I am a brand newbie. I make no claims to knowledge whatever. I'm about to pick
up a NBBD offset smoker (cheap). I have read the modifications and the one I'm
considering doing first is reworking the exhaust stack. I am pricing 4" tube
90 degree elbows - yow! Did you guys use scrap truck exhaust stacks or
something? I can't imagine spending $100+ just to relocate an exhaust tube.

Grant Erwin

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Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Grant Erwin wrote:
> I am a brand newbie. I make no claims to knowledge whatever. I'm about
> to pick
> up a NBBD offset smoker (cheap). I have read the modifications and the
> one I'm
> considering doing first is reworking the exhaust stack. I am pricing 4"
> tube
> 90 degree elbows - yow! Did you guys use scrap truck exhaust stacks or
> something? I can't imagine spending $100+ just to relocate an exhaust tube.
>
> Grant Erwin
>

get a cheap, disposable aluminum, pan, cut out the bottom and roll it up
into a tube. Use this to extend the chimney down to the grate.

Cost you about 99c.

On Jan 19, 5:22*pm, Grant Erwin > wrote:

> Did you guys use scrap truck exhaust stacks or
> something? I can't imagine spending $100+ just to >relocate an exhaust tube.

Hello, Grant. No need to spend that kind of dough. On my Chargriller
(a cousin to yours) I used aluminum dryer vent and it worked like a
champ. I was even able to follow the lid contour down to the grill
and get it over the upper racks with no problem. I used a cheap dryer
clamp (.99) and a length of aluminum flex ($10, but cut in half -
other piece went to my buddy) and I was set.

You should look at the info on modifying a horizontal smoker (NBBD,
Chargriller, Brinkmann, etc.) at the
smoking meat forums. Lots of practical info there.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com

Keeping in mind that all of these smokers are based on the same basic
design, you should take a look at this link for the devotees of the
Chargriller. Most of their ideas are readily used on the NBBD. Check
out the site, too. There are a lot of great ideas and thousands of
entries.

http://www.barbecuebible.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1467

You won't believe how much info is on that site about everything to do
with an offset smoker. Making new charcoal baskets, discussions on
baffles and tuning plates and on an on. Probably about 2500+ posts,
some with pics. When I got my Chargriller, I sat and read every one
from start to finish. If you read them all, when you are finished it
may not make your actual barbecue better, but you will feel like you
know all you need to know about horizontal smoker mods, that's for
sure. And following some of the advice there will make a HUGE
difference in your final product on your cooker.

Get yourself a good thermometer as your second mod, and mount it on
that baby about grill height. You can find some good thermos at some
Home Depots and I bought a giant 3" faced model (bad eyes) at Academy
that works great.

Remember, practice, practice, practice to learn your pit. Of course
as the old adage goes, when barbecueing you get to eat the mistakes.
Sounds like win/win to me!

Robert

Grant Erwin wrote:
>
> I am a brand newbie. I make no claims to knowledge whatever. I'm about to pick
> up a NBBD offset smoker (cheap). I have read the modifications and the one I'm
> considering doing first is reworking the exhaust stack. I am pricing 4" tube
> 90 degree elbows - yow! Did you guys use scrap truck exhaust stacks or
> something? I can't imagine spending $100+ just to relocate an exhaust tube.
>
> Grant Erwin
>
> --
> Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

I think that mod may be overkill. All I did on my smoker was insert a
rolled up piece of aluminum flashing into the bottom of the existing
stack to extend it down to the food grid level. It insures the smoke
stays low enough to not bypass the food and the stack seems quite
adequate in diameter. One thing I also do in colder weather is to cover
the smoker box with a folded up moving blanket to provide some
insulation.

On 19-Jan-2008, "Nunya Bidnits" > wrote:

> > wrote in Encoding: quoted-printable <g>
>
> >Remember, practice, practice, practice to learn your pit. Of course
> >as the old adage goes, when barbecueing you get to eat the mistakes.
> >Sounds like win/win to me!
>
> What he said. You'll find the NBBD has a temp where its happy. Don't fight
> it, learn to cook at the temp that it likes. Or, get used to fighting it
> all
> the time.
>
> MartyB in KC

Well said Marty. I have the NBBD's baby brother the NB Silver. It definitely
does have it's favorite temperature. I nearly lost my mind the first year I
had
it until I finally gave in and let it run the way it wants to. One other
thing with
the offset. Once you have found the sweet spot where it likes to run, don't
ever change the vent settings except to shut it down. I set my firebox draft
at about 1" open when I start and leave it the hell alone until I'm done
cooking.
The temp never goes much above the sweet spot and when it drops below, I
simply add more fuel and go back indoors. You don't have to chase the temp-
erature. It already knows where it's going to run.

Food gets done a little earlier then some, but I can live with that. There
certainly isn't anything wrong with the taste or texture. Even the cat likes
my
brisket and that dipshit won't touch gourmet cat food.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)