help with modding brinkman smoke n gril pit thingy

[thedonsmoker]

hey all .. so i was looking for a grill.. "needless to say im new to offset smokers.. i went and grabbed one for 200 bucks it was raised pretty high up in the store so i couldnt see all the things wrong with it lol .. put it together and was instantly pissed.. lol it felt cheap.. the door didnt close all the way..
so here i am on your lovely forums after countless hours of researching..

so what i have i done so far.. well the damn top door was horrible so i just decided to cut a new one in it..
ive made a baffle and a few tuning plates ill also extend the pipe down to grate level along with fire bricks on the far side

heres pics.. my question is about the baffle and the tuning plates.. i made my baffle larger than normal and now i dont have room for all three plates the plate sizes are 10' 8' and 6' heres pics.. any suggestions would be good.. i have the welder coming by in the morning to fix the doors up





you see how there isnt enough space for three? so how should i work this out



those are the smallest two but look how much space is left
the cooking side will also be sealed up real nice with the wrapped fire bricks on top of the plates

thanx for your time i really appreciate it

[SoEzzy]

Please read PMPNLT650pxOTLS!
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[k.a.m.]

Welcome to the ring thedonsmoker, looking forward to seeing some pics of your cooks and following your cooker mod progress.
Since no two cookers react the same to tuning plates or their positioning I would try what you have and make a couple of test burns measuring the grate temps with oven grate thermometers. If your not happy then shift the plates accordingly either closing of an area or opening it. If your still not happy then cut one or two of the wider plates down to allow the other to fit. You may ask the welder while he is there to cut it down for you.
Tuning a cooker takes several runs to get it down and when you add meat it will change slightly again so practice makes perfect.
I hope this helps.
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Reverse Flow
Hybrid Cooker

[thedonsmoker]

ok so im allll done at least i thought i was..
i fixed the doors and sealed everything nice and tight theres no leaks anywhere.. i extended the chimney down to grate level
i have a charcoal basket not a big one.. but decen enough to hold a nice amount of charcoal..

and i still havent been able to get the cooking chamber up to temp!!? it hasnt been past 150

any suggestions? because i am seriously ready to choke a smoker! heres pics

and thanx guys