Help: leak in my double-barrel smoker

JSH · Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 26

I'm hoping someone can help me out here. I've been using the double-barrel I built last summer since then without incident -- and I've been turning out food that's been earning unbelievable raves. One problem, though.

I cut the door for the smoker out of a third barrel, drilled holes in the piece I cut out to make the hole and laid it inside the cooking chamber to act as a baffle to distribute heat. Works great, but for the fact that drippings from whatever's cooking fall onto the baffle, run down to the wall of the cook chamber (coming from a barrel, the baffle is convex) down the side and into the flues. From there, it escapes through the seams between the vent collars and the lower barrel and runs over the outside of the fire chamber. Doesn't affect the quality of the food, but it makes one hell of a mess.

I've sealed all the seams with hi-temp sealant and used furnace cement over that, to no avail. The furnace cement is actually flaking off, which I don't understand at all since I never run the cooker over 300 degrees, and then only accidentally.

Any thoughts on how I can keep this from happening?

Thanks.

mds2 · Posted: Feb 07 2006 Post subject:

Weld the seams, maybe.
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JSH · Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 26

mding38926 · Posted: Feb 07 2006 Post subject:

What about lining the bottom of the smoker with those disposable aluminum drip pans? That way the fat drippings fall into a pan and at the end of the cook you can just either empty the pan or throw it away. I realize this doesn't fix the leak in your smoker, but it might make life easier.
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Dinger

Thomas P. · BBQ Pro Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Texas

To heck with the leak, buy a $10 vinyl grill pad with raised edges and put it under your pit.
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JSH · Newbie Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 26

mds2 · Posted: Feb 07 2006 Post subject:

sledgehammer03 · Posted: Feb 07 2006 Post subject:

If it is the mastic used to seal ducts, then NO, The air temp in your ducts will never even get to 100

allsmokenofire · Posted: Feb 08 2006 Post subject:

Thomas P. · BBQ Pro Joined: 27 Jul 2005 Posts: 596 Location: Texas

The cement is cracking because of the expansion/contraction, and it was never designed to adhere to that surface.

You should be able to pick up a grill pad at Home Depot or Lowes, probably even Wally World, but they may be a seasonal item.
_________________
Leading the quest to abolish propane from Que'dom...
Big Tom, Hillbilly Ambassador to flatlanders everywhere!

GO VOLS!