Brick grill and smoker build!

[Cole Leffert]

You could probably cut down your firebox size a bit if you wanted. 2 inch for bottom clearance, 9 inch for a firebox and 4-6 inch headroom means you only need about 16 inches internal for your firebox. Just my opinion but a vertical is pretty efficient so a smaller firebox works well and helps to prevent building too big a fire.

Benefit is more room in the cook chamber.....

Thanks, Dirtytires!!

[Cole Leffert]

I'm looking at getting FireBlack Hi Temp BBQ Smoker Gasket Self Stick 1/2" x 1/8", for my doors. Anyone use them? Do they work well? Is there another brand I should be getting instead?

Also, how much should they be compressed when the doors are shut? I have heard several say it should be compressed half the thickness but I have also heard others say there doors wouldn't shut if it was adjusted to compress half the thickness. Thoughts?

My frame and doors are fairly flat, with almost no gap anywhere. So I'm not trying to fill a gap due to a warped door, if that matters.

[shearman23]

I'm looking at getting FireBlack Hi Temp BBQ Smoker Gasket Self Stick 1/2" x 1/8", for my doors. Anyone use them? Do they work well? Is there another brand I should be getting instead?

Also, how much should they be compressed when the doors are shut? I have heard several say it should be compressed half the thickness but I have also heard others say there doors wouldn't shut if it was adjusted to compress half the thickness. Thoughts?

My frame and doors are fairly flat, with almost no gap anywhere. So I'm not trying to fill a gap due to a warped door, if that matters.

I've heard that LavaLock is the main brand people go to for gaskets. I've seen the FireBlack online but have not heard of people using it. That being said, the same people that make LavaLock also make FireBlack. If no smoke comes out of your doors, I wouldn't worry about it though.

[Cole Leffert]

I got a little farther on the metal work. I have my doors and have been working on my hinges. I have the door gapped with some 7/64 drill bits (.1094). Would that be good compression for my .1250 gasket? I want to make sure before I weld the hinges! Thanks!

[dacolson]

1/16” - your gasket should compress to half its size


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[Cole Leffert]

1/16” - your gasket should compress to half its size


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Thank you Dave!!!

[dacolson]

1/16” - your gasket should compress to half its size


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Thank you Dave!!!

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[Cole Leffert]

It's starting to look like a smoker!

[dacolson]

Those hinges look great Cole. Bet you can't wait to get it into the brick. Kind of chilly for masonry work right now I suppose. Are you far enough along that you can move it in?

[Cole Leffert]

Those hinges look great Cole. Bet you can't wait to get it into the brick. Kind of chilly for masonry work right now I suppose. Are you far enough along that you can move it in?

Thanks Dave! Yeah, I definitely can't wait to get it in!! It will be bolted in place so the masonry work would be more just to seal the gaps between the metal and brick. I'm hoping to get it bolted in place by this weekend and probably put a heater in there to get it warmed up and put some mortar on in the inside to get it sealed up and usable.

[Cole Leffert]

I got the frame bolted to the masonry! I have a little electric heater going inside so hopefully i can put a little mortar on in the inside tomorrow. I'm starting to see daylight at the end of this project!

[dacolson]

Awesome!!! Really cool


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[Big T]

[dacolson]

I love that inside view. The brick looks so great. Super old school. Reminds me of some of those old school central Texas pits. Like Snows except vertical. You gotta get a shovel and scoop your coals into the FB.


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[Cole Leffert]

Thanks guys!

[Cole Leffert]

I planned on running just a test run but ended up putting some chicken on. It ran a lot different than I expected! It took about 1 to 1.5 hours to get up to temperature. I wasn't trying to get it up to temp fast. I used a chimney of charcoal to start it then added 3-5" splits to keep it going. The first 3 or so hours I ran it like I have seen guys on YouTube run a 500 gallon offset. Big pile of coals and at least 2 splits at a time to maintain about 250. Then after about 4 hours I only needed about one 3" split to keep temp. I think the brick with a air space behind it and a vent to get rid of heat behind the brick makes it act like a heat sink and not insulation. I'm super thrilled on how easy it is to maintain temp so far!!

[dacolson]

I planned on running just a test run but ended up putting some chicken on. It ran a lot different than I expected! It took about 1 to 1.5 hours to get up to temperature. I wasn't trying to get it up to temp fast. I used a chimney of charcoal to start it then added 3-5" splits to keep it going. The first 3 or so hours I ran it like I have seen guys on YouTube run a 500 gallon offset. Big pile of coals and at least 2 splits at a time to maintain about 250. Then after about 4 hours I only needed about one 3" split to keep temp. I think the brick with a air space behind it and a vent to get rid of heat behind the brick makes it act like a heat sink and not insulation. I'm super thrilled on how easy it is to maintain temp so far!!

Chicken looks great. It makes sense you’d get some heat retention from the bricks. Bonus to that design. Very cool.


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[Cole Leffert]

I planned on running just a test run but ended up putting some chicken on. It ran a lot different than I expected! It took about 1 to 1.5 hours to get up to temperature. I wasn't trying to get it up to temp fast. I used a chimney of charcoal to start it then added 3-5" splits to keep it going. The first 3 or so hours I ran it like I have seen guys on YouTube run a 500 gallon offset. Big pile of coals and at least 2 splits at a time to maintain about 250. Then after about 4 hours I only needed about one 3" split to keep temp. I think the brick with a air space behind it and a vent to get rid of heat behind the brick makes it act like a heat sink and not insulation. I'm super thrilled on how easy it is to maintain temp so far!!

Chicken looks great. It makes sense you’d get some heat retention from the bricks. Bonus to that design. Very cool.


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Thanks Dave! It tasted great! It seemed like such a long time for chicken! I thought it would dry it out but it was real juicy!

[BigPete]

Thats looking quality, proper solid looking hinges!

Fancy a trip across the pond with your welder?

[Cole Leffert]

Thats looking quality, proper solid looking hinges!

Fancy a trip across the pond with your welder?

Thanks BigPete! I'm happy with the way they turned out!

Will you have some BBQ waiting on me?

[BigPete]

Thats looking quality, proper solid looking hinges!

Fancy a trip across the pond with your welder?

Thanks BigPete! I'm happy with the way they turned out!

Will you have some BBQ waiting on me?

Of course, the old offset is still usable!