I'm looking for inexpensive ways to make my RK Drum setup more efficient by adding some sort of insulation to the grill. A couple of options have come to mind:
1) Lining the inside of the roaster with fire bricks. Fire brick is relatively cheap ($1.15 for a 4"x9"x2" brick) and readily available just about anywhere that sells mansonary supplies. I a thought about placing them in the bottom of the grill and along the sides. I think that not only would the addition of bricks reduce the area that has to be heated, they would also help retain and radiate heat
2) Draping a welding blanket over the outside of the grill. I can get a welding blanket at Harbor Freight for $25. I had thought about trimming it so that it would form fitting to the outside of the grill and I would use metal snaps to secure it in the appropriate spots. The downside of this method would be that I would have to remove the cover when unloading the grill.
3) Another option is to line the inside of the grill with some sort of insulating material. I know that there are several available option for accomplishing this, but most of them seem pretty pricey to me. Some examples from MasterCarr
Opinions about the options above?
Anyone have any better suggestions?
Edited by headchange4u on 06/16/2010 09:26
When I built my roaster I used "Duct Board". 1" thick high density fiberglass. Go to a heating contractor they should have remnants if they use it. A sheet is 4 by 8 feet and would cost too much. I would not use in on the Bean side of any roaster.
All you need in life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure. Mark Twain
I would personaly with the heat would use ceramic fiber and do a total cover job with 18 or 20 gauge tin, and line the bottom with fire brick if they are that cheap, but hey thats just my brain wave.
now wheres them 2800 degree $1.15 fire brick at I need 50 of em
I pour Iron and roast Coffee Beans
After a little poking around on the internet I found a few references to using welding blankets with a smoker to help retain heat (examples here and here). The consensus seems to be that as long as the blanket doesn't come in direct contact with flame, they work very well as an insulating material. Since I would be using blanket on the outside of the grill there would be no chance of contact with flame.
up since 4AM, going to hit the bed for bit, should you find more errors please let
me know asap so I can fix or I may need to call in the big guys!!
thanks for your patience and support!
HI I am back from my retreat. A wonderful, peaceful time and I am enjoying my home roast coffee again and trying to postpone contact with reality for a while
thanks for your patience and support!
