Adding Baffles to a Smoker

Offset Smoker

• 1

  Measure the length of your smoking chamber, as well as the distance from the bottom of the smoking chamber to the smoke and heat inlet on the side. Typically offset smokers are shaped like a sideways barrel, with a small firebox attached to one end.

• 2

  Cut a piece of sheet metal with tin snips that fits into the bottom of the smoking chamber, and is about 10 inches longer than the smoking chamber length.

• 3

  Bend one end of the sheet metal up at a 45-degree angle. Bend enough of the end so that the sheet metal becomes flat again about 2-inches off the smoking chamber bottom. This end will go over the smoke and heat inlet, directing the smoke downward.

• 4

  Bend 4 inches of the other end down 45 degrees, then from the bent portion bend 2 inches back straight, to create a “Z” shaped step on the end. This will keep the baffle 2 inches up from the bottom of the smoker, and will be bolted to the smoker bottom on the last part of the “Z”.

• 5

  Cut slits along the length of the baffle using a heavy-duty utility knife or a lever-type can opener. The slits can be placed randomly, but there should be fewer slits near the smoke inlet end, with the bulk of them toward the other end of the baffle to ensure that the smoke and heat moves evenly toward the end of the smoking chamber. Use a flat-head screwdriver to slightly open the slits.

• 6

  Fit the baffle inside the smoking chamber, with the 45-degree angle end over the inlet. Bolt the end to the side of the smoking chamber with 3 to 4 bolts long enough to go through the wall and into the firebox. Tighten with nuts on the ends of the bolts in the firebox end.

• 7

  Bolt the other end of the baffle to the smoking chamber floor, using 3 to 4 bolts long enough to go through the bottom of the smoking chamber, and tighten on the outside with nuts.

One-Unit Smoker

• 8

  Purchase an outside mount, hip and ridge style chimney cap that can comfortably sit inside your smoker. Typically, these are rectangular or square boxes made from mesh, with a solid sheet metal roof that has four sides and is angled downward.

• 9

  Cut the bottom of the chimney cap off, so that the roof of the chimney cap sits about 2 inches above the heat and smoke source in the smoker. Because the chimney caps have mesh sides, if you don’t cut it down, the smoke will simply come out the sides without any benefit from the baffle.

• 10

  Cut 1/2-inch long slits in the roof of the chimney cap with a heavy-duty Stanley knife or an old-style lever can opener. Place the slits randomly, but have less toward the top of the roof, with the majority closer to the edge. Use a flat-head screw driver to open the slits slightly.

• 11

  Place the chimney cap baffle over the top of your heat source in the smoker.