bvbull200's Gravity Fed Cabinet Smoker Build Thread - Under the Tutelage of Maner

Looking great! Did you order the precut kit or have your own cuts made? Looks like the one that fastens together, too. We were soooo close to opting for that route, but I insisted on the welding lessons.

Miles of wire later and Lord knows how many griding discs later, maybe the fastened version might have been the ticket.

Keep us updated on the build!

 

How's yours holding up?
I think the satisfaction of doing it all yourself has to outweigh a bolt together kit.

 

I’m lookin’ forward to the initial seasoning/burn in. What’s it gonna be? Load that Rascal with Pork Butts? If you’re gonna name it my suggestion would be Big Daddy.

 

I just ordered the plans from smoker builder, had a friend at a local steel building company CNC plasma cut all the flat sheets & firebox parts, I cut all the frame and fabricated the cart. I opted to use screws on all exterior sheet metal just for the look. I wish I had added an extra brace like y'all did the inside sheet metal sure was tough to get semi straight after warpage from welding.

 

I
I should have the firebox & chute welded up tomorrow. I plan on having it running & seasoned by the weekend. I have to thank @Beef Nachos nachos for the cart idea when I saw his build awhile back I decided when I build one it will be sporting cool golfcart wheels.

 

It's holding up great. I screwed up the spacing on the bullet hinges for the fuel chute, so I now have a part of the pit that I get to finagle in to working. Wouldn't be a proper smoker if I didn't.

The Heater meter goes a little wonky from time to time at start up, but once going I haven't had an issue. Support for it has ended, so I'm looking up alternatives to be ready when it finally eats it. I've never brought it inside, though, so kudos to it being pretty robust, but also shows that the space we cut out for it and the rain guard were efforts well rewarded.

I rarely run it for less than 24 hours. If I fire it up, I do it when I have time, even if it's 5 hours before I'm ready to cook. It's just so efficient that there's no reason to not just light it when it's convenient instead of when it's getting close to cook time. I run it long, too, and just throw stuff in that sounds good while the main cook is going on. My neighbor cooks as well and I'll tell him when the pit is fired up in case he wants to utilize some of the real estate. I can send him the log in for the temp controller so he can monitor his meat and I can give him control after my food comes off.

It's still cranking out badass food and hopefully will for years to come.

 

I support this 1000%. Every bit of it.

 

Jared built his in the same place I built mine. I may or may not have farted in his pit when it was still being built.

His pit is really fucking cool.

 

Have you been back there recently?

 

Been a while. Chat with Maner almost everyday, but I haven't had many free weekends since Stella's volleyball and we had a couple things fall through. Hoping to go soon, though.

 

We’ve texted quite a bit, but every time I mention coming out there I get crickets…

 

He ain't got time for us anymore. He's too busy being retired.

 

Last we really hung out was back in the end of September. We cooked for the grand opening of a motorcycle shop my buddy runs. Three days of food. Had a hell of a good time.

 

He looks as cheery as ever! Congrats on the retirement !

 

That's awesome! Any more events on the horizon?

 

Nothing planned, but come middle of June, my calendar opens up. Hopefully we can find some excuse to make a whole mess of BBQ.

 

And ship some to Iowa

 

Sounds great!

 

Almost finished lack 4 more racks & paint.

I did cook beer in the butt chicken & baby backs both turned out good but my brand new Fireboard temp probe for smoker was reading over 100 degrees cold.

 

Pick of bird & Baby backs


The smoker was at about 375 degrees after the bird so I turned the fan down to 250 & opened the door for a few minutes shut the door & right up to 350 it went turned the fan off & opened the door & the damn thing kept climbing back up as soon as I shut the door.
I thought the fan being off would block the intake enough to choke it down....not true this thing goes to 350 plus with the ball valve open & fan in place but off. I closed the ball valve to about 50% & it got down to 240 before I shut'er down so I think next cook I will open ball valve about 50% or so & see how it goes from there.