Taylor
MemberGot rid of the matchlight.
Hi Brethren,
I am new to the forum and BBQ world but I have really enjoyed/benefited from the advice on this and other forums over the past couple of years. As a way to pay it forward, I wanted to share our first smoker build with you all. It was a project my dad, his friend, and I did together over a weekend (though getting the materials took almost a year) but the memories will last a lifetime.
My inspiration for custom smokers first came from a Youtuber https://www.youtube.com/c/Allensweldingwoodworking/featured. He has some incredible skills and I loved watching him fabricate and comment on his chickens. From there, I loved the look of old Texas offsets but the reverse flow style made sense to me and I thought it would be the way to go for this one. Doesn't mean I wouldn't want a 250 or 500 gallon one day...
Once I knew what I wanted to build, I started looking for old tanks and a trailer to mount it on. I won a ~6' long by 2' diameter water tank off a surplus website in NC. I then found a Harbor Freight trailer on CL. Feldon's Calculator showed up online when I was searching for dimensions and I just went for it.
I did several graph paper designs and one free computer one. I wish I had the skill of some of you guys and gals.
The next few photos are of the first cuts, staging, and trim work. (Sorry about the sideways photos)
The stack is 5" in diameter and roughly 30" high. The grates are about 48" long all together and sitting in about the middle of the chamber. The plate is 3/8 inch and about four inches below the grate. The firebox door is probably a third to half of the plate now.
How does she cook?
I think she does a great job given the operator. I tend to use a quarter basket of coals to get started and go white or red oak from there. I don't think she is as efficient as some other builds or professional rigs but it doesn't seem too bad. I am sure an insulated firebox or sealing up the door, which does leak, could help with this.
I am particularly pleased with how she pulls and how the temperature stays pretty even across the grate. She is also a great conversation starter and I've have used the plate more than once for burgers and kebabs.
Really had a blast making it. Made plenty of mistakes along the way but I figured that is just part of it. If you are thinking about doing something like this, let me offer some advice: I really wish I would have burned and ground down all the interior coating on the tank before building the smoker. It worried me to death and I spent hours after the build burning and grinding it away. I wish the firebox was a little further from the ground - it tends to scrape. I wish I had counter-weighted the door so it would be easier on the shoulders and that the handle was lower so it was easier to grab when open. All things that can be fixed but would have been nice to plan for.
Future goals include a counter, baskets for wood and supplies, and a Q-shack in the back yard to park her under.
I hope you enjoyed the post. Thanks again for all the help that lead up to this and for all that help and advice I am sure to benefit from in the future.
In Smoke,
Taylor
I am new to the forum and BBQ world but I have really enjoyed/benefited from the advice on this and other forums over the past couple of years. As a way to pay it forward, I wanted to share our first smoker build with you all. It was a project my dad, his friend, and I did together over a weekend (though getting the materials took almost a year) but the memories will last a lifetime.
My inspiration for custom smokers first came from a Youtuber https://www.youtube.com/c/Allensweldingwoodworking/featured. He has some incredible skills and I loved watching him fabricate and comment on his chickens. From there, I loved the look of old Texas offsets but the reverse flow style made sense to me and I thought it would be the way to go for this one. Doesn't mean I wouldn't want a 250 or 500 gallon one day...
Once I knew what I wanted to build, I started looking for old tanks and a trailer to mount it on. I won a ~6' long by 2' diameter water tank off a surplus website in NC. I then found a Harbor Freight trailer on CL. Feldon's Calculator showed up online when I was searching for dimensions and I just went for it.
I did several graph paper designs and one free computer one. I wish I had the skill of some of you guys and gals.
The next few photos are of the first cuts, staging, and trim work. (Sorry about the sideways photos)
The stack is 5" in diameter and roughly 30" high. The grates are about 48" long all together and sitting in about the middle of the chamber. The plate is 3/8 inch and about four inches below the grate. The firebox door is probably a third to half of the plate now.
How does she cook?
I think she does a great job given the operator. I tend to use a quarter basket of coals to get started and go white or red oak from there. I don't think she is as efficient as some other builds or professional rigs but it doesn't seem too bad. I am sure an insulated firebox or sealing up the door, which does leak, could help with this.
I am particularly pleased with how she pulls and how the temperature stays pretty even across the grate. She is also a great conversation starter and I've have used the plate more than once for burgers and kebabs.
Really had a blast making it. Made plenty of mistakes along the way but I figured that is just part of it. If you are thinking about doing something like this, let me offer some advice: I really wish I would have burned and ground down all the interior coating on the tank before building the smoker. It worried me to death and I spent hours after the build burning and grinding it away. I wish the firebox was a little further from the ground - it tends to scrape. I wish I had counter-weighted the door so it would be easier on the shoulders and that the handle was lower so it was easier to grab when open. All things that can be fixed but would have been nice to plan for.
Future goals include a counter, baskets for wood and supplies, and a Q-shack in the back yard to park her under.
I hope you enjoyed the post. Thanks again for all the help that lead up to this and for all that help and advice I am sure to benefit from in the future.
In Smoke,
Taylor
