My PORTABLE mini!


 

E Mann

TVWBB Fan
After many months of planning my mini and taking some great suggestions from this board, I have finally pulled the trigger and started cutting & drilling. My biggest reason for wanting a mini is for the portability factor. I wanted to be able to pick it up and take it anywhere without hassle. My buddy (who helped me with the build) brews so we occassionally have Brew-B-Que's but it's such a pain in the arse to take my 22". I apologize for all the pics & the long thread.

I opted for cutting the hole and using the 10" x 2" cake pan for my diffuser. We used the bottom of the cake pan as a guide to cut the hole.

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Then we cleaned up the hole (the picture is of my brewing buddy... I'm much more handsome)!
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The remaining lip was about 2" and we wanted the diffuser to sit at 2.5" so we created our own L brackets out of some aluminum flat stock. That sounds difficult but the aluminum is very easy to bend with a table vice. Once bent, we drilled 2 holes per bracket and mounted them to the lip of the pan.

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Then the diffuser pan sits on top of the L brackets
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I opted for 3 cooking grates, the first sits on the steamer lip, the second about 4.5" down and the third about 1" down. I realize that I'll typically only be using 1 grate but wanted the flexibility as I'll use this mini for appetizers when we have a party. (no pics of that, pretty self explanatory)!

I purchased a 3" face, 2.5" stem Tel-Tru thermometer but I wanted to be able to remove the thermometer if necessary for loading the smoker or moving the grates. The thermometer has a male NPT threat so I found a face bushing that was the same size. (A face bushing is a plumbing piece and is essentially a double threaded pipe where the inside & outside are threaded). To secure the face bushing, I added an NPT nut on both the inside and outside with a high heat gasket. I needed a 1-1/8" hole so the trusty step bit was key. As you can see, the thermometer screws in & out easily.
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Thermometer in place
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Since portability was the main factor, I wanted all pieces to lock in place. Therefore, I started with the Smokey Joe Gold and move the lid lock wire so that it would fit on the pot & still lock on the lid.
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I then purchased some twist locks to put between the base & the pot. Since the lid lock wire on the Gold holds the dampers in place, I just bolted those in with a wing nut.
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CONTINUED BELOW...
 
This is the smoker all put together. I haven't decided if I want to paint it yet, I kind of like the contrast
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And, most importantly, I can pick it up with one had to transport! (See, I told you I was much more handsome)!
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Now, all I have to do is cook on it! I have a bacon wrapped pork loin & some boneless/skinless turkey breasts going. The turkey will be sliced for sandwiches.
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So far, so good. I'm still dialing in the temps but it's working out great. I still need to add a thermometer grommet & build a charcoal grate but I couldn't wait to start cooking! I also need to come up with a system to hold the twist locks up when I lift the pot. I tried magnets but the "stainless" twist locks aren't magnetic... yeah... stainless. I also tried a chain with S hooks from the handles on the pot down to the twist locks but that was just a pain. Any other ideas out there?

I thoroughly enjoyed building this and I do have details on all the parts if anyone is interested. Thanks for looking and sorry again for the long post!
 
Nice job !

I like those draw latches...they are used in marine applications out here.
There is a plated steel version for your magnet solution.

So these latches fall and make it PITA when you're re-coupling the pot ?

If so, maybe you could squeeze in the wings a bit to create enough friction to hold it up ?
Might want to take them off and use a hammer, punch and the anvil area of a bench vise (or similar) if that makes sense.
 
Really well thought out! Great ideas with the lid holder and latches. I feel certain we will see those ideas used quite a bit in future builds!
Good job,
Tim
 
That's a very nice build. I especially love the portability. I look forward to a post or two from your Brew-B-Q(s). I do a few Brew-B-Q(s) myself because the brew crew gets hungry at the end of the brew day.
 
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Thanks for the comments, I really do appreciate it. The wings on the twist locks do fold in to create a flat surface, I just don't see any reason to do that as they are a PITA to fold back up!
 
Thanks for the comments, I really do appreciate it. The wings on the twist locks do fold in to create a flat surface, I just don't see any reason to do that as they are a PITA to fold back up!
I was talking about the wings on the frame. (see red marks)
Could they be pinched inboard to create a little friction that would hold the latches up when they are in disconnect mode ?

(If I'm understanding the issue correctly)

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Joe, I see your point with pushing in the corners. I'll take a look this weekend and see if that's feasible. I'm not sure if that'll work though as there's not a lot of room to work with there.
 
Joe, I see your point with pushing in the corners. I'll take a look this weekend and see if that's feasible. I'm not sure if that'll work though as there's not a lot of room to work with there.
You may have to use (carefully, of course) a hammer and center punch against something solid like the anvil portion of a bench vise or against the side of a sledge hammer.
Just a quick strike and check.....re-do as necessary......careful not to bend the pivot pin, so place the part on the edge of the anvil keeping pressure off of the pin.
 
One of the nicest builds I've seen, well done. I've wanted to do this but have yet to pull the trigger.......procrastinating is SOOOO much easier ;).
 
That's a great build, really impressive.

I'm itching to build one myself but the pots are scarce/much more expensive in the UK.
Dave
 
That's a great build, really impressive.

I'm itching to build one myself but the pots are scarce/much more expensive in the UK.
Dave
Search on "Welsh" here within this forum.
There you will find Sian's mini build thread using a Sonex 28L pot available in the UK for a reasonable price.
He names the shop where he purchased the Sonex stock pot.
 
I'm very impressed with this build and would have gone to the same extent except that I have a really bad case of the lazy. Nicely done!
 
Thanks Chuck, I do appreciate it. Besides the dozens of trips to the hardware store, the build wasn't too difficult!!
 
I wanted to get those latches too. Where did you pick it up? I stopped by a Lowe's and couldn't find anything similar. Going to try Home Depot next.
 

 

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