Stumps Clone (kind of) Issue -- HELP!!!

[TexasSmoker]

Brethren, I've spent SO much time building this smoker as a gift for my wife's uncle who has done so much for my family the last decade. I'm planning to give to him as a gift in 2 weeks.

BIG PROBLEM!!: I can't get the smoker above 125 degrees and for the life of me don't know why. The smoker is built out of 1/4 inch plate and the deflector plate is also made of 1/4" (which is my concern could be the issue...). Can you please give me some ideas on what could be the problem getting the smoker up to temp?!

Thanks in advance!

 

[landarc]

Do you have any photos of the firebox? And the exhaust baffle?

Whenever I see issues with a smoker, my first thought falls to draft and fire size.

 

[TexasSmoker]

Here is the firebox of the gravity fed. The intake is a 2" ball valve as typical with the stumps clone.

 

[itschris]

Have you tried just running with the firebox door open to really ramp up the heat? I have a stumps... It's obviously insulated but I'm not sure if that should prevent the inside heating. Check to see how much heat is coming back out of the firebox. I've seen homegrown designs where the deflector plate doesn't allow for the flow of the air through the box. You could try drilling a few holes in the plate to help,flow if you determine that could be the culprit

 

[Goddahavit]

Here is the firebox of the gravity fed. The intake is a 2" ball valve as typical with the stumps clone.

just looking at the pic im a bit confused, is the expanded metal where the air flows into the cook chamber?

on my stumps, that is solid and the opening is actually a bit above where the charcoal lands.

perhaps im looking at the picture wrong.

 

[BBQ Freak]

hook up a Digi Q 2 BBQ Guru with a fan it will come up to temp .

 

[smokeacholic]

I have the same thought that the expanded metal is where the air is flowing into the cooker. If so you won't get it very hot and will use a lot of charcoal I would think. I hope that is not the case. I have a Rebel not a Stumps but it will go to 400 +.

 

[Wornslick]

I just went out to the garage and took a look at my Baby Stumps. The expanded metal that separates the firebox from the cooking chamber is at the grate level. When I open the firebox door all I see is metal, the opening is at the grate level, hope that helps.

 

[SmittyJonz]

Sounds like it don't draft for chit. What happens if you leave the firebox door open?

How do you fire it up? In detail?

 

[TexasSmoker]

You're right. The charcoal grate is what you see right there. Do you think that should be raised up a bit?

 

[TexasSmoker]

I fire it up by dumping hot coals into the top of the chamber. I left the firebox door open the entire hour today and still no action.

 

[landarc]

You dump lit coals into the chamber from the top, then add the unlit coals on top. That should work.

It really seems like you have an issue with draft and airflow once the charcoal is lit. For some reason, hot air in not drafting into and up through the chamber, thus, not pulling enough new cold air into the burning coals.

 

[bbqwizard]

Theoretically you should not be able to see into the cooker when you open the fire box door.

Take a look at this video of an Assassin firebox. with the door open all you see is metal. The opening into the cooker is at the bottom of the shoot and above the "firebox" the hole on the left is from the ball valve.

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b631nD0DwW0[/ame]

 

[Gerrit_Boys]

Looks like you're trying to heat the cooker with the ashes. That would explain the low temps. If this is the case you've got a fair amount of re-fabricating to do:sad:. The fire in my clone is 3" tall and 6x6 wide. It occurs in the bottom of the chute but above the ashbox. I have no trouble going to 350 and my cook chamber is huge.

 

[luv2smoke]

Hope you get this all sorted out without much hassle, looks to be a nice build.

 

[Headgear]

It looks to me like there may be a fairly simple fix. The air is entering through the inlet and traveling straight through the large opening in the rear of the fire box, with very little air actually passing through the charcoal grate area where all off heat should be produced. In other words, the combustion air is bypassing the fire above.

I would temporarily take a piece of steel and closed off most of the rear portion of the fire box, just leaving something like a 1" high by the width of the fire box open at the top next to the charcoal grate, it may heat up a lot better.

I have not looked at my Stump's but I believe that his design has this opening up a little higher yet, even with the the coil grate. That way the air comes in the inlet down in the fire box, passing by the wood, then turning up and traveling through the charcoal grate which feeds the coals, then through the rear wall into the smoker.

If that does not work, unfortunately you would need to completely close off the rear of the fire box and cut a new opening at grate level which I'm sure would be anything but simple.

Good luck and nice looking job!

 

[Joe Black]

I'm not familiar with this type of cooker. But, just from the picture, it appears to me that the exhaust is a little small. With that, my assumption would be not enough air flow to support enough combustion to produce the necessary heat. Just my $0.02.

The unit looks very good. Good luck with the heat, Joe

 

[TexasSmoker]

Thanks for everyone's responses, which were extremely helpful. As mentioned a few times, the air needs to be able to pass through the charcoal which is totally the issue. In a perfect world, I should drop the whole chute down ~6-8 inches but think I may have an idea bc that's a LOT OF WORK!! If I add a steel plate that spans the entire width of the firebox towards the back and that is a few inches higher than the bottom level of where charcoal is, this would force the air to go slightly up the chute and come down on the back of the steel plate that was added before going into the cook chamber. I would need to put a canopy above this steel plate inside the chute so no charcoal would spill in but leave a large enough gap so the air can easily pass through.

Any shot this would work?

 

[toys4dlr]

Looks like a nice build. I know it has been mentioned, but have you tried it with a guru or other forced air product?? That might be easier and cheaper in the long run???

 

[Joe Black]

I still think you should look at the size of the exhaust.