Community Project: Designing the Ultimate High-Tech Smoker

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Sean "Puffy" Coals

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So, I was driving back home from my uncle's house earlier today and I passed by the same 2 heating oil tanks I've been seeing outside this auto repair shop for the past 4 years.

I decided to finally call the shop and see if they were for sale or not. Well, that got me to thinking- what if there were absolutely no limits to what you could use to build a smoker? You had limitless resources at your disposal and money was no object?

What kind of exotic materials would you use if you had every known metal, insulation, etc available to you?

I thought it would be cool to see what the brilliant minds on the best BBQ forum on the net couldcome up with. So have at it! Nothing is off limits! And feel free to upload pics and sketches of your ideas!

By the way, those 2 oil tanks were not for sale, but the shop owner told me to check back in a couple of months. His brother gets them from his HVAC business and is trying to find him a bigger one. If he does find a bigger one, the owner said he'd let me "have" the 2 littler ones. More on that as it develops...
 
1st, you've got set out some design parameters. The design of a personal smoker would be different than trailer unit would be different than a commercial unit.

Size?

Portable or fixed?
 
Not that handy, or cook for larger groups. So somewhat portable, easy to clean, insulated, either stainless or powder coated, a few gizmos to aid in temp/fire control.


I'd probably just call Spicewine if I had the money :icon_blush:
 
I'd say personal but large enough to cook for a party. Portability isn't necessarily needed, but i think pretty much any design could be tweaked to sit on a towable trailer. I'm also thinking of a deeper unit with a rib-o-lator type setup. Similar to a heating oil tank, but laying on the flat side.
 
Is build this.

bbq2.jpg


bbq.jpg
 
That is one seriously nice trailer. What do you do about the rain with respect to the counter top section where the sinks are? I have been wrestling with this part of my design.


Sean: Being a software/IT manager by trade and former programmer, most of my smoker design is rather modular in nature as you may have observed so far. I also don't know what I don't know yet about doing the competition thing so some of the basic components are easy to remove from the trailer with a couple bolts, or fasteners. I also wanted the option of removing the items from the trailer in case I wanted to make the unit more for just home personal use. I can reuse the trailer I am rebuilding to haul my ATV or a friends snowmobile around if I wanted to.

I would agree with others and think about what all the combinations of use you might have and then go from there. I am presently working on how to get a three sink setup along with hotwater supply and grey water collection system attached to my project for later on. Might want to cater at some point and these two items are part of the standard health code requirements in my state and local ordinances.

"OMOSB"
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123061
 
Last edited:
Triple T BBQ said:
That is one seriously nice trailer. What do you do about the rain with respect to the counter top section where the sinks are? I have been wrestling with this part of my design.


Sean: Being a software/IT manager by trade and former programmer, most of my smoker design is rather modular in nature as you may have observed so far. I also don't know what I don't know yet about doing the competition thing so some of the basic components are easy to remove from the trailer with a couple bolts, or fasteners. I also wanted the option of removing the items from the trailer in case I wanted to make the unit more for just home personal use. I can reuse the trailer I am rebuilding to haul my ATV or a friends snowmobile around if I wanted to.

I would agree with others and think about what all the combinations of use you might have and then go from there. I am presently working on how to get a three sink setup along with hotwater supply and grey water collection system attached to my project for later on. Might want to cater at some point and these two items are part of the standard health code requirements in my state and local ordinances.

"OMOSB"
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123061
Click to expand...

I don't think it has ever seen the rain. It is stored indoors.

Oh and its not mine, belongs to a buddy of mine.
 
Good topic! I have a question I would like to through in (I think I know the answer but ya never know).
I work in Carbon Fibre. Could sheet Carbon Fibre be used for a cabinet smoker rather than steel, therefore making it lighter? The outer walls would definately be prettier. No rust problems. Just wondering with regards to the resin used to cure in the first place etc
 
esselle said:
Good topic! I have a question I would like to through in (I think I know the answer but ya never know).
I work in Carbon Fibre. Could sheet Carbon Fibre be used for a cabinet smoker rather than steel, therefore making it lighter? The outer walls would definately be prettier. No rust problems. Just wondering with regards to the resin used to cure in the first place etc
Click to expand...

Carbon fiber wouldn't be a good combustion chamber material.

Metal or brick is really needed to for protection, thermal mass, and reradiating the heat.

I think the ultimate (besides one with all the sinks and cutting boards and xbox 360s) would be a brick pit on wheels. :clap2:
 
esselle said:
Good topic! I have a question I would like to through in (I think I know the answer but ya never know).
I work in Carbon Fibre. Could sheet Carbon Fibre be used for a cabinet smoker raer than steel, therefore making it lighter? The outer walls would definately be prettier. No rust problems. Just wondering with regards to the resin used to cure in the first place etc
Click to expand...


Look at the msds sheets for the resin, there are some high temperature cf resins.

Cost might be an issue though.
 
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