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If the lid leaks too fast, or comes ajar, one gets a bonfire, way too much nasty smoke. The idea is to prevent combustion inside the pot. I came up with this design after experiments with making charcoal. A classic way to make charcoal is to start a fire underneath a sealed chamber filled with wood, with holes on the bottom. Soon the wood gases from the chamber catch fire, and the starter fire underneath isn't needed. When the gases go out, one has charcoal inside the chamber. If there was instead a leak allowing convection through the chamber, one has ash inside the chamber. The idea of the holes in the bottom is to pass the wood gases through our charcoal fire, to use them as fuel and burn them off. This is a grace note of uncertain benefit. It is possible that an unsealed lid, and no holes on the bottom, would work nearly as well. I can't suggest that now without getting pilloried, after encouraging others to destroy cast iron pots with their drills? Think of it like adding the egg to cake mix, isn't it nice being involved? I've read of various very expensive setups at high end barbecue restaurants, such as Danny Meyer's Blue Smoke. Were it me, I'd design a central chamber for heating wood as one makes charcoal, and feed the fumes to "gas" ovens throughout the kitchen. I'm surprised no one has tried this. Different gas sources require different treatment (not all propane torches can handle MAPP gas), and there could be residue buildup one doesn't get with natural gas, but this seems like an engineering problem worth solving. (I doubt one could even get permits for this in a city like New York.) I got a kick out of Austin Franklin's book proposing that I make a cooker from a 1,000 gallon propane tank using "basic metal-working skills." If I had these skills and enough space, this would be my idea for offset firebox cooking. Of course, Dennis has tried this, his new cold smoker is roughly this idea. For cold smoking, one doesn't need to burn the wood gases, just expose the meat to them. For hot smoking we have other clean fuel sources. Relying entirely on wood gases for heat might be too much smoke (in my idea above, one could blend at will with natural gas, to get the smoke flavor just right) and would require a larger chamber.

@ckreef, most of the forums I go on have some variation but it's almost all time-based with the most recent posts first. I guess I'm used to it. Thanks, Bill

I believe if you just set the top on without any holes the wood inside will off gas. Eventually there will be enough pressure inside to force the smoke out the top. The problem with this is the smoke is now above your fire so none of the volatiles gets burned off and you have the nasty white smoke instead of the thin blue smoke you're looking for. Forcing the smoke out the bottom sends it into the fire to burn off the volatiles before it comes in contact with your meat. I too have a homemade charcoal retort in my backyard which works on this exact same principle. Wood burned in an oxygen starved environment makes charcoal. That's why you end up with lump in the smoke pot.

I have nothing on the water with them.. But am hearing horror stories from my freight forwarder.

I think all Dutch ovens are slightly different even within the same brand. If your lid is a fairly good fit the foil should work to form a gasket. If it's a loose fit the flour paste will give you a better seal.

Steaks were good. Could not eat it all.

It's not a question of money, more a question of availability where I live without mail ordering it. I can get brown kraft paper just about anywhere.

Wow...very nice post and even better looking fare! Another that's been added to "my list"

I like it! good luck

@skreef - nicely done, Susan! Break a leg in the Challenge, kid!

Wow that is a excellent cook love the idea,of the whole thing great job skreef

This was a really tasty cook. I just couldn't stop eating it. Nice thing about this technique you could stuff it with anything. On the way to the grocery store Mrs skreef gave us a choice, Mexican or Italian. My son chose Mexican and there we have it.

Outstanding cook!!! That looks out of this world. What a great idea and the presentation looks dynamite.

SK, that is a wonderful cook, good luck in the challenge.

Really neat idea. My family would really go for that.