Need help with Grill for my comp rig

[bigsal51]

Need help. should i cut one door on my grill or should i cut 2 doors. The grill is 20in dia. 49in long.

Welds are getting much better

GOT MY 40# box of RUB today woohooo

 

[bigwheel]

You need two. They should open outwards instead of upwards. Saves much hassle with counterweights..getting fingers cut off when the lid falls and assorted other non-sense. Also conserves heat when it time to check the meat mop etc.

bigwheel

 

[Smokey_Joe]

You need two. They should open outwards instead of upwards. Saves much hassle with counterweights..getting fingers cut off when the lid falls and assorted other non-sense. Also conserves heat when it time to check the meat mop etc.

bigwheel

"Outwards"... as in oven door style on a regular kitchen stove?

 

[hogmeat]

i like what you have layed out on it already,it will match your smoker.good looking work too indeed. 8)

 

[bigwheel]

""Outwards"... as in oven door style on a regular kitchen stove?"

Similar but the two doors need to be hinged on the sides as opposed to the bottom as per most kitchen stoves. The left door hinged along the left side and the right door along the right side..latches go in the center. Very easy to do. Just cut the holes as you would normally for an overhead opening door then you box in the hole with plate steel and mount the hinges and latch mechanism to the outter protrusion of the squared off box. Know quite a few outstanding comp cooks from this area who use the concept to mount rectangular outward opening doors on round pits.

bigwheel

 

[bigsal51]

WHaT size stack do i need for this pit. Should i use 1 or 2. I need to know asap i am going for pipe in the morning.

 

[Smokey_Joe]

WHaT size stack do i need for this pit. Should i use 1 or 2. I need to know asap i am going for pipe in the morning.

I would go with at least 3 inch pipe, possibly as big as 6 inch. At least 1/3 larger
then whatever you have for available air inlet. Either way you should incorporate
a way to be able to regulate/adjust the flow.

Be sure to put exhaust on opposite end of firebox, or in center if building it as a
cooker with fire inside cooking area.
I would also place the exhaust approximately 2/3 in the way of height on the pit.
My personal feelings.... it gives the heat and smoke a chance to "roll" inside cook
chamber before exiting and produces a more even heat from end to end.

Keep them pictures coming!

 

[Nick Prochilo]

I don't know anything about this but bigwheels idea seems to make a lot of sense!

 

[bigsal51]

almost done with the side kick grill she will searing steaks in no time.

now i need ideas for charcoal trays. Need help

 

[bigwheel]

Well cast iron oilfield catwalk grate with tight weave expanded metal laid on top works well for a fire grate. Trying to figger out how you intend to feed it and clean out the dead ashes etc? Might be good to have a long narrow bottom hinged rectangular door on the backside under the cooking grate and running the full length of the pit. Thats how the S. Texas bohunks build em so they can sling mesquite coals in from the rear without disturbing the meat. Same technique should work for charcoal and chunks. You could incorporate air intakes into the same door even going to far as to meter the air by adjusting the rear door gap. Its gonna have to draw some air from somewhere. How much the back door is cracked open should be dependent on how much air the fire is allowed to have. Now ash clean out is gonna be a biotch unless somebody gets real creative

bigwheel

 

[Smokey_Joe]

I do not understand why the two rear legs are in completely different
locations from each each end?

I wouldn't want to clean ashes from that either...
I guess I would cut a door on the end that lifts up and then make
myself a curved scraper to match the shape of bottom.

Either way... that still leaves the issue of actually getting wood/charcoal in there.

 

[bigwheel]

Well good point on the curved dragging hoe and maybe a long handled shovel. Potential problemo is with the diamater of the barrel. I'm thinking if a person got the fire up high enough to be able to drag out the ashes from under it would put the fire way too close to the meat. I know the firebox on my big pit has about a 4" space twixt the firegrate and the pit floor in which to employ a small custom made shovel which is laid out square and flat to match the pit bottom. Aint no place for less room on that deal. A round bottom put it up way way way too high. I think the boy should either put a firebox on it or plan on cooking on the pit floor. Now I know quite a few folks who does that. I neva could get it to work but there bound to be some way to do it. I know I seen a fella doing it with a big Klose offset...but he was using logs and some kind of criss cross arrangement. He say that lets the wood make its own grate or something like that.

bigwheel

 

[bigsal51]

I was planning to come from the back of the pit and make an adjustable basket that will allow me to sear or just grill. I was thinking of using angle and putting legs on it and adding a pant to the bottom to catch the ash for easy removal. I can still open one side and put a couple of angle iron to have slide outs for the charcoal and use a rake like i do with the fire box. Usually i dont grill for long peroids of time just sear a couple of steaks or fajitas. The are lots of options i still have this early in the build. I didnt want a conventional grill i wanted somthing different. Thats while i wanted a couple of doors like a drop hatch and have access to the charcoal or ash. Thats why i didnt split the pit in half and cut the door I left it high so i have room to play.

 

[bigsal51]

oh and the one of the legs had to be offset because of the cross beam of the trailer I know its not appealing but it will support the weight correctly.

 

[hogmeat]

oh and the one of the legs had to be offset because of the cross beam of the trailer I know its not appealing but it will support the weight correctly.

that was my guess when i noticed it.how many cookers are you planning on mounting on your rig? very nice work

 

[bigwheel]

Tiz some nice work. Sounds like you got good plans to choose from to finish. Now bearing in mind this is a comp project I would think you might want to use that gizmo for your dedicated chicken blaster. Meaning it need to get hotter than a two dollar pistol..so to speak. Sure they have Fajita contests somewhere. I just aint stumbled over one yet. Course all that have to happen is the Promoter want to add it as an optional side category. Or they could build an entire cookoff around it as with Wild Hawg contest up in Foard County.

bigwheel

 

[bigsal51]

at the home stretch now. What would be a good distance from the cooking surface to the coals. 6in or 8in I have 10 1/2 the bottom.

 

[Tri Tip]

Man that is cool. I'd ask how much $ to order one but I just cant convice my wife I need another.

 

[Smokey_Joe]

It is a hoot to watch this thread... you keep asking questions for peoples advice, ... Ole Bigwheel is kind
enough to give out some killer ideas (especially the side opening doors) and yet it seems you have the work
you ask about completed a different way almost before you ask.

I think that thin piece of expanded metal you have in there as a grate is going to warp faster then the
time continuum drive on the Star-Ship Enterprise. Other then that grate and the exhaust all the way to one end....
it looks good so far

 

[bigwheel]

That loose weave grate is very rough on tinfoil too. Start trying to scoot a wrapped and sopped up brisket around on there it rip a hole in it. I have the tight weave which dont act so rude like that.

bigwheel