Concept Drum -
Open for Discussion and consideration
OVERVIEW
Take one basic 55 Gal UDS and one 85 Gal over drum add Diatomaceous Earth and heat to form
Big
Ugly
Drum
Ceramic
Smoker (Ceramic Drum)
Ceramic Issues, Concerns , and Thoughts
Why Diatomaceous Earth, widely available and cheap. long history of use in water and beer filtration. AND cooking ....
Proposed method to create ceramic, would be make a slurry, and introduce it between the outer 85 gal drum and the inner 55 gal drum.
Build Details - Proposed
Build basic UDS using 55 gall drum, no paint in or out. Intake to consist of one 3 inch pipe threaded both ends with enough length to exit the bottom of the inverted 85 gal drum. coat with oil and season like a cast iron frying pan inside and out. Line up any opening required for thermometers and accessories and drill through both drums so that they line up once assembled.
Create a 1/2" or 3/4" plywood donut that will fit inside the 85 gal drum opening and fit snugly around the 55 gal drum lip. With drums inverted (open end down) introduce Diatomaceous Earth slurry into cavity between the two drums via a large hole cut in the bottom of the 85 gal drum. Vibrate all air pockets out and let stand until firm ( a few days).
Once firmed up replace, the metal for the opening used and attach a 3 inch elbow to the pipe and small legs to the bottom. Extend the intake pipe to the perimeter of the barrel and attach ball valve ( elbow and up pipe optional, as are other intake configurations).
remove plywood dougnut from the unit and place unit upright. Create small charcoal fire in the charcoal basket maintain low temp fire for as long as possible, the point is the drive most of the moisture from the green ceramic. once moisture content has been removed build a larger and hotter fire and maintain to further set the ceramic, lump would be best. To "fire" the ceramic a large fire built in the charcoal basket with blown air introduced via the intake pipe to achieve as high a temp as possible looking to hit 1700 or higher if possible.
Dome can be made from weber dome and a larger dome with a slurry fill as used to make the drum caseing, as long as the exhaust if carried from within to the outside of the unit.
Considerations
Dome should be attached with ring and hinge arrangement as this sucker is going to be heavy.
careful planing needed since very few mods can be made once completed.
Even if the DE doesn't form a complete ceramic, once most of the moisture is driven out it should have very simular properties as desired, ie maintain even temps throughout an extended temp range, and reduced fuel needs.
not to mention the self build satisfaction.
What say ye brethren?
