Homemade Mini-Vortex for the Jumbo Joe


 

Robert McGee

TVWBB Gold Member
I LOVE my Medium Vortex for the Performer and have done a number of cooks. It took a couple or three cooks before I was "up to speed" (like any other new tool) but I am a big fan.

However, on occasion, there are times where it would be nice to have a bit extra capacity. It doesn't occur often enough to warrant paying another $40+ dollars for my Jumbo Joe or my second Performer. What's a feller to do? Well, how about a home-made Mini-Vortex for the Jumbo Joe. I started looking around the web to see what items I could use. I have no access to metal working tools to actually copy a Vortex, and a metal fabrication shop would probably be more expensive that the original.

I found a stainless steel doggy bowl at Walmart and decided to try that for the basis.





Here is the label so you know exactly what I bought:


I had a friend with an air powered "nibbler" and he removed the bottom from the Stainless Steel bowl. I left the rim on the bowl to stiffen as it is quite thin. You can remove the bottom with a pair of aviation snips after drilling a pilot hole, a metal cutting jig saw or ...



Here it is on the initial "burn out":



The results are probably not as good as an original Vortex. The dimensions are a bit less than optimum (small end 6", large end 7.5" and 3" tall). Tony UK had one made that was 5" small end, large end 8 1/4", 3 7/16" tall) that would probably be optimum. However, it does work and pretty dern well. I suggest you load it up (you can get 35 to 40 Kingsford Briqs if you let them peek up above the top a bit).

You can check out my first efforts in the grilling section of this forum.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
P.S. I forgot to mention - the doggy bowl cost $2.87! rdm
 
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I have since used the Home Made Mini-Vortex with my Jumbo Joe several times. It works quite well. I recently had a small group of friends over for supper. I used the entire capacity of my Performer/Vortex doing chicken drumsticks and thighs. I put all of the appetizers (ABT's and Moink Balls) on the Jumbo Joe/Home Made Mini vortex and the combination worked perfectly.

Needless to say, I am quite happy with the results.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
Hi All My home made Vortex/Walmart dog bowl, didn't work as well as I thought it should. The temps on outside/edges only reached 225? I had to put the wings right the Vortex to get them to cook?
Any idea's or thoughts on why, it didn't work so good?
Thanks Dan
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Dan, it looks like you are using a BBQ with the side vents. You need to be using something with the vents on the bottom underneath the vortex so the air travels up through it to create the vortex effect. Hope this helps.

Richard.
 
Dan, it looks like you are using a BBQ with the side vents. You need to be using something with the vents on the bottom underneath the vortex so the air travels up through it to create the vortex effect. Hope this helps.

Richard.

Bingo, good eye!:)

Tim
 

 

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