BBQ Smoker under Pizza Oven Outdoor Fireplace Design Discuss BBQ Smoker under Pizza Oven in the Outdoor Kitchens and Living Rooms forums; I am new to all of this and am in the early reseach stage of building a multi function oven/smoker/grill/spit ...

[Hoosier 45]

I am new to all of this and am in the early reseach stage of building a multi function oven/smoker/grill/spit roaster as well. I was wanting to do as you are describing with a smoker chamber below but make it with removable steel doors and big enough to spit roast a small to medium size hog.

It seam like if you were roasting a hog you could use the oven to burn down your wood to coals then just use a long handled shovel to move then to the smoking chamber for the roasting operation.

When you want to smoke just put on the doors fire it up and cut the air.

Where is the ash slot that has been mentioned? That seems like a good way of moving your smoke into the oven from below.
Martin

[Loren]

Martin,

The ash slot is in direct line with the flu pipe in my oven. It is used for removing the ash so you can bake bread. It is about 5" x 10". I was thinking of getting some heating duct fittings, say a rectangular to round adapter and having a short pipe take the smoke in to the main chamber. It should work out fine.

Good luck with the plans.

Loren

[Hoosier 45]

So the ash slot is in the front of the oven and inline with the flue? It seems like it would do a better job of evenly filling the oven with smoke if it were located to the side or the back. That way the smoke would be less likely to travel straight up the chimney. I guess the ash slot has a metal plate covering during normal oven operation?

[Loren]

Yes, I did not want to vent anything directly in to the oven. I think there would be too much outside air introduced in to the oven, sure you could plug it but how effective would the plug be. Not a good thing while trying to bake. But if you are not that interested in baking your idea should be fine. Check out the pic and you can see the ash slot.

The ash slot is not inside the oven area so you can cover it or not, I have not lost any pizza yet!

So if I were to install some sheet metal with a 4" 90 degree elbow to direct smoke in from the front of the oven it should work fine, no smoke up the flue, just in to the main oven chamber.

Here is another early shot of the oven so you can get a better idea.

[texassourdough]

The ash slot is a somewhat common feature on baking ovens to facilitate removing ashes. From other WFO bakers it is my impression that a good portion of those who have ash slots don't use them and that those of us who don't have ash slots don't feel we miss them.

To be most functional ash slots should have a suspended tray that fits below the ash slot to catch the ashes and to keep the area below the ash slot usable for storage. My take is that the tray can be a mess, sometimes getting water in it, caking, etc. I am quite happy to simply remove it with my ash shovel and drop it in my galvanized trash can where I rescue charcoal from the embers I shovel in.

[Loren]

What you say is true but my ash slot has always had more than one use in my plans. First, it is an ash slot which I sometimes use but it does kick out a lot of dust if you let it drop down to the bottom. Second, it is a flue for my outdoor fireplace which we use quite a bit. Third, it is a source to use the oven as a smoker and I can control the smoke without having to open the door of the oven.

After building the oven I would say you really don't need an ash slot, however I am very glad we have one.