New from TN, and getting back in it!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 1:12 pm

Hello to all fellow builders/BBQ'ers from Louisville, TN!
After having all my welding equipment, saws, etc. stolen from my storage building, I ordered the first of the necessary equipment to start building pits again today, which is a milwaukee portable band saw! The welder, tank, etc. is next on the list! I hope you guys know that this is all your fault for posting those pics of all the nice builds either complete or underway! Smile

I look forward to meeting you, and asking a ton of questions! I'll get started right away: Can someone please tell me the theory behind a Stumps smoker, i.e. how they work, the layout of the charcoal chamber, and other necessary info - or direct me to a thread that does so? I've seen some interesting clone pics, but I don't totally understand the layout, concept, etc. Thanks, brothers/sisters!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:49 pm

your just a few miles from Vern (Jose) over in Maryville and I'm sure he wouldn't mind letting you eyeball his. that's the best way to start anyway, plus he has a head for that stuff and has moded his some.

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 2:58 pm

Sounds good, Chet! Is he on Facebook or what? I don't know whether I want to go with the Stumps or a Jambo. I know the Stumps would be the easiest, but the Jambo would be way cool!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:29 pm

he's not on FB or anything but I can get you in touch with him.

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 3:41 pm

That will work! E-mail or whatever! Hey, have you spent any time trying to make your Backwood's regulate temps by themselves? I was thinking about welding some angle in the firebox, kinda like in a maze pattern, and testing it to see how long it would hold temp without an adjustment. I bet a man could get one running dead on after a little trial and error!

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 4:37 pm

haven't thought about doing that as about the only time I use it is in contest and I'm more comfortable trusting the power draft. I have however come by some good smoking wood about 1 in thick and about the length of the coal basket and kinda use that as a maze and it seems to improve smoke and burn time that way. sounds dumb but it does seem to help. you should be able to run without power draft fine, just light a small area right in front of the bottom vent on the left and close the one on the right when you start and allow plenty of time to come up to temp adjusting it back well before it reaches target.

Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 11:37 pm

Sounds interesting! Yeah, I always get in too big a hurry to get up to temp, and that always means I'm going to overshoot the target. I'll certainly keep what you said about giving it plenty of time to come up to temp in mind! Very good point! I also want to try and put firebrick in the water-pan with no water and see what that does. I'd like to lean a little more towards a stick burner and see what kind of product I can come up with. I miss my old stick burners sometimes. I had a block pit that was so big I could put the meat right over the fire and still slow cook, and the fat dripping in that fire and sizzling into smoke gave the meat a very unique, wonderful flavor. I'd like to recapture that taste. I believe it was the best ever! Thanks for the tips!