“This is just barbecue. Why do we have to make it so difficult?” Amen.

Thumbs UP. Great job explaining everything. I am building a 500 gallon smoker. Doors are done. Starting the firebox design, then the chimney. Have a great blessed day.

Thank you for such a gracious reply, appreciate it.

While others binge watch fiction. I've found my binge worthy, non-fiction channel!! Thank you for all the knowledge and experience you're spilling out to us all!!!!

When I built my 250 gallon offset the calculator told me to have a 16in smokestack based on my material measurements. I actually considered it and mocked it up and decided to extend the stack just because it looked so goofy lol wish the channel was around 2 summer's ago when I started my build! Thanks for the video brother!

Man I wish I could come work with you building smokers. I want to build smokers so bad but nobody around me knows anything about smokers. Thanks for the videos man. I’m loving them.

I disagree with you analysis of the Feldon's calculator. It has been very helpful in tweaking and shaping my offset. I learned that my stack was a little too short, and my fire box inlet was too small. When I used the calculator to change according after inputting my dimensions, I noticed my pit was so much more efficient, and my bbq got better. The Feldon's calculator site states that an oversized firebox is preferable, and at the top in writing it says this is a guide to help you, kind of like you saying you need to look at every pit differently. If you take this calculator as end all be all, it's not what I got from the fine print which you might have missed. Use the calculator people, it's a GREAT guide.

You should have your own show. I can't wait for more videos!

Just found your vids. New sub here. Looking forward to watching them all. I build my own pits because I love the craft and the food. Maybe I will see yo at Texas monthly BBQ fest this year.

Excellent resource, thanks!

Very nice video and information, I have a 8' X 3' tank and just bought a sheet of 1/2" steel for the fire box but limited to 27" X 36", I don't think now after watching this video the firebox will be large enough as I was using the Feldon's Calculator as a reference, maybe best to just use 5' of the tank and the metal I have for the fire box tks.

I just bought the 1975t I can’t wait to get it

With all the spare time I seem to have on my hands I have been watching a lot of these videos and what I have noticed is the the fireboxes have grown in size so the wood will burn down as if you were using a burn barrel and then loading the coals in. The large space allows for the wood to get plenty of oxygen. Another thing that I am interested in is that a 1000 gallon smoker what is the flow rate over the food at the proper temperature while cooking brisket? It seems that that is a standard you could start with when calculating the stack to control draw over the meat. Then as a smoker shrinks in size you keep the same flow temperature rate and it should produce similar results. Great video's, thanks. Also have you tried a square stack? a fluid will flow through a square shape more efficiently than a round one. Seems counterproductive but it isn't.

Wish I would of seen this before I got my friend to make cooker, don't get me wrong it Cooks great I did get a 4in smoke stack but put it about three inches above the grate and the fire box is kind of small, but like I said it works great just wish I would of seen your idea about the smoke catcher and 5 in smoke stack. I'll run it like this for a while and then see if I modify it in the future..like you that that Yoder..

Awesome videos and channel. Subscribed

Heres a queation why not put the firebox directly underneath the smoking chamber with a baffle of heat deflection plate with 2 smaller stacks at either end on the smoker chamber. What do you guys think?? My theory is more even heat/smoke distribution and withbthe baffle plate it will stip the heat of flames being directly under the meat....

Boy a long time getting going

so how do you size a smoker build?

Man, new sub here and I am loving your theories ! You’re making BBQ simple again , the way it started !

How many times do you Have to burn you new barbecue pitIt's It's a brand new still

Well for me... it’s been what I scrounged for free.. first one was two old bbqs..... too much air contamination... it does work. New one is 60x20, with a 12x30 firebox, 7”x30” stack...From a Kenworth, no collector, grill height. Just about to fire it up. Thanks.

You at correct, following the feldon's calculation's seemed to complicated. Just build your pit and everything else will fall into place!

Hi I'm building a smoker out of a 80 gallon propane tank, its going to be 19×48 with a 20x25 fire box how do determan where to cut your holes for smoker and fire box to connect and how big?

Love your channel was looking and the babe smoker !! Are you working with workhorse pits ?

Thank you for a great video Sir! Liked and subscribed.👈

Thanks, I'm about to start my first build from a water heater

The Red Box reverse flow smoker takes patience to get it to work for you. Expensive and can be frustrating to use.

I used Feldons on my 250 gallon RF... Seems to struggle for air.. Always have to leave door open too.. Does not seem to pull proper draft.

Is there a calculation you use as a general rule for firebox size? Feldon’s says 1/3 and you go bigger. How much bigger?

I'm so confused now. I think I'll buy me a store bought smoker.

What are my best resources to configure a beast cooker? I am looking at 72" length, 48" Diameter for the main cooker area. Since looking at the Feldons Calc and now watching this with a Firebox 48" Length and 48" Diameter?

What about throat opening? Can it be to big? I know I can be to small. Just wondering your thoughts on this. Thanks for all the videos.

I'm beginning to feel like my idea of using an old 100 lb propane tank as the grill, and a 30lb tank as a fire box, is a bad idea lol Arg. I just secured free tanks too. The 30lb tank is 24 inches long but only 12.5 diameter. 100lb is a nice 48 inches long, but only 14.5 wide. Maybe cut up another 100lb tank and weld on sides for a firebox?

Great video, even now in the year 2022, I have people ask why, as a pit builder, do I not use feldons calculator. My response is always the same, you can't pigeon hole pit building with such a calculator because there are other variables to take into account. And as mentioned in this video, I use a collector at grate level on all my pits, and size of collectors then come into play. But take any professionally built pit and plug the measurements into the calculator and it always spits out a smaller firebox then what's in use. I don't know about Feldon, but Aaron Franklin is someone I would say knows a TON about BBQ and his pits don't line up with the calculator either so................🙄

I'm just about to cut into my smoker tank its 30 x 78 and I found that calculator it tells me my firebox is to small I have an old wood stove thats 19 w 17 t 33 deep I have never built a pit but I thought shoot if I add a larger stack and create more draw and insulate it it would preform okay it seems to me if you can keep heat you don't need as big of a fire and you can always be burning clean am I missing something?

Great video once again. The stack on my offset is mounted on the upper half on the chamber (just like on a yoder) and im thinking of moving it down to grate level and add a collector. The air flow in the smoker is great so i think the size of the stack is just right. But do i have to consider changing the size of the stack if i move it to grate level? Does that make a difference in any way? Sry i know you dont have time to answer this type of questions but i give it a shot ;)

why are there no 2drum upright smokers? i just want to know if this is possible and effective? thanks in advance

What is a "collector"? Where does it go, what does it look, and what does it do?

So, with the mention of “computational fluid dynamics,” are you going to have to remove “primitive” from you name? Yes, I’m attempting to gracefully stir the pot. 😄 First video I’ve seen of yours as I look into smokers. With all facetiousness aside, I appreciate the content!

OK you have told us to take Feldon's cacl with a grain of salt. Can you clarify what we should be doing? All you have done is muddy the water.

When you gonna go over the reverse flow smoker

I didn’t use any type of calculator when I first started building pits and they all cooked great. I learned about Feldon’s Calculator two years ago and it’s just that, a calculator. I teach high school math as well. We struggle with calculators in school. Calculators are as smart as the person using them! I find useful information on Feldon’s calculator then apply common building sense and everything turns out nice. If you are trying to use any calculator as the only source of knowledge you will be disappointed. I would suggest to use common building sense first then the calculator to check your answer. If you don’t have building sense then a calculator isn’t going to help you anyhow. Building pits is just like adding and subtracting not rocket science.

I have a 250 smoker how big should the fire box be on it? The one on it is hella small

Call me Lazy I guess, I like my Ole Hickory CTO, my Oklahoma Joe Rider DLX, My Gateway Drum, and my reverse flow trailer, I just dont like sitting by the fire to make sure its all right. More Power to the guys who dont like sleep! Beast mode!

are those JBL's!

Woodglut has a very large project base.

Coin operated gadgetry 😆! So true

I was about to give you a thumbs down, but then I started reading the comments. My wife bought me an old irrigation sand filter. I'll take measurements, use Feldon's, then consult you!

I’ve watched this video 5 times. I’m still confused. Should I rely on the calculator?

Do you sell smokers? If so what is your company's name?

1:20, Dope Intro....

I enjoyed and appreciated the content of the video, but it stopped just when it started to get interesting. I felt like I only saw part 1. Essentially you told us why you feel the Feldon Calc is outdated but not what to do instead. This certainly won't help any of those people asking for your advice.

I seriously thought this was going to be about the fact that smoked and charred meats cause cancer, not about building a smoker :P

This video was extremely slow to get to a point and i likely missed a lot due to not being able to get through half the video. Here's a real easy, tried and true rule to building an off set. 11 minute video in a couple seconds. Fire box should be ⅓ the volume/size of cook chamber. And stack should be ⅓ the length of cook chamber. Done.

lol coin operated, hope my pellet smoker didnt hear yah gonna have to go givem a hug just in case

I used that same calculator and built it within 25% of the recommended sizes with a 16in square FB . So far I’m 135lb of pork into its use & couldn’t be happier. I don’t understand your beef with said resource.

🤦‍♂️

Hahahahah he make it hard I think he is the only one how build smokers

Watching after, see how many mistakes I made.... back when the vid is over........

Why not just slap some steel together weld it up put a fire at one end burn some meat and see how it Cooks/ smokes🤭 that's what I did.. great pork ribs I'll tell you.

How on earth did you manage to turn a smoker into rocket science???

This was a joke riddle. Right?

What the heck did I just watch man you were all over the place,🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

That was the worst video, you said that you have to follow the equation then you totally went your own way, ? What the !!

14 videos buddy and you’ve cooked nothing lol come on man, you got an amazing rig out there, hurry up and show us how it cooks

Lost me with the calculator.

just buy a big green egg