New Pit Trailer views

New Pit Trailer views

Postby quietwatersfarm » Sat Jun 15, 2013 7:35 pm

Hi Guys,

We are currently starting on building a new BBQ trailer for our event catering to simplify 'away jobs' and bring various aspects together in one unit.

The fire box will also have both a 'flamegrill' and 'chapa' function but will generally act simply as the offset firebox for the 6' 6" by 3' 6" horizontal cylinder smoker.

My question is what are peoples views on the relative pro's and con's (possibly looking to our stateside friends here) of a standard offset arrangement compared to a reverse flow set up with a full length baffle in the bottom??

All advice much appreciated :)
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby BriCan » Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:01 am

But what do I know
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby quietwatersfarm » Sun Jun 16, 2013 10:04 am

Thanks BriCan, interesting project there!

We cook a wide range of styles and foods on our travels and so combine US style BBQ with Asado/Parilla and Chapa based work. This means we have to have something a bit different from the type of thing shown on the link in terms of how it works.

Getting the baffles right in the smoker chamber is vital though as I dont want a hot end and a cool end when everything needs turning out at the same time and to the same 'doneness'! (especially when a couple of hundred wedding guests are stood waiting with baited breath!! :) )
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby Rothermere » Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:50 am

There are an awful lot of 'modification' discussions on the US BBQ forums that reference correct tuning plate position, baffle design etc. Consensus seems to be that reverse flow with plates and baffle is the way to go. I am doing the baffle/plates mod on a cheap offset smoker over the next couple of weeks but am not going to re-position the chimney (as I can't be arsed).

If I can remove a convection plate so that I can grill in the smoke box as well as the firebox then I will go that way http://www.horizonbbqsmokersstore.com/servlet/the-307/Convection-Plate--dsh--For/Detail (although I will ask a friend to lazer cut and shape it for me).

If moving it in and out isn't feasible, then I'll go with a fixed baffle and tuning plates http://www.theqjoint.com/forum/showthread.php?2200-Tuning-Plates-or-Reverse-Flow

I have also been considering whether I could run aluminium ducting from the chimney along the top of the smoke chamber to the other side to create a rough reverse flow set up.

Making your own from scratch sounds like cracking fun.
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby quietwatersfarm » Mon Jun 17, 2013 11:13 am

Rothermere, great!

I too have been thinking about having a reverse flow as the answer for even heating and smoke and think this should be removable too for times when grilling in the main chamber, a convection plate like your link looks ideal to slot in when needed. Thanks :)
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby Rothermere » Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:11 pm

There are some interesting thoughts as to ballast using ceramic tiles and also the benefit of fireboxes. I'm going to start just with the plates and, primarily, plugging all the ridiculously wide tolerances with stoverope and jb-weld.

Was very happy with my first pulled pork on an unmodified COS, but am building up to an all day bbq-ing session to prepare for my son's first birthday party in August. This may require a number of practice days and a lot of cider :)

As an aside, do you know the chap that has the smokery down in Bridport, Dorset?
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby quietwatersfarm » Mon Jun 17, 2013 2:56 pm

Don't know Chesil smokery personally but have enjoyed their wares on a few occasions! lovely stuff.

We were going with an insulated firebox but having a flat lid to cook on and also lift up with grill inside.
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby RodinBangkok » Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:43 pm

I would recommend you not fix any of your inlet areas or tuning plate area, leave it all tack welded or just set in place. Also for a first build put a damper everywhere you may want to control air flow. It can be tack welded plate, this allows you to play with a new design easily to get it where you want it. Make the vent areas large to begin with, you can always close them down, but making them bigger is a real hassle.

Here's a couple other sites with some very active and helpful folks willing to answer specific questions.


http://www.phpbbserver.com/phpbb/index. ... =smokinjim

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewf ... 0ed1d51606

Also remember an offset can take a lot of baby sitting to keep the fire going properly, some will say not so, but its not as easy as if you have a vault type smoker that is pretty easy to run unattended once you have it set up properly. The first site above has a forum about stumps clones that has a huge amount of info in it about vault type designs.
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby quietwatersfarm » Mon Jun 17, 2013 6:43 pm

Thanks Rod, our current set up is a vault type and has been good but one end runs hotter than the other! this has been helpful as it goes but want the main chamber in this one to run smooth and even throughout. The lugs to hold a removable diffuser plate/baffle will also help with slipping in a mesh to use the main chamber as a grill BBQ (which will need to happen on occasion).

I will study the links with interest.

Our problem is that a lot of what we do inst always just US style smoking but hotplate/and open (albeit contained!) fire cooking. I currently cart a 250kg chapa/infiernillo around as well as a homemade smoker and and the asador gear!!

This trailer has to do it all otherwise the object of the exercise is wasted. :) :)
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Re: New Pit Trailer views

Postby RodinBangkok » Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:28 pm

Yeah I understand what your after, I would probably go with dedicated type units instead of trying to make one do it all. I have an offset in our future for doing onsite large events. It will be more of a crowd drawer than a good unit for long term use. Offsets for daily large volume requirements are just to tweaky and not sealed enough to run on their own...typically. Also fuel is a big problem here, as a wood burner in this part of the world makes it harder to find good fuel and smoking woods. Where vaults are more suited for daily high volume, at least for us. Anyway I know there's a lot of different cookers in the sites I listed, it just takes some time to go thru them.
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