.be/kpCdKMFsZlU


Here's his biscuit test and conclusion, he says the mods did not necessarily make the smoker cook better, just different



https://youtu.be/ZWUjNaywMec


The final problem with the Yoder and with the Brazos, that he speaks to but doesn't correct, is the length of the FB. If there's no baffle to protect the FB end from direct heat, then the fire needs to be further away from the cook chamber, which a longer FB would provide.



Its pretty much proven, that better barbecue comes from better air flow. Aaron Franklin's pit is designed for maximum air flow. But again, the gain from making major mods to the Brazos is probably not worth the risk and money. It could very well ruin the resale value of the pit.

 

[Nuco59]

Whether with a car, truck or firearm, it seems the first thing someone wants to do is mod it or customize it- this is not a bad thing but is it the right thing?

I'd think that cooking on it stock for awhile would be a good idea- but I do like the idea of a temporary stack extension. That stock short fat stack just never "seemed" right to me.

There seems to be a lot of variables with cooking on an offset, that just going in willy nilly and adding several mods at once might not be the best idea. I'd suggest on changing one variable at a time and seeing how that one thing affects the operation.

Looking forward to seeing how yours turns out and what you settle on as the right mix of modifications.

 

[WeberWho]

Here's the convection ( or tuning ) plate sold as an accessory to Horizon smokers. You can see its meant to move heat to the stack end.

How do you like it? I restoring a Brinkmann Cimarron and last piece to complete the project is some type of heat deflector. I've read the Horizon tuning plate are interchangeable.