New Brick Built Smoker - Temp Issues

[gavin]

Hi Gang

New to this forum so hi to everyone. Not sure I have found the right place but I am sure you will guide me if not.

I have recently built my own brick build smoker which is about 6ft tall and 45cm 45cm internal, all lined with proper insulation and fire bricks. My issue is that I am unable to reach a hot temperature above say 120c. I have a vertical telescopic chimney with a damper and an air inlet in the lower fire door. It lights fine and burns well, maintains a constant temperature well, but just not sure what i am doing wrong. Perhaps the fire basket is not big enough, is the draw from the chimney too much or not enough?

I also have added a shelf high inside the smoker just below the chimney outlet to help keep the heat in, perhaps the shelf size and air flow might have an impact? I have looke at the feldon calculators online but i cant fine one that suits a vertical brick built style.

I know i have missed key information so please shout and i will provide more info.

Thanks in advance for your help

Cheers
Gavlar

[devontiger]

Hi and welcome to the addictive wood-fired oven forum.


First off, we need a good couple of pictures. (inside & out.
Then we can tell you to knock it down & rebuild it. (only kidding)

On most pizza ovens they have a dome, this is to aid circulation of heat round the oven, & not just shoot it up the chimney.
I presume you have a gun type thermo thingy? this can pin point heat & help you see where the heat is going.

Any ways, pictures pls.
DT
Ps, Your location. ?

[gavin]

[simonh]

The most likely issue is as said your heat is going straight up the chimney, in order to store heat in the firebricks you need to let the warm air circulate around them.

[devontiger]

Gavin, I really don't know what to advise you with the oven.
Its not the thing for pizza's, simply by the way its built. Maybe ok as a smoker.
If it were me, I'd seriously consider rebuilding it, if I wanted it to be a pizza oven.
Or, build a pizza oven to the right where your log store is. Demolish that & start again. Then you have the best of both worlds, oven & smoker???
DT

[downunderdave]

I don’t think there is anything wrong with your smoker at all. Most smoking is done at a temperature lower than 120 C. If you are trying to roast in it or cook pizzas that’s something else and you need a dedicated oven for that.

[gavin]

Thanks everyone so far. I specifically didnt want a Pizza oven, nothing against them, I have for many years done low and slow cooking in BBQ's and wanted to build a brick one just for that purpose. downunderdave 120c was a real challenge yesterday, I am starting to think it may just be the size of my fire basket needs to be bigger. As i mentioned before, the oven holds its temp really well, in fact better than I had expected.

simonh in pictures 4 and 5 you can see a wire shelf which is just below the chimney outlet, on that shelf i have placed a few space granite pavers from the patio construction, after i placed these in the oven the temp was much better and the burn rate a lot slower. I am just wondering if I should replace the granite pavers with spare fire bricks with a layer of calcium silicate board?

Thoughts?

Gavlar

[simonh]

I would say you want to slow the movement of hot air to give it time to soak into the firebricks, adding firebricks to replace your granite slabs could not in any way hurt.

[downunderdave]

It is difficult to tell from the pics, but it appears that there is no insulation on the outside of the oven. If so that would be the cause of not reaching or maintaining a higher temperature.