First cook on homemade Bigmista balcony smoker clone

[Q_Egg]

[quote=Norcoredneck]Put in cooler, went out to eat for daughters 14th birthday. Spent $80+ bucks. Pulled when I got home, wife and daugter wrestled over last bun to make a sammy. Lot of snackin went on. Will pakage in vacuum bags tomorrow.
/quote]
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Most impressive for this new drum and first cook on it !!! I'm takin' your info to my local welding shop to see what he can do.

Enjoy !! and many thanks!

[Biggun]

Looks great, Norco! Thanks for the info on your design- looks to be a little more basic than Bigmista's, and since I possess minimal skills and abilities in building anything, yours may be doable!

[Bigmista]

Work it out Biggun! I actually had mine built. Everyone here knows I am not handy at all. I will take some ideas from Norco's for my next barrel.

[Biggun]

Yeah, I watched the progress of yours, Mista. I had to laugh in sympathy when you talked about your lack of mechanical skills- I envy these guys that say "just grab the welding torch and...", or "I just fabricated one of these in my shop". I brag when I put something together and there are no parts leftover!

One question that has been buggin' me about the BDS type smoker. One of the benefits is supposed to be the flavor gains when the meat drips into the burning wood. I have never heard this mentioned with a WSM- I realize the water pan would obstruct it, but if a clear path was made, would one get that same benefit??

[chad]

Originally Posted by Biggun

Yeah, I watched the progress of yours, Mista. I had to laugh in sympathy when you talked about your lack of mechanical skills- I envy these guys that say "just grab the welding torch and...", or "I just fabricated one of these in my shop". I brag when I put something together and there are no parts leftover!

One question that has been buggin' me about the BDS type smoker. One of the benefits is supposed to be the flavor gains when the meat drips into the burning wood. I have never heard this mentioned with a WSM- I realize the water pan would obstruct it, but if a clear path was made, would one get that same benefit??

Yes, you would. I used to do this with the ECB and have done it with the WSM, but only using the top grate...and keeping a close eye on the fire...I found it works best on chicken.

[vr6Cop]

Wow. This would be a perfect addition to my smoker collection..... Now to get the wife to buy into it.....

[Bigmista]

Originally Posted by vr6Cop

Wow. This would be a perfect addition to my smoker collection..... Now to get the wife to buy into it.....

With buying the therm and grates separately, mine came in at about $200. Norco's might have been cheaper because he did so much of it himself.

[ultramag]

I went and did a little research today and measured a Weber 22 ½ inch Kettle lid and it doesn't appear it will fit. Do you have to do some modifying of the barrel lip to get the lid to fit. I love this design and for more space to cook as well as it's other aspects. If I can't use a kettle lid it would not gain me any cooking area for briskets and butts over what I have now. What am I missing?

[Bigmista]

I can cook four briskets at a timewithout the weber lid on. How many do you need to cook?

[ultramag]

Originally Posted by Bigmista

I can cook four briskets at a timewithout the weber lid on. How many do you need to cook?

As many as I can. Pork Butts are my main thing I was looking at. I was using some barrels on hand for measurements. They are 33" tall. If I have my charcoal ring 2 ½-3 " off the floor, 24" to the bottom of the first grate, and say even 5" of heighth on the butts that leaves me an inch or two space for a top grate and its contents.

Most generally 3 or 4 butts bottom grate, and couple briskets up top would be OK, but I figured if I had the kettle lid then both grates could be used for something as tall as butts and drunk violated chickens.

I went out and remeasured to be sure I was right. I have 3 55 gal. drums at the house. They are all 23 ¼ - 23 ½ inches outside dia. of the lip the lid seats on. The Weber lid was 23" exactly.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by ultramag

As many as I can. Pork Butts are my main thing I was looking at. I was using some barrels on hand for measurements. They are 33" tall. If I have my charcoal ring 2 ½-3 " off the floor, 24" to the bottom of the first grate, and say even 5" of heighth on the butts that leaves me an inch or two space for a top grate and its contents.

Most generally 3 or 4 butts bottom grate, and couple briskets up top would be OK, but I figured if I had the kettle lid then both grates could be used for something as tall as butts and drunk violated chickens.

I went out and remeasured to be sure I was right. I have 3 55 gal. drums at the house. They are all 23 ¼ - 23 ½ inches outside dia. of the lip the lid seats on. The Weber lid was 23" exactly.

If you already have the drums, that is most of the cost....You could always build 2. LOL

I have a 43" tall X 23" diameter drum giving me 6 or 7 inches between the top grate and the flat lid. Using both grates I can do 6 full packers or 8 butts, but there is some rotating required, which is something to consider. There are 27" diameter drums out there too but they are hard to find. I do most of my cooking on the top grate (at 30 to 32 inches above the charcoal basket) anyway.

[Bigmista]

Here are a coupla pics of mine action. If you only got a 33" barrel, You got "shorted". Take it back and get another.

[Norcoredneck]

MISTA,
How far are your grates from the fire? I have ways of making the cooker with no welding. Real simple. If people want I will word document my ideas. But as everyone knows there are 1000 ways to do the same thing. Only problem I have is it will probably upset Rocky at BDS. I would have bought one of his but could not justify the cost with shipping and all. I have a couple of welders a plasms cutter and a gnarly set of toos. i had big plans but found simple approach the best. You could do this without minimal work, believe me. Maybe if Mista is ready for an addition I can help him and he could sharpen his photo/fabrication skills along the way. Don't have time to proof read, excuse spelling.

[Q_Egg]

... what ever.... I asked Jay (Spicewine) some time ago about trying to
'simulate' BDS in a Spice smoker and the answer was NO ! I guess any one can try anything, but I can't do it with my BGE and will not try with anything less than a BDS (or clone).

[ultramag]

I would be interested in anything you want to share Norcoredneck. I have been going over yours, the EDS, and BigMista's. I was a foreman in a machine shop (CNC and traditional machining) for 5 yrs. I have the skills, slightly limited on tools unless I do a little government job or two at the powerplant my Dad retired from, which is doable. What a shop.

Anyway, gathering a plan and figuring what I want to do is all I've done so far. Couldn't have got "shorted" because I haven't bought anything. These are just barrels I have on hand. Measure twice, cut once. Just want to get the max I can get out of the project. If I can figure in more space this farkin thing will still cook only one chicken wing if thats all I want that session.

My barrels seem to be the most common 55 gal. size after about 45 min. of googling barrel manufacturers. The 33 inch is the inside height, which is what I measured on mine because it's all that matters. I could only find 35 inside height so far while staying in a 55 gal. size. Found 85 and 110 gal. if anyone wants to really go BIG.