Hiyas, Q lovers!

I'm delurking, after a week of reading messages. (I'm only partway
there, since Earthlink has retention back to April; I started with more
than 5,000 messages.)

I've learned a great deal, and there's less "regional religion" here
than I expected to find. Sure, you've got gas versus lump versus
Kingsford versus "real wood", and quibbles over smoking versus
barbecuing versus grilling, with slow cooking thrown in to boot. But
it's largely polite, from what I can see. So thanks for the MANY good
suggestions!

I've stumbled along on my own for several years when it comes to
smoking and grilling. I enjoy doing both, and while I'm darned good at
grilling, my smoking and Qing have been inconsistent at best, ranging
from okay to pretty good. (Fortunately, the dogs have never yet had
dibs on anything I've cooked.)

I've got a New Braunfels horizontal cooker, with a side firebox. I'm
not sure of the model; it's not on their website at the moment. It was
a Wally World purchase in the spring of 2003, after I threw down my
spatula in disgust for the last time when my Charbroil gas grill caught
fire AGAIN at the burn tubes.

I'm planning to spend this weekend tightening up my NB, with some
Permatex or other high temp sealer, plus adding a radiant heat shield
between firebox and cooking chamber. I also plan to add a mesh fire
basket to the firebox, to allow better airflow and heat concentration
throughout the length of the burn. I've learned the importance of
smaller but hotter fires, versus two chimneys of barely burning coals
dumped in at once, eager to either flare up the temp or sit and
smoulder.

So, anyhoo, now that the introductions are over: I've seen many
references to firebrick for tuning up a smoker, to help reduce temp
spikes. Since bricks are square and smokers seldom are, I wonder how
castable refractories would work for lining fireboxes and cooking
chambers? I googled the group, but only found threads about crack
repair on the BGE and Kamodo.

Having a latent side interest in blacksmithing and bladesmithing, I am
familiar with castable refractories and Kaowool for gas-fired forges.
There are many variations of castables, from rock hard to cotton candy
soft. When it comes to evening out thermal spikes, I believe that a
good 1/4 to 1 inch of hard castable refractory would make a darned good
liner for your typical steel barrel pit. Thickness would vary depending
on location: thicker at the bottom where coals sit, and where ashes
have to be scraped out. Elsewhere, 1/4-1/2 inch should be a big
improvement in thermal mass.

After I tighten up my NB, and improve my own fire control techniques, I
might venture into lining the firebox and cooking chamber. I doubt that
I'm a pioneer here, but I'm willing to post pics to ABF and a web page
if no one else here has done it before.

Thoughts, anyone?

Kevin
Texarkana, Tejas

In article >, Kevin Craig
> wrote:

> Hiyas, Q lovers!

Backatcha!
<snipalittle>

> I've learned a great deal, and there's less "regional religion" here
> than I expected to find. Sure, you've got gas versus lump versus
> Kingsford versus "real wood", and quibbles over smoking versus
> barbecuing versus grilling, with slow cooking thrown in to boot. But
> it's largely polite, from what I can see. So thanks for the MANY good
> suggestions!

'Regional religion'? I like that! Much better than 'barbepolitical'
f'rinstance.
<snipalittlemore>

> So, anyhoo, now that the introductions are over: I've seen many
> references to firebrick for tuning up a smoker, to help reduce temp
> spikes. Since bricks are square and smokers seldom are, I wonder how
> castable refractories would work for lining fireboxes and cooking
> chambers? I googled the group, but only found threads about crack
> repair on the BGE and Kamodo.
>
> Having a latent side interest in blacksmithing and bladesmithing, I am
> familiar with castable refractories and Kaowool for gas-fired forges.
> There are many variations of castables, from rock hard to cotton candy
> soft. When it comes to evening out thermal spikes, I believe that a
> good 1/4 to 1 inch of hard castable refractory would make a darned good
> liner for your typical steel barrel pit. Thickness would vary depending
> on location: thicker at the bottom where coals sit, and where ashes
> have to be scraped out. Elsewhere, 1/4-1/2 inch should be a big
> improvement in thermal mass.
>
> After I tighten up my NB, and improve my own fire control techniques, I
> might venture into lining the firebox and cooking chamber. I doubt that
> I'm a pioneer here, but I'm willing to post pics to ABF and a web page
> if no one else here has done it before.
>
> Thoughts, anyone?
>
Hmmm-sounds like a good candidate for a research grant. I'd check out
how the stuff seals out moisture at the cement/metal junction - if it
accelerates rusting, that's bad.
Tightening up leaks and increasing thermal mass are both steps in the
right direction, that's for sure.

tinker away and keep us posted

monroe(aint technology wonderful)

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 23:42:44 GMT, "Monroe, of course..."
> wrote:

>In article >, Kevin Craig
> wrote:
>

>> Having a latent side interest in blacksmithing and bladesmithing, I am
>> familiar with castable refractories and Kaowool for gas-fired forges.
>> There are many variations of castables, from rock hard to cotton candy
>> soft. When it comes to evening out thermal spikes, I believe that a
>> good 1/4 to 1 inch of hard castable refractory would make a darned good
>> liner for your typical steel barrel pit. Thickness would vary depending
>> on location: thicker at the bottom where coals sit, and where ashes
>> have to be scraped out. Elsewhere, 1/4-1/2 inch should be a big
>> improvement in thermal mass.
>>
>> After I tighten up my NB, and improve my own fire control techniques, I
>> might venture into lining the firebox and cooking chamber. I doubt that
>> I'm a pioneer here, but I'm willing to post pics to ABF and a web page
>> if no one else here has done it before.
>>
>> Thoughts, anyone?


I run my own knifemaking and blacksmithing company (Just me) and do a
lot of blacksmithing on handmade items. I have two (propane) forges,
one with kaowool and one with several inches of castable. Kaowool
would not help here. Castable is another thing. My castable forge has
2" of 3000 degree castable inside it and it is close to 20 years old.
There is a light rust starting between the castable and the metal. For
your NB smoker, I think the smoker in general would fail before the
firebox would rust through if covered in castable. However, if you use
it on a rainy day or really humid day, the cooling of the castable
will suck in humidity so it is possible to cause it to happen fast. My
forge is under a cover and I usually do not use it in rainy weather.

It will take a while longer and more fuel to get up to temp so you
would have to start your process earlier but once it is up to temp, it
wants to stay there.

A 1/4" will not add that much mass but on a small smoker it might be
enough. Currently 3000 degree castable is $55 per 55 bound bag so it
is kinda pricy. You would not use it all and would want to seal it
somehow for storage and use the rest later to build your knifemaking
forge.

You might get just as far by welding a couple thick (3/4" or so)
pieces of steel together into a lazy "V" shape. Mount them above the
fire like a roof. These plates will get hot and accomplish the same
task but at a lot cheaper price. $0.15 per pound at my scrapyard.

Something to think about.

Bob
www.warnerknives.com
www.serviceusa1.com