BBQ Expedition BBQ PIT BOX GF-S User manual

BBQ PIT BOX®
Cabinet Smokers
professional barbecue-cookers
User manual
Side Firebox / Gravity-Feed models
(GF-S, GF-M, GF-L, GF-L plus)
© 2015-2017 BBQ Expedition Ltd.

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About the BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers
The BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers (from now on: cabinet smokers, smokers or
cookers) are professional barbecue-cookers.
Recommended both for private and professional / catering use.
The BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers are originally designed for outdoor use,
however it may be used indoors, in closed areas. Please read the chapter titled The
BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers Indoor Use.
Two main product lines of the BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers:
oSide-Firebox / Gravity-Feed charcoal smokers (at present in 5 sizes)
oBottom-Firebox / Reverse-Flow charcoal smokers (at present in 4 sizes)
See up-to-date products range in the Appendix.
The BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers are charcoal-smoker constructions with the
possibility of using smoking wood.
The BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers are excellent for preparing barbecue-style
food, namely cooking for long hours in a low temperature range (100-140°C / 210-
280 °F).
Using a smoker requires both patience and experience. In case you have less
experience with barbecue-style cooking techniques, please read literature in this
topic and start using the smoker with patience and in small steps.
Recommended reading material:
owww.nyarspolgar.hu
oKócsa László – Adorjányi Máriusz: BBQ Expedíció (chefparade, 2016)
oEnglish language literature:
Tim Byres: Smoke –New firewood cooking
Franklin Barbecue –A meat-smoking manifesto
Chris Lilly: Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book
Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling
Adam Perry Lang: Serious Barbecue
Joe Carroll: Feeding the fire

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General technical features:
Firebox and Cooking Chamber inner walls: LV4 sheet, S 235 material quality
Combustion Chamber: LV10 sheet, S 235 material quality
Hollow section frames: 30x30x2
Hollow section braces: 30x15x2
Coating: LV1,5 sheet, powder-coated paint
Fire Grate Access Doors: sintered, heat-proof black paint
Chimney Damper: Heat-proof, matte black paint
Brushed aluminium edge protectors
Hollow section frame, expanded steel cooking grills
Heat-proof (up to 600 °C) fibreglass door insulation in the Cooking Chamber
Heat-proof (up to 900 °C) ceramic door insulation in the Firebox
Heat-proof (up to 1200 °C) rock-wool insulation between the inner walls and
coating of the Cooking Chamber and the Firebox.
Solid rubber tyres: 2x fix, 2x tyres with rotating brakes
Manufacturing background:
Every single BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smoker is a unique piece, handmade by qualified
metal-workers, with industrial background and technology.
Materials cut with plasma cutter
Consumable metal electrode and AVI manual welding
Walls bent with hidraulic bending-off press
Detailed workmanship process

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BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers structure/ Side Firebox / Gravity-Feed models
 The image above is based on Model GF-S.

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BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smoker structure/ Side Firebox/Gravity-Feed models with open Cooking Chamber
 The image above is based on Model GF-S.

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FIREBOX (FB –Firebox)
Firebox Access Door 01 (FB-01)
Access door for fuel - namely charcoal or charcoal-block - input.
Lock tautness can be set with wrench nr. 8.
Firebox Access Door 02 (FB-02)
Access door for air intake control. It is only open while heating up or
regenerating Cooking Chamber temperature.
Firebox Access Door 03 (FB-03)
Opens to Ash Pan, which can be taken out through this door. It is open while
cleaning and adding smoking wood fuel.
Air Intake Valve (FB-04)
Nr. 1 control of charcoal burning in the Firebox. When appropriately used it can
stabilize and fine-tune the Cooking Chamber temperature and ventillation.
Handle Bars 2x (FB-05)
Used for pushing and moving the smoker.
Utensil Holder (FB-06)
Various grill utensils can be stored on the hooks. There is also a bottle opener.
Rotating tyres with brakes 2x (FB-07)
Used for moving and braking the smoker. Standard size: d = 200 mm. Solid
rubber tyres, bearing capacity: 500 kg/ tyre.
Charcoal Holder Grate (FB-08)
Central part of the Firebox as the fuel is burning on it. Oxygen gets to the fuel
from below, through the grates. Removable module.
Ash Pan (FB-09)
Double function:
1) Smoking wood fuel placed here is slowly igniting and burning by the
dropping burning charcoal pieces from the above Charcoal Holder Grate.
2) Cleaning pan: ash collector and can be taken out for cleaning when it is
cold. Removable module.
Flame Protector Sheets (FB-10)
In extreme cases (e.g. inappropriately open door) it can happen that small-sized
flames get out from the bottom Firebox Access Doors. The Flame Protector
Sheets prevent these flames to reach the powder-coated casing of the smoker.

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COOKING CHAMBER (CC –Cooking Chamber)
BBQ Pit Box® logo (CC-01)
We are proud that the BBQ Pit Box® smokers are made in Hungary. Therefore
our logo is in the middle of the Cooking Chamber door.
Chimney (CC-02)
The other main element in the heat ventillation of the Cooking Chamber apart
from the Air Intake Valve (FB-04). The ventillation in the Cooking Chamber is
sustained by the Chimney downdraft.
Chimney Damper (CC-03)
Regulates chimney downdraft intesity.
Cooking Chamber Analogue Temperature Gauge (CC-04)
Gives important information on the Cooking Chamber inside temperature.
Cooking Chamber Dook Locks (CC-05)
Responsible for airtight closing of Cooking Chamber.
Lock tautness can be set with wrench nr. 10.
Fix tyres 2x (CC-06)
Used for moving the smoker. Standard size: d = 300 mm. Solid rubber tyres,
bearing capacity: 500 kg/ tyre.
Outer Drain Pan (CC-07)
Juice and grease from the meat while cooking partly arrives here. In case of
cleaning the cooker with water, it also arrives here.
D-Rings / Tie Down Points (CC-08)
Fastening the smoker while transporting.
Digital Thermometer Opening Access (CC-09)
Various digital meat and grill grate thermometer wires can be entered through
this into the Cooking Chamber.
Grill Grate Rails (CC-10)
Grill grates are to be put here; they are variable.
Grill Grates (CC-11)
Standard equipment, hollow-section frame, expanded steel grates.

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Water Pan (CC-12)
Double function:
1) Collecting juice and grease from the meat while cooking.
2) Heat-flow, heat-stabilizing.
Water Pan Holding Rail (CC-13)
Water Pan goes here. Always put the empty pan on the grate and only then
pour water in it.
Grease and Water Vapour Deflector Sheet (CC-14)
Responsible for deflecting the water vapour and grease from the Cooking
Chamber door inner side.
Heat Baffle (CC-15)
The soul of the Cooking Chamber: it slows down the heat from the Firebox,
releases it evenly into the Cooking Chamber.

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Safety Instructions
Please read and follow these instructions before using your BBQ Pit Box®
smoker.
Cooking is dangerous and improper use may result in fire, serious
injuries, accidents and even death.
General Safety
Use the smoker carefully, in sober state and patiently every time.
Using the smoker is recommended for people over the age 18.
Only use this smoker on a hard, level and non-combustible surface.
The smoker must not be used on any combustible and unstable surface.
The weight of the BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers Charcoal models is 160-760 kg
(350 –1700 lbs) (See product specifications in Appendix). Only use them on
statically suitable surfaces.
Make sure there is at least 10 m clearance between the unit and any combustible
materials such as bush, trees, wooden decks/fencing and buildings.
Do not leave the smoker unattended and keep children and pets away from the
unit at all times.
Before using the smoker, brake the rotaring tyres at all times.
Do not attempt to move the unit whilst in use.
Use extreme caution when adding charcoal or wood.
Wear closed shoes while using the smoker, especially when working with hot
charcoal.
Certain surfaces of the cooker can get very hot whilst in use, especially the 3
Firebox Access Doors. Therefore use BBQ/oven mitts at all times when touching
them or setting the vents, etc.
Only pour water in the Water Pan when the pan is already in place in the cooker.
Never pour water in the pan first and then try to put it inside. The water might
splash on the hot surface of the Cooking Chamber. Try to avoid this.
Never pour water on the charcoal for cooling purposes. Instead close the Air
Intake Valve and the Chimney and wait for the charcoal to burn down.
Make sure that the charcoal ember and ash is cooled down after use and before
emptying the cooker. Only leave the smoker unattended after this.
It is recommended to keep a fire-extinguisher near the smoker.

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Moving the smoker
Before moving the smoker make sure that the surface is appropriate for moving.
Make sure that nobody stands in the way of the moving smoker.
The smokers are rather heavy, so only move them if you consider yourself
physically strong and healthy.
The BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers are massive, heavy constructions. This is the
key in their heat flow and cooking stability. However these features make the
moving quite difficult. We recommend the followings:
oIn case you often move the smoker, e.g. taking it to events, etc., please
prepare the necessary equipment and manpower to move it.
oDo not get the smoker down from anywhere, e.g. trailer, in a way that it
lands on the wheels.
oDo not move the smoker on stairs so that any side of it would land on the
wheels.
oThe smoker should be moved between levels by appropriate number of
people or by forklift.

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Transport and fastening
The D-Rings / Tie Down Points on the four corners of the Cooking Chamber
are for fastening.
Do not lift the smoker with the D-Rings.
Never fasten the smoker on the top of the Cooking Chamber, as you can
damage the coating sheet.
The BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers can be transported both on trailers or inside
vans.
Before leaving make sure that the smoker is securely fastened.
Make sure that the tyre brakes are on.
Make sure that no objects can damage the smoker coating during transport.

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General Instructions
The BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers are originally designed for outdoor use.
Only use them indoors:
oon your own responsibility, after consulting with experts,
owith proper air ventillation and keeping all the fire safety regulations.
Further information on this topic: The BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers Indoor
Use chapter.
Do not use instant lighting charcoal, or flammable liquids.
We recommend using natural, winnowed –so called egalised - charcoal.
It is necessary to point out that the quality of the commercially available charcoal is
very different. Please always read the description –especially the ingredients - on
the packaging before buying charcoal. Make sure you use the best possible quality
during cooking.
Certain charcoal-blocks and coir briquettes are also suitable for the smoker.
However, you need your own experience in using these and be familiar with their
effects. In case you use a new fuel, please pay attention to the reactions and the
operation of the cooker.
There are certain briquette types which burn fast even with smaller air
intake, therefore they cause overheating or can be stabilized with more
difficulty.
The BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers were developed by using large pieces of
natural lumpwood charcoal. Such problems cannot happen if good quality
charcoal is used.
We do not recommend using any other fuel types.
The BBQ Pit Box® Cabiner Smoker Side/Bottom and Back-Firebox / Gravity Feed
models must not be operated by using wood. Barbecuing with wood burning
requires a different structure, as wood works differently from charcoal.
Do not overheat the smoker. Cooking Chamber temperature over 250°C (480°F) is
strongly not recommended.

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Basic information and instructions for cooking in the BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet
Smokers
Heat-flow in Side-Firebox smokers. The Firebox and the Cooking Chamber
are two different units in these models.
oThe charcoal burns in the bottom part of the firebox, in the combustion
chamber, right over the Charcoal Holder Grate. The necessary oxygen is
coming from below, through the Charcoal Holder Grate via the Air Intake
Valve on Firebox Access Door 02.
oThe heat arrives through a grate, which is exactly on the border of the
Firebox and the Cooking Chamber.
oThe heat arrives in the Heat Baffle (CC-15) in the Cooking Chamber. This
removable part slows down the heat from the Firebox and releases it evenly
into the Cooking Chamber.
oThe Chimney opens from the middle of the Cooking Chamber in the Side
Firebox models. It creates a unique flow mechanism with intense downdraft.
The heat and smoke arrives in the Cooking Chamber at the bottom.
Then it slowly and evenly spreads though the Heat Baffle and finally leaves
via the Chimney up and middle.
oThe lit charcoal in the bottom of the Firebox gradually burns down and
becomes ash. Then only the bottom layer of the later filled up unlit charcoal
will burn on the holder grate. The unlit charcoal takes the place of the
earlier burnt lumpwood as a result of weight and gravity. This is why the
model is called: GF –gravity feed.
Air Intake regulation. There is a Firebox Access Door 02 on the Firebox of the
BBQ Pit Box® Side-Firebox Cabinet Smokers. There is also an Air Intake Valve.
The Chimney is on the top of the Cooking Chamber.
oThe inner temperature of the Cooking Chamber can be regulated by the
Firebox Access Door 02 and the Air Intake Valve on the door.

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oThe more open they are (either the door or the valve) the more oxygen flows
into the Firebox and the temperature increases in the Cooking Chamber.
oThe Chimney needs to be open while heating up. During the rest of the
cooking, and in case of certain models to various extent, we can control the
temperature by closing the Chimney to create the ideal heat and flow.
oThe two doors on the bottom of the Firebox (Firebox Access Door 02 & 03)
must never be open at the same time! In this case the heat energy leaves
through one of the doors and the essential heat-flow will not be created.

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About barbecue in general
Barbecue (BBQ) = it is first and foremost a food cooking technique. Long-time
cooked meat on simmering fire with wood or charcoal generated indirect heat,
traditionally in the 110-120°C (230-250°F) temperature range, but definitely below 150°C
(300°F).
The manufacturer of the BBQ Pit Box® interprets the concept of barbecuing strictly
according to the above stated definition, as it is accepted in the traditional barbecuing
regions (south-east states of the USA).
Barbecue-cooking: The barbecue-style cooking can typically last between 3-14 hours,
in a low temperature range (110-120°C/230-250°F). The temperature of all grill grates
levels off in the Cooking Chamber, therefore we can cook on all grates with the same
efficiency.
oThe BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers are extremely efficient barbecue-
cookers.
oAfter heating up the cooker, the inner walls become hot and perfectly stable
temperature and heat flow can be established with fine-tuning the Chimney
Damper and the Air Intake Valve. This creates ideal environment for tender
but superbly efficient cooking of meat in big quantity.

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oThe meat is being cooked in intense flow on the grates. Moreover, the
thick walls adsorb the heat and as the Cooking Chamber is insulated and
there is no heat egress, the inner walls radiate the heat in every
direction into the Cooking Chamber.
Water Pan in the Cooking Chamber. The Water Pan is set in the lower
section of the Cooking Chamber in every BBQ PIT BOX® Cabinet Smokers.
oPrimary function of the Water Pan: collecting juice and grease from
the meat. As the Cooking Chamber is vertical a lot of grease leaves the meat
during barbecuing and using the Water Pan can help us to avoid the grease
getting onto the bottom of the cooker and causing inconvenient smell and
smoke.

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oSecondary funtion of the Water Pan: heat-flow and moisturizing.
The position of the Water Pan is between the meat and the hottest and
lowest region of the cooker. Therefore it partly supports stabilizing the
cooking temperature, cooling the smoke and moisturizing the cooking
environment.
Important note: contrary to the so-called water smokers, the role of the water and
water pan is not primary in the BBQ PIT BOX® Cabiner Smokers. Due to their
construction these smokers are stable enough without a water pan and there is no
need for extra moisturizing in the Cooking Chamber. It has a secondary, minor
effect on heat flow, but even with this, the primary function of the Water Pan is to
collect juice and grease from the meat.

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oIt is recommended to put aluminium foil into the pan before pouring the
water in. This makes the cleaning much easier.
oIt is recommended to pour only ¾part water in the pan in all smoker types.
If you do it with hot water you save energy and it makes heating up faster.
Heat-flow role of the Water Pan: the Water Pan is located above the Heat Baffle
in the Side-Firebox models. The bottom-upwards flowing heat hits the Water Pan
and gets into the upper regions to the Grill Grates by flowing around the pan.
Therefore - above a certain heat-flow speed - the meat can be cooked with higher
intensity heat-flow on the edges of the grates, which are not covered by the water
pan. The Air Intake Valve and the Chimney settings can be fine-tuned to
moderate the flow and as a result the heat-flow and temperature on the edges of
the grates can also be moderated.
Filling up the Water Pan: The water can evaporate during a 7-8- or more hour
cooking. The pan needs to be filled-up once during a long cooking. Hot or cold
tapwater can be added by pulling the pan halfway out and pouring the water from a
bottle into it.
If the water evaporates and the pan is not filled-up, the dripping grease will burn
on the bottom. It can cause inconvenient smell and smoke in the Cooking
Chamber.

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Cooking Chamber Analogue Temperature Gauge:
The thermometer of the BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers is a two-scale (°C/ °F)
analogue temperature gauage.
Display diameter: 130 mm, probe length: 120 mm.
It is covered with stainless steel sheet.
The Analogue Temperature Gauge on the BBQ Pit Box® Cabinet Smokers is
located in the top third section. Its probe is 120 mm long, therefore it goes deep
into the Cooking Chamber.
The temperature displayed is definately relevant but first and foremost it is
informative. All analogue thermometers follow the temperature change slower
than the digital ones.

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Important: The temperature gauge probe must not touch either the meat or
the grates. If it does, it will show the meat surface or grate temperature and not
the real heat-flow temperature. This could be misinforming when setting the
cooker temperature.
It is recommended to clean the probe from time to time because the burnt crust
can decrease the gauge’s efficiency, therefore giving false measurement.
Using digital thermometers:
There is a wide variety of digital thermometers. They usually have two probes,
one for measuring the grill grate temperature, the other monitoring the meat
core temperature.
The access opens by unreeling the hexagonal cap. It is recommended to fix the
probes in the Cooking Chamber then lead the wires out through the outlet by
putting them in the slot. After this the cap can be closed.
Some smoke might come out through the slot but this does not influence the
heat-flow in the Cooking Chamber.