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.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
Then we cleaned up the hole (the picture is of my brewing buddy... I'm much more handsome)!
[/URL][/IMG]
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.
[/URL][/IMG]
Then the diffuser pan sits on top of the L brackets
[/URL][/IMG]
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.
[/URL][/IMG]
[/URL][/IMG]
Thermometer in place
[/URL][/IMG]
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.
[/URL][/IMG]
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.
[/URL][/IMG]
CONTINUED BELOW...
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.
Then we cleaned up the hole (the picture is of my brewing buddy... I'm much more handsome)!
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.
Then the diffuser pan sits on top of the L brackets
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.
Thermometer in place
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.
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.
CONTINUED BELOW...