I'm rebuilding a NBBD, and I'm about to make the cooking grates. I understand
that this smoker had 2 rows of grates, one pair on top that together covered the
whole space, and another pair on the bottom that weren't as wide.

I also see in various mod pages that guys tune their NBBDs by putting a series
of metal plates across the width of the cooking chamber. These have to be below
the top grates and above the lower ones, right? So if I want to put a drip pan
below a pork shoulder I'd put it on the heat shield plates? Just let the grease
run down to the bottom? (I did put in a drain.) And with the heat shield plates
in place, would you ever actually put meat on the lower racks?

I'm confused ..

Grant Erwin

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
news:WSGuj.15424$MY2.10403@trndny07...
I'm rebuilding a NBBD, and I'm about to make the cooking grates. I
understand
that this smoker had 2 rows of grates, one pair on top that together
covered the
whole space, and another pair on the bottom that weren't as wide.

I also see in various mod pages that guys tune their NBBDs by putting a
series
of metal plates across the width of the cooking chamber. These have to be
below
the top grates and above the lower ones, right? So if I want to put a drip
pan
below a pork shoulder I'd put it on the heat shield plates? Just let the
grease
run down to the bottom? (I did put in a drain.) And with the heat shield
plates
in place, would you ever actually put meat on the lower racks?

I'm confused ..

Grant Erwin

I have an NBBD. it came with two racks for the smoking body and one rack for
the charcoal area. The two racks make one plane on the top. I took a piece
of hardware cloth and made a lower rack and do put meat on it and it cooks
just like the upper rack. I also cut the top and bottom off a beer can and
extended the smokestack inward to the upper rack. I also use three
splits(fire bricks) in the opening between the firebox and smoker as a
heatblock to keep from burning anything(heat gets through but no flames.)

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
news:WSGuj.15424$MY2.10403@trndny07...
I'm rebuilding a NBBD, and I'm about to make the cooking grates. I
understand
that this smoker had 2 rows of grates, one pair on top that together
covered the
whole space, and another pair on the bottom that weren't as wide.

I also see in various mod pages that guys tune their NBBDs by putting a
series
of metal plates across the width of the cooking chamber. These have to be
below
the top grates and above the lower ones, right? So if I want to put a drip
pan
below a pork shoulder I'd put it on the heat shield plates? Just let the
grease
run down to the bottom? (I did put in a drain.) And with the heat shield
plates
in place, would you ever actually put meat on the lower racks?

I'm confused ..

Grant Erwin

My older NBBD came with three small racks and four smoker racks. They are
not square. All you do is rotate them 90 degrees, depending on whether you
want to mount them lower or higher in the firebox or smoker cylinders. With
four smoker racks it allows for two to be used for drip pans and two for
meat, or I can get three in a row and one left for drip, or to be lined with
foil and used as a baffle. I also make a heavy aluminum foil baffle and mold
it on to the firebox opening into the smoke chamber to eliminate radiant
(line of sight) heat and help keep the hot air from just drafting uselessly
across the top of the smoke chamber. That's also why the stack opening needs
to be lowered either with an insert, or as I think you have already noted,
relocating the stack.

I posted the dimensions for my racks a little while back. Here they are
again:

Large Racks 15 1/4" X 16"
Small Racks 10 7/16" X 14 5/16"

If you're fabricating your own you could spearmint with the sizes to get two
different heights in the smoke chamber that you like. Also the small racks
will ride very low in the smoke chamber if you like.

Marty B in KC