More Stackers for the 14.5

[Robert-R]

The stacker I originally made for the 14.5 (http://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?57121-Made-a-Stacker-amp-Hanging-Rack-for-the-14-5) is perfect for racks of ribs, however it's a bit tall for hung chicken, tri-tip & etc.

So I made another one at 2/3 the height:

It will get the meat closer to the coals, heat a bit faster, & possibly use less fuel.

I made another one that can have dual use. I can add another grate just above the cooking chamber:

Which is nice, but what I really intend is for it to be used when reverse searing. I prefer to hang tri-tips & then reverse sear. Which means removing the center section of the smoker & adding a grate above the charcoal ring like this:

The problem when doing such is that the grate just sits on the top of the charcoal ring & sometimes moves when rotating or flipping the meat. It's an accident waiting to happen. The top is not a snug fit - it just sits on the charcoal chamber so it's easy to mis-align the two parts of the cooker. The mini-stacker solves this easily:

I can use the lid from a Smokey Joe to concentrate the heat on whatever I'm cooking or searing and I can snuff the coals very quickly at the end of a cook.

I love my 14.5 & there's hardly anything I wouldn't do for it.

 

[Robert McGee]

Robert-R;
It is OBVIOUS that you are a talented metal fabricator with a innovative turn of mind! You have certainly put your talents to good use! It looks like you really know your way around a WSM, also!

Yep! I'm just a bit jealous...

Good work!
Keep on smokin',
Dale53

 

[Cliff Bartlett]

Ditto what Robert M said. Your fabrication skills are tremendous and I enjoyed reading both threads. Thank you for sharing this information Robert.

 

[Robert-R]

Hey Robert & Cliff !!!

Thanks for your positive feedback. I was beginning to think I'm talking to myself.
Outside of that... wanted to contribute to the huge knowledge base of this forum.
I've learned so much here in my short time as a member.

fwiw - I'm self taught. Don't look close! ... it's all about smoke (& mirrors?), imho.
I did take an adult education class in welding last fall & that was helpful.

 

[TOM BAUER]

Wow!! Like that shorter ring that makes the 14.5 into a Smokey Joe. Great fab job!!

 

[Robert-R]

Wow!! Like that shorter ring that makes the 14.5 into a Smokey Joe. Great fab job!!

Thanks. That can be done by not using the charcoal ring, using the top grate & lid from a SJ. But why? A SJ new is $29 & on CL much less.

 

[Jeff Padell]

I like the small (shortest) ring as I have found when doing 2 racks of ribs cut in half on the top grate in the 14.5 the lid can interfere. Also you could use it to do beer can chicken on the top grate!

Did you make them yourself? I don't have that skill, what would a tell a metal shop I needed?

 

[Robert-R]

I like the small (shortest) ring as I have found when doing 2 racks of ribs cut in half on the top grate in the 14.5 the lid can interfere. Also you could use it to do beer can chicken on the top grate!

Did you make them yourself? I don't have that skill, what would a tell a metal shop I needed?

Yes, I made them. If I was going to have one fabricated, I would show them pix of what I wanted and also take the cooker so they could see how it was manufactured and take measurements. 16 or 18 gauge metal is what I would recommend. Hopefully they would have a ring roll and a bead roll with appropriate dies - would make the job a slam dunk for them. A sheet metal shop would be my first stop in sourcing a fabricator.

Good luck!

 

[DaveL]

Great job, I love the table with all accessories hung under it too