# Smoker Design Help



## Rufneck (Jul 21, 2016)

I am building an outdoor kitchen on some rural property and want to incorporate a smoker into the design. The kitchen cabinet / countertop will be free-standing and will have a BBQ grill, a sink and I intend to incorporate a smoker. I have found a wood burning smoker that I can have made for me and then I would have the mason just build around it but I am thinking that an all brick/mortar smoker would be better than a metal one that's been built around. 

I have seen several smokers that are built into countertops but the ones I have seen are narrow and around 6 feet tall and I don't want that. What I want is a scaled down brick/mortar smoker. Does anybody have a proven design they can share with me? The countertop on my outdoor kitchen is 36" tall and the width of the smoker can be up to around 42 or 48" wide so I think I have adequate room.


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## jtburf (May 26, 2004)

Her is our and the smoker is free standing. Built the Island and inset a gas grill from Home Depot. Replaced it this last spring.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

I think I would go with metal. Brick may last longer in the smoker area but not in the fire box area. You'd have better control of the heat with thick steel IMO.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Jerry713 said:


> I think I would go with metal. Brick may last longer in the smoker area but not in the fire box area. You'd have better control of the heat with thick steel IMO.


Not if you use fire brick...like in a wood burning fireplace. There are no mortar joints in those...which is the weak link. A special mortar is used that the fire brick are dipped into that holds them together more like a glue.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

bwguardian said:


> Not if you use fire brick...like in a wood burning fireplace. There are no mortar joints in those...which is the weak link. A special mortar is used that the fire brick are dipped into that holds them together more like a glue.


Yep I'm familiar with them. I've built a lot of outdoor fire pits and a couple of outdoor fireplaces when I had a landscape company. I've also replaced many of fire brick because they popped or busted from the heat. Both have their good and bad but I would go steel based in my experience.


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## bwguardian (Aug 30, 2005)

Jerry713 said:


> Yep I'm familiar with them. I've built a lot of outdoor fire pits and a couple of outdoor fireplaces when I had a landscape company. *I've also replaced many of fire brick because they popped or busted from the heat.* Both have their good and bad but I would go steel based in my experience.


Then they weren't installed correctly...not everyone, heck, not even all masonry contractors know how to install them correctly.


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## Jerry713 (Nov 6, 2019)

bwguardian said:


> Then they weren't installed correctly...not everyone, heck, not even all masonry contractors know how to install them correctly.


Could've been what happened.


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

bwguardian said:


> Then they weren't installed correctly...not everyone, heck, not even all masonry contractors know how to install them correctly.


That may very well be true. The fired heaters in plants along the channel have fire brick lining and they hold up. And they get hotter than almost any cooking I have ever heard of.


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## Rufneck (Jul 21, 2016)

Thought I'd update how this project worked out. I had the smoker fabricated and then I moved it into location and had the mason build around it. I am happy with how it turned out. I just now need to learn how to dial in the heat on the smoker. I've had a few 'burn-in' fires but have not yet attempted to smoke anything. We lined the bottom of it with fire brick to insulate the heat from the concrete slab and I think it will also help retain heat. I suppose that there is the risk of water sitting in the bottom of the firebox and rusting it out, but it is 1/2" steel and so if it does, hopefully it will be my grandson's problem .


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## Waymore (Jul 6, 2011)

Nice


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