Geyser braai build

[Namakwalander]

Frame is painted with heat resistant paint and I started oiling the braai with boiled linseed oil. This is to make touch ups easier and cheaper.

In the first photo you will see a lot of tack welds. Some of them were rust holes and others seemed to be defects in the steel. Thin spots. Like gouges.

The second photo shows the big gap in the bottom lip of the lid. Not sure what to do about it or if I should. We'll see how it goes.

[Spiceman]

Can you perhaps give us insight into you drum coating chain of thought.

[Namakwalander]

Can you perhaps give us insight into you drum coating chain of thought.

Sure. The simplest explanation is that I have no original ideas. So I copied what the Americans do with their offset smokers.

The inside is sprayed with normal non stick spray like you would use in a pan or baking sheet. Because it is food safe. It would keep the metal from rusting and is also easy to reaply later. I also assume that it might bake hard where it is not burned off. Either way, no problem.

The boiled linseed oil is only used on the exterior. It will eventually dry, or polymerize, to be almost like a varnish. Where heated enough, it will bake hard. Where heated too much, it will burn off. But touch ups is just a lappie of paper towel with a quick wipe down.

Lastly, I absolutely hate painting things with a brush. And from my reading, it seemed like anything from a spray can, that is worth while, is way expensive. The other options are all bruched on.

[Namakwalander]

Finally everything is put together!

Will leave it for the week and hopefully start it up on the weekend.

[Namakwalander]

Yesterday was the first fire in my geyser braai. So for a first run, I wanted to try something with chicken.

[Namakwalander]

Ok, ok, that wasa joke. I don't have any chicken at home.

I first made a little fire with pine to see what it does, then cleaned the braai out and put real wood inside.

My initial plan was just to put coals under the chicken and braai with the lid open, but once there was a coal bed and a small flame, I decided to see what happens when I close the lid. So coals to the sides and closed lid.

It didn't take too long for the braai to get lekker hot and you could hear the chicken sizzle from the hot air.

I also made a point to leave the lid open if new pieces of wood were added to keep the "wet" smoke away from the chicken. Not that I really know what I am doing. Sort of feeling my way through in the dark.

It did come out very lekker in the end with a lovely smokey taste, but slightly over cooked.

Next step will involve a few very small mods to get the lid to close better and then I can continue testing, but so far it has exceeded my expectations.

So any ideas of what I call this hybrid braai?

[plunger]

Ok, ok, that wasa joke. I don't have any chicken at home.

I first made a little fire with pine to see what it does, then cleaned the braai out and put real wood inside.

My initial plan was just to put coals under the chicken and braai with the lid open, but once there was a coal bed and a small flame, I decided to see what happens when I close the lid. So coals to the sides and closed lid.

It didn't take too long for the braai to get lekker hot and you could hear the chicken sizzle from the hot air.

I also made a point to leave the lid open if new pieces of wood were added to keep the "wet" smoke away from the chicken. Not that I really know what I am doing. Sort of feeling my way through in the dark.

It did come out very lekker in the end with a lovely smokey taste, but slightly over cooked.

Next step will involve a few very small mods to get the lid to close better and then I can continue testing, but so far it has exceeded my expectations.

So any ideas of what I call this hybrid braai?

Call it KWIKHOT

[Namakwalander]

Call it KWIKHOT

Haha. I like it.

[Andrew Leigh]

Old Geezer (as in old man)

[RUSSELL]

Geezer

[Andrew Leigh]

Geezer

Thats what I said ......

[GroenHoender]

Frame is painted with heat resistant paint and I started oiling the braai with boiled linseed oil. This is to make touch ups easier and cheaper.

In the first photo you will see a lot of tack welds. Some of them were rust holes and others seemed to be defects in the steel. Thin spots. Like gouges.

The second photo shows the big gap in the bottom lip of the lid. Not sure what to do about it or if I should. We'll see how it goes.

What is the size of that geyser?

[Namakwalander]

What is the size of that geyser?

Based on the dimensions, I would say 200L

480mm diameter and around 1200mm long

[Estee]

Awesome set up. I would make a removeable baffle between coals and main chamber for low n slow.

The chimney should draw indirect heat/smoke from your coals across the subject matter

[Namakwalander]

Awesome set up. I would make a removeable baffle between coals and main chamber for low n slow.

The chimney should draw indirect heat/smoke from your coals across the subject matter

Before I say anything else, this braai worked out by accident. All I really wanted was a "trolley braai" with a lid for when not in use, but it seems to work as a type of oven as well and I think I found the reason why the lid wont seal. So I can already improve on that.

With that out the way, I thought about the braai some more and I actually think it might almost work like a pizza oven. Basically, unlike an offset smoker that this resembles, the fire occupies the same space as where you cook. Heat rises up from the fire and hangs out in that top section of the lid until it drops down again to the level of the chimney and then exits there (offset smoker has heat enter and exit at the same level usually).

I still need to test my theory, so dont take my word for it just yet. I think I might need to put some dough balls at different heights and see how they rise or something.

Otherwise I also want to put a sacrificial plate on the inside of the lid, right above the fire so that I can heat the inside more without burning through the lid. My wife, who was completely against this braai btw, told me that we need to be able to make pizza in it. So that everyone can sit on the stoep instead of me alone in the kitchen. But baby steps, I guess.

So completely opposite to what you suggested Estee, but I might be doing hotter cooking before I do slow.

I am not a "foodie" so don't expect too much from me.

[Namakwalander]

Right. So the reason that the lid won't close completely, was because I am an idiot. The screws from the hook part of the latches pushed against the steel. Luckily, I tapped the holes. So I just needed to cut the excess off and let it be.

And now the lid closes completely meaning I can more accurately control the temp.

[Namakwalander]

And as mentioned in the week, I repurposed and old UPS case to be the sacrificial plate on the inside of the lid for when I want to make the braai nice and hot with the lid closed.

I tack welded some nuts on the inside of the lid to hold it al in place.

[Namakwalander]

I also welded some nuts to the bolts that I use as feet on the opposite side as the wheels, to keep it from sinking into the lawn. This braai is actually quite heavy.

[Dudleytheplumber]

Anyone in the Durban Area looking for geysers for whatever. ...
Give me a shout
Going cheàp

[Namakwalander]

Trying another round of chicken in my oversized, wood fired air fryer.

As soon as the fire stopped smoking, I tried closing the lid and with the gap propblem fixed, you could see the flames being pulled fowards the inside. Meaning it flows well. So I built a small bed of coals and then kept adding small pieces of wood to keep a flame going.

This time I put the chicken away from direct heat and didn't add coals underneath like before. Skins were a treat for me and the chicken butts for my dogs. I left it skin side down for 30min with the lid closed and it looked good. So flipped it over and probably did another 40 or 50 min.

Turned out better than last time, but I might need to consider dropping the grid height for slower cooking.