The Pendeflex Meat Smokers Last Run Of The Season

[BrotherBart]

Well we need to store up some smoked meat for the cold weather so the "Redneck Meat Smoker" got fired for the last time this year at sun-up for a 14 or 15 hour run. 14 pounds of pork, six chickens and a beef brisket. I have remarked on occasion that there were some of the 80's "smoke dragons" that were capable of a clean burn. The pics are all with the stove leveled out at 800 surface temp and the smoker box at the perfect 240 degrees. Burning clean with a twelve foot stack.

This rig has proved itself now so next weekend it gets sanded down and painted.

 

[carpniels]

HI BB,

Is that the one with the filing cabinet? Drawers of meat? Do I understand it correctly that the smoke from the insert goes into the drawers, around the meat and then up the chimney? Do you have a thermometer inserted into the filing cabinet? Must be, otherwise how would you know the temp in the smoke box.

I am glad to read it works so well and I am willing to provide my address for some taste testing

Thanks

Carpniels

PS. THere might be others out here that would like to build one. Do you thing there is a chance you could provide some building plans/directions?

 

[BrotherBart]

On the adult beverage inspired afternoon that I stuck it together I just cut a hole in the bottom of the filing cabinet large enough for the flue collar on the insert to fit. Then I cut one in the top of it and mounted the megabucks cast iron liner adapter that I had purchased when I put in a liner while the insert was still in the fireplace. There is a Charm-Glo barbecue probe thermo mounted even with the center drawer where the pork gets smoked. The smoke swirls around the drawers like secondary baffles to the one in the stove and then up and out. It is a smoking OWB like beast at startup. Good to have a nice breeze for the first thirty minutes of warmup.

I did it as a joke when I noticed that the cabinet was just the right width to sit on top of the insert. The original plan was to have a sheet metal shop make me up a stainless box with door and racks. The drawers are just the right width for aluminum roasting pans so this ugly sucker is a keeper. I have never owned any smoker at any price, and I have tried'em all, that can smoke meat like this thing. And the big firebox is a definite plus.

The rollers in the drawers will probably crap out but what the heck. I have two more cabinets that aren't being used that much in the office. I think a few coats of flat black hi-temp paint will do wonders for it.

 

[nshif]

PS. THere might be others out here that would like to build one. Do you thing there is a chance you could provide some building plans/directions?

I would be one of those others

 

[MrGriz]

Those pictures have the wheels turning here also. In fact I just checked craig's list for used stoves....

 

[Jags]

Love it Bro B. Looks like you'll be "high on the hog" in pretty short order. I just pulled the 24# batch of jerky off of my own, home built smoker. A different design, but works great. Designed for low or high temp applications (for anything from jerky to cheese to meat).

Mmmmmmm........making me hungry for some ribs. Oh look...theres a bag of jerky on my desk....mmmmmmmmm.

 

[carpniels]

HI BB,

That doesn't sound too hard to make. I have plenty of those cabinets in the basement. Now, where do I get a nice old Franklin or glacier bay insert????????

Thanks

Carpniels

 

[BrotherBart]

Now there is a thought. Those Glacier Bays and the old Fischers were just born for the job. I wouldn't be surprised if a good one couldn't be made with a rear exit stove and a full sized cabinet sitting behind it.

 

[nshif]

I just happen to have an old fisher mama bear....with a rear exit....hmmmm perhaps a 4 drawer cab?

 

[wahoowad]

I thought this was a joke at first, then when you said 'brisket' I knew you would not be making jokes about such a serious subject. That said, I thought flue gases were much higher than what you are getting. How the heck is that staying at 240. Even more so, how are you keep the beast at an even 800 (or whatever you achieve) without the burn cycle causing lots of fluctuation???

 

[Jags]

I thought this was a joke at first, then when you said 'brisket' I knew you would not be making jokes about such a serious subject. That said, I thought flue gases were much higher than what you are getting. How the heck is that staying at 240. Even more so, how are you keep the beast at an even 800 (or whatever you achieve) without the burn cycle causing lots of fluctuation???

Yeah, Bro B, what happens when things get a little too hot in your drawers? :coolsmile:

 

[Eric Johnson]

I think you can file that one under: Another Successful Smoking Session.

No wonder there's no smoke coming out the stack, BB--it's all going into the meat.

 

[BrotherBart]

I thought this was a joke at first, then when you said 'brisket' I knew you would not be making jokes about such a serious subject. That said, I thought flue gases were much higher than what you are getting. How the heck is that staying at 240. Even more so, how are you keep the beast at an even 800 (or whatever you achieve) without the burn cycle causing lots of fluctuation???

I have no answers on the flue gases side except that the size of the cabinet obviously dissipates a lot of the heat. That and the fact that the Sierra does a rolling re-burn across the baffle pretty much like a "modern" stove because it has secondary air inlets above the glass that mixes with the gases and gives it secondary combustion before the stuff goes up the pipe.

How to I control the burn cycle? Me and that stove have been cooking trees since 1985. Up to 800, eases down to 600 over the first hour and cruises at 500-600 for six hours and then eases down over the next three hours. Done it in my sleep many a night. The filing cabinet just hangs out at 225 to 260 the whole time for some reason. When smoking I stir the coals and add two splits to give it the final kick to finish up.

Update: The chickens came off in time for a late lunch. The pork and brisket were ready twenty minutes ago and made it in time for dinner.

Heaven now has a latitude and longitude. My wife hates pork but loves beef. Two bytes and she said "You outdid yourself this time old son.".

Thank you HON. You make one hell of a filing cabinet.