On 29 Sep 2003 13:05:31 -0700, (butch burton)
wrote:

> Did you put a horizontal
>baffle under the meat racks-really disperses the heat on SnP.

Yes, it's made of aluminum flashing, and I tried several lengths. One
about 1/3 the length of the cooking box works best for my particular
Black Diamond. SHorter, and the heat is too concentrated at the
firebox end. Longer, and the heat drops throughout the cookbox (and I
can't figger that out, but it does).
With just the two of us, and both of us on the South Beach Diet (very
similar to Atkins), I don't need to cook often, and the NBBD can
easily handle several shoulders at once, and be pretty good at having
all be done at about the same time. This, of course, cuts the cost of
the lump really nicely.
The vacuum bagger and chest freezer are definitely needed doing things
this way!

--
Bill
Replace "g" with "a"
Experience is what you get when you expected something else.

Hi Bill,

I would suggest to control your temp overall w/ wood you will need to
adjust how "big" the fire is inside the firebox with your dampers
fully open. (If it is running too hot you have used too much wood.)
Then add wood as it burns down. Once you have a feel for this you can
adjust the size of the wood splits for your pit.


Hope This Helps,

Tom


<SNIP>

> I've tried wood in the past (before I got the temps more under
> control), and it was way too hot.
> Maybe I should try again, now that the firebox is better sealed.
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Bill
> Replace "g" with "a"
> Experience is what you get when you expected something else.

wrote in message >. ..
> On 29 Sep 2003 13:05:31 -0700, (butch burton)
> wrote:
>
> > Did you put a horizontal
> >baffle under the meat racks-really disperses the heat on SnP.
>
> Yes, it's made of aluminum flashing, and I tried several lengths. One
> about 1/3 the length of the cooking box works best for my particular
> Black Diamond. SHorter, and the heat is too concentrated at the
> firebox end. Longer, and the heat drops throughout the cookbox (and I
> can't figger that out, but it does).
> With just the two of us, and both of us on the South Beach Diet (very
> similar to Atkins), I don't need to cook often, and the NBBD can
> easily handle several shoulders at once, and be pretty good at having
> all be done at about the same time. This, of course, cuts the cost of
> the lump really nicely.
> The vacuum bagger and chest freezer are definitely needed doing things
> this way!

Guess even the very similiar smokers act differently. The baffle I
used in the SnP butts up against the firebox end, goes to within 1/2"
of both sides of the smoke chamber and to within 4" of the chimney end
of the smoker. Cut a 4" chimney into the bottom of the smoker and put
another baffle at the end of the horizontal baffle to keep the smoke
and heat from going directly out of the chimney. The horizontal
baffle is about 2" under the grates and put thin AL trays on the
baffle under the racks to catch most of the grease. Made my
horizontal baffle out of 1/2" steel plate-weighs about 65# and really
stabilizes the heat. Sealed up the firebox and smoke chamber really
well with high temp caulk-can fill the firebox full of wood and can
control the heat very easily by the opening of the intake vent on the
firebox. It is very easy to keep the smoke chamber temp around 220F.
The interior surface of the smoke chamber is now smooth, shiney and
black. Will let the group know what insulation material I use and how
it works.

Going to smoke a 20-25# ham and 10-12# brisket together next week-both
take about 10 hours in my smoker at 220F. May add half an hour for
the extra mass.

wrote in message >. ..
> Yes, it's made of aluminum flashing, and I tried several lengths. One
> about 1/3 the length of the cooking box works best for my particular
> Black Diamond. SHorter, and the heat is too concentrated at the
> firebox end. Longer, and the heat drops throughout the cookbox (and I
> can't figger that out, but it does).

I've got some flashing left over from extending the chimney down to
grate level.
Does your baffle completely cover the opening between the firebox and
the cookbox and then, run down along the bottom for the 1/3 length of
the cookbox?

Does grease slide off and down the cook box?

(something like this cross section view below)

`\
smoke box \ cook box
\
\
-----------------------



Rob
Q fer all so long as it's not parbolied ribs

On 1 Oct 2003 10:21:40 -0700, (Rob) wrote:

wrote in message >. ..
>> Yes, it's made of aluminum flashing, and I tried several lengths. One
>> about 1/3 the length of the cooking box works best for my particular
>> Black Diamond. SHorter, and the heat is too concentrated at the
>> firebox end. Longer, and the heat drops throughout the cookbox (and I
>> can't figger that out, but it does).
>
>I've got some flashing left over from extending the chimney down to
>grate level.
>Does your baffle completely cover the opening between the firebox and
>the cookbox and then, run down along the bottom for the 1/3 length of
>the cookbox?
>
>Does grease slide off and down the cook box?
>
>(something like this cross section view below)
>
> `\
> smoke box \ cook box
> \
> \
> -----------------------
>
>
>
>Rob
> Q fer all so long as it's not parbolied ribs

Yes, I bolted it to the top bolts conntecting the firebox to the
smokebox. It deflects all the hot air downward.
The grease mostly just drips off, as the flashing gets pretty hot!

--
Bill
Replace "g" with "a"
Experience is what you get when you expected something else.