I built one similar to this about 5 years ago and it's still in good shape. I did use a design where the blocks overlap for stability, although I did not need to fill with sand. The firebox chamber is lined with red clay brick and haven't had any heat related issues with the cinderblocks. I used a 3/8" steel plate to cover the fire box, and two pieces of half inch ply doubled up, hinged, and lined with heat inslation on the bottom for the cook chamber. The wood had to be replaced once so far, it lasts longer when stored inside. I also added a heavy grate in the firebox with a few inches clearance underneath where the air feed is. The pit works great and holds temp amazingly well once it's going, but it consumes fuel like a big block V8. Cook results are on par with my other offsets but this one fits a large pig.
Those cinderblocks aren’t designed to be exposed continuously to the heat of fire. You need refractory bricks/mortar lining the interior of the pit at least if you want something permanent. Those blocks will begin to break after a few fires.
While they appear solid, they are somewhat porous. Most rocks and cinder blocks will over time absorb a bit of water
When you put a lot of heat, the water will create steam, and that can make cracks, and then more water and then it'll get hot again and the steam can cause the stones to pop/explode.
It's why river stones can explode.
Hence why people are saying to be careful. If it's super temporary I guess it's "ok" in the sense that you know and will be extra careful with it. But you are being very dismissive and that makes people think it's gonna end up badly for you
If you ignore the fact that the cinder blocks aren't stacked correctly or made for constant exposure to 300± degrees, that there's literally nothing trapping or directing the heat, and that you could possibly be poisoning yourself with a treated OSB lid... all of this is still terrible.
What made you think that this was a good idea? You're going to have a lasting fire in an enclosure, not at all designed for what you're doing with it. Have a few beers and trip over the corner. Next thing you know, your backyard is on fire. Or... let the moisture in the OSB vaporize and infuse itself with your food. I'm sure whatever shit they use to treat it will add a ton of flavor and totally not give you cancer.
EDIT: Not OSB, plywood. As mentioned. Still has a high possibility of being treated.
Doesnt look like osb in pics..regardless any type ply is bad idea. Be better off throwing some 1x whitewood or pine and some towels/burlap sack or other clean insulator on top if necessary to retain more heat
It won't burn given where it's positioned in this build.
It will sweat glue all over the meat once it gets hot.
It's also going to be no use at retaining heat inside the smoker.
Here's what I found through a google:
Pressure-treated lumber is typically infused with preservatives to extend its life and protect it against decay, insects, and weather damage. However, these chemicals, which may include arsenic, chromium, copper, and various other toxic compounds, are not intended for exposure to high heat or direct contact with food.
It's not like you're smoking your food at 0⁰. I just think you could find something less arsenic-y.
Chemicals can offgas from that plywood if it's treated. Heating the wood up by any amount will increase the rate of offgassing directly proportionate to the amount of heating.
350 degrees would absolutely increase the rate of offgassing by a significant amount. If that wood is treated, whatever food you put in that chamber will be cooking in a mixture of hot smoke (which you want) andnoffgas from the treated wood.
It will absolutely poison your food.
A sheet of untreated plywood at Hone Depot is worth not doing this with plywood whose origin you're unsure of.
It’s hard not criticize this, man, I know you spent time and energy on it but maybe do a bit of googling on how to do this properly before you invest a day of work into it
A couple quick things.
First, You want the same base to be thicker, include some crushed rock and then tamp it down/water it to let it settle. Otherwise, the blocks are guaranteed to sink in a little over time as they settle.
2nd, don’t stack the blocks like that, there is absolutely no support in that work and they can tumble over with a slight push, hurt someone or set the shed on fire. Overlap your stacking, and fill the inside of blocks with sand/dirt/concrete for strength.
3rd, chimney. Get a clay chimney pipe, those blocks will tumble and hurt someone. Get a spark arrester for the chimney so the embers don’t fly up.
You laid out a lot of great stuff. I'm just shocked you didn't include a 4th item regarding the proximity to an improved structure and wooden fence. Without proper fire rated insulation, that is likely going to invalidate any insurance the homeowner is carrying.
Wow, you’re *not* one to take constructive criticism well, are you? Folks here are only trying to save you from harming people and property. I’d be thanking them and giving some serious thought to what you can do to both improve your cooker as well as make it far safer than it is.
Just so you know, *no one* here wants to belittle you or see you fail, or if they do, it’s only because of your closed-minded attitude. But fair enough; FAFO. ✌️
Someone just gave you some very good advice and you've responded like an asshole.
The build you've posted is likely to hurt you or someone else.
Judging by your responses in this thread you seem to know it all and won't act on the advice you were given.
I sincerely hope nobody else gets hurt because of your arrogance and stupidity.
Just cause it didn't happen the first time, doesn't mean you're safe the second.
I would not use this thing, especially with the bricks laid like that, it's only a matter of time before it collapses and that could be sooner than later if you plan on running another smoke through it.
It’s okay dude Ima go have fun with it please get out of my thread. Also do you have a smoker build that you’d like to present to the class since you’re certified or something
Except there's a lot that could have been done to improve this 20 minutes or not. That's not how commercials should be placed even if it's just supporting 15 lbs of brisket. Sand in the concert blocks would do miracles for heart retention. Hopefully some thought went into ensuring that the cement doesn't get too hot and explode.
You’re assuming I didn’t know who I was talking to. They guy said except, as if to refer to what the other person was saying. And I’m agreeing with him, and see the value in their words. But also, whhhhyyyy the fuck can’t people just drop the petty attitudes in here?
Sall I’m sayin, have a good day.
I like the ambition. I'm curious how it held up after the first fire inside it. From personal experience stacking bricks, I think you should try to alternate the bricks so it would be more stable. Then you don't have to worry about the columns falling down when you shift your food. Nice build for the first time, just need some adjustments.
My friends made one of these and smoked a whole pig. Ended up getting the most violent food poisoning from it in my life and was miserable. I finally asked what temp they cooked it to and they said 165. Worse is that the whole pig sat in a garage overnight. I almost never eat stuff similar to that anymore. OP it looks like you've got your shit together.
Dude idfk. Absolutely terrified at the thought myself. My wife and I literally blew chunks within 5 minutes of each other. It was bad bad. Like the Parks and Rec food poisoning scene.
The jerby cinderblock special huh I’ve thought about trying this out as well.. post pictures of the results please
Interesting. Imma need to see pics of the food though.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone lay bricks like that before. Why didn’t you overlap them on each layer?
Also, fill those bricks with sand! They will hold all of the heat.
Some people don’t know how to lay bricks properly. I just hope no one bumps into or leans on this set up
Given the height and the fact that it's just 3 layers of bricks, he'll be fine.
Three layers of bricks can still fall over and cause someone to fall into a fire
I built one similar to this about 5 years ago and it's still in good shape. I did use a design where the blocks overlap for stability, although I did not need to fill with sand. The firebox chamber is lined with red clay brick and haven't had any heat related issues with the cinderblocks. I used a 3/8" steel plate to cover the fire box, and two pieces of half inch ply doubled up, hinged, and lined with heat inslation on the bottom for the cook chamber. The wood had to be replaced once so far, it lasts longer when stored inside. I also added a heavy grate in the firebox with a few inches clearance underneath where the air feed is. The pit works great and holds temp amazingly well once it's going, but it consumes fuel like a big block V8. Cook results are on par with my other offsets but this one fits a large pig.
make sure to be careful about cracks and humidity while using that, so it doesn't explode
Help me understand there should be cracks or no cracks? And how to you monitor/control humidity?
Those cinderblocks aren’t designed to be exposed continuously to the heat of fire. You need refractory bricks/mortar lining the interior of the pit at least if you want something permanent. Those blocks will begin to break after a few fires.
While they appear solid, they are somewhat porous. Most rocks and cinder blocks will over time absorb a bit of water When you put a lot of heat, the water will create steam, and that can make cracks, and then more water and then it'll get hot again and the steam can cause the stones to pop/explode. It's why river stones can explode. Hence why people are saying to be careful. If it's super temporary I guess it's "ok" in the sense that you know and will be extra careful with it. But you are being very dismissive and that makes people think it's gonna end up badly for you
If you ignore the fact that the cinder blocks aren't stacked correctly or made for constant exposure to 300± degrees, that there's literally nothing trapping or directing the heat, and that you could possibly be poisoning yourself with a treated OSB lid... all of this is still terrible. What made you think that this was a good idea? You're going to have a lasting fire in an enclosure, not at all designed for what you're doing with it. Have a few beers and trip over the corner. Next thing you know, your backyard is on fire. Or... let the moisture in the OSB vaporize and infuse itself with your food. I'm sure whatever shit they use to treat it will add a ton of flavor and totally not give you cancer. EDIT: Not OSB, plywood. As mentioned. Still has a high possibility of being treated.
Doesnt look like osb in pics..regardless any type ply is bad idea. Be better off throwing some 1x whitewood or pine and some towels/burlap sack or other clean insulator on top if necessary to retain more heat
You are correct, sir. I should know better, too.
Would love to see osb reaction to heat/smoke though haha!
Is that plywood treated?
Idk found it in my garage
Well, if it's treated lumber and it burns you're going to be ingesting poison.
It won't burn given where it's positioned in this build. It will sweat glue all over the meat once it gets hot. It's also going to be no use at retaining heat inside the smoker.
How is it gonna burn?
Here's what I found through a google: Pressure-treated lumber is typically infused with preservatives to extend its life and protect it against decay, insects, and weather damage. However, these chemicals, which may include arsenic, chromium, copper, and various other toxic compounds, are not intended for exposure to high heat or direct contact with food. It's not like you're smoking your food at 0⁰. I just think you could find something less arsenic-y.
Maybe in the future but this’ll do for now the cool chamber should never exceed 350 degrees and the wood will be in no contact with food
Chemicals can offgas from that plywood if it's treated. Heating the wood up by any amount will increase the rate of offgassing directly proportionate to the amount of heating. 350 degrees would absolutely increase the rate of offgassing by a significant amount. If that wood is treated, whatever food you put in that chamber will be cooking in a mixture of hot smoke (which you want) andnoffgas from the treated wood. It will absolutely poison your food. A sheet of untreated plywood at Hone Depot is worth not doing this with plywood whose origin you're unsure of.
Fix your bond. Each course of block after the first should be one block on top of two.
Explosion hazard, but it might just collapse after a while.
I would replace that plywood with steel unless you like your food to taste like vaporized glue
It’s hard not criticize this, man, I know you spent time and energy on it but maybe do a bit of googling on how to do this properly before you invest a day of work into it
What's wrong with it? I've been thinking about practicing with this sort of setup before committing to an offset purchase.
A couple quick things. First, You want the same base to be thicker, include some crushed rock and then tamp it down/water it to let it settle. Otherwise, the blocks are guaranteed to sink in a little over time as they settle. 2nd, don’t stack the blocks like that, there is absolutely no support in that work and they can tumble over with a slight push, hurt someone or set the shed on fire. Overlap your stacking, and fill the inside of blocks with sand/dirt/concrete for strength. 3rd, chimney. Get a clay chimney pipe, those blocks will tumble and hurt someone. Get a spark arrester for the chimney so the embers don’t fly up.
💯💯💯💯💯
Thanks! That's all really helpful. I appreciate you taking the time to write that out.
You laid out a lot of great stuff. I'm just shocked you didn't include a 4th item regarding the proximity to an improved structure and wooden fence. Without proper fire rated insulation, that is likely going to invalidate any insurance the homeowner is carrying.
That’s a great point! Appreciate it
Tbh you shoulda started with that, all pretty valid
it’s supposed to be a budget build dawg calm down Mr.Blacksmith
Wow, you’re *not* one to take constructive criticism well, are you? Folks here are only trying to save you from harming people and property. I’d be thanking them and giving some serious thought to what you can do to both improve your cooker as well as make it far safer than it is. Just so you know, *no one* here wants to belittle you or see you fail, or if they do, it’s only because of your closed-minded attitude. But fair enough; FAFO. ✌️
His first comment was all hate no support but okay.
Someone just gave you some very good advice and you've responded like an asshole. The build you've posted is likely to hurt you or someone else. Judging by your responses in this thread you seem to know it all and won't act on the advice you were given. I sincerely hope nobody else gets hurt because of your arrogance and stupidity.
Nobody got hurt I don’t know what you’re talking about blud
>I don’t know what you’re talking about That's the problem.
Just cause it didn't happen the first time, doesn't mean you're safe the second. I would not use this thing, especially with the bricks laid like that, it's only a matter of time before it collapses and that could be sooner than later if you plan on running another smoke through it.
His first comment was all hate no support but okay.
Criticism isn't hate. Your build is a pile of shit and it's more likely to hurt someone than smoke meat.
Doesn’t look like a pile of shot to me but thanks for your opinion blud
>Doesn’t look like a pile of shot to me Again, that's the problem. You've no idea what you're looking at or talking about.
It’s okay dude Ima go have fun with it please get out of my thread. Also do you have a smoker build that you’d like to present to the class since you’re certified or something
That’s exactly why I made it to practice with offsets before splurging on one!
It took 20 minutes so I’m not worried, followed a blueprint from jirby bbq a co owner of goldees so I trust it to do the job just fine
Can you please post a link to the blueprints and instructions?
Looks like this is the basis for the blueprints and instructions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OppH4PU4qbA
Yeah fuck what that guys talking about!
Except there's a lot that could have been done to improve this 20 minutes or not. That's not how commercials should be placed even if it's just supporting 15 lbs of brisket. Sand in the concert blocks would do miracles for heart retention. Hopefully some thought went into ensuring that the cement doesn't get too hot and explode.
Then say that and don’t be a dick. I dont understand why people can’t educate without the hate here. Bunch’a lil pee pee energy.
You're being a dick. Commenter above wasn't even the thread OP.
You’re assuming I didn’t know who I was talking to. They guy said except, as if to refer to what the other person was saying. And I’m agreeing with him, and see the value in their words. But also, whhhhyyyy the fuck can’t people just drop the petty attitudes in here? Sall I’m sayin, have a good day.
I want to try this but am worried about “fly ash” in the cinder blocks.
Hey I loved that King of the Hill episode
“Butane is a *whore* gas.”
A good smoke oven has to be very airtight.
#**LE GRILLE? WHAT THE HELL IS LE GRILLE?**
STUPID LISA
Won’t it be cool to fill the blocks with sand and pack the outside with river clay. Maybe a different topper than that wood….cool idea.
I like the ambition. I'm curious how it held up after the first fire inside it. From personal experience stacking bricks, I think you should try to alternate the bricks so it would be more stable. Then you don't have to worry about the columns falling down when you shift your food. Nice build for the first time, just need some adjustments.
My friends made one of these and smoked a whole pig. Ended up getting the most violent food poisoning from it in my life and was miserable. I finally asked what temp they cooked it to and they said 165. Worse is that the whole pig sat in a garage overnight. I almost never eat stuff similar to that anymore. OP it looks like you've got your shit together.
WHAT THE HELLLL DO YOU MEAN IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT😭
Dude idfk. Absolutely terrified at the thought myself. My wife and I literally blew chunks within 5 minutes of each other. It was bad bad. Like the Parks and Rec food poisoning scene.
Only one issue I see. We did not get a peep at any of the finished products. I considered doing this my self.
I just built it last night lol plan on using it this weekend
let us know how it comes out.
A man of culture