New to me smoker

[WesinATL]

Hello Gents,

I am new to this forum and to smoking, love to grill, but don't always have the time to smoke. My neighbor bought a new smoker and gave me his old one. It was a giant rusting hunk of cast iron and we nearly had a heart attack moving it to my back deck. It is a new braunfels longhom deluxe. I hit it with a brick brush and metal brush on a drill to take some rust off, clean it out, painted it. The ash pan was missing so I got a sheet of steel from HD and bolted in the fire box. So I have now what is essentially a brand new grill. I have a few questions I bet you can answer.
1. On the firebox side I was thinking of combining two of those stainless steel vegetable grilling trays (you know the ones they sell em at HD for like $14 and they keep your asparagus from falling in the grill) to hold the coals above the bottom of the firebox. Do you think they will stand up to the high heat? I have seen a couple of people make "baskets" for their coals. Is that necessary? Can't I just lay them in there? Other suggestions?
2. Charcoal isn't just charcoal is it? My buddy with a egg uses the charcoal that looks like actual burnt wood. Do I want that or do I just go cheap and get the factory made, ubiquitous backyard bbq, little square things.
3. I cleaned the inside of this thing pretty good. Do I season it like a cast iron skillet? Put peanut oil all over the inside?
4. What should I cook first? I am thinking ribs. Baby back. And drinking cold beer with it. On labor day. What's a good beer to rib ratio - 1 to 1?
6. Can you charcoal grill with the firebox side on these things? What if I wanted to charcoal grill a bunch of stuff like oysters? Could I just lay down coals on the smoker side and have that much grilling space?
7. What else can you tell me? Thank you in advance!

 

[smoke ninja]

You sir have a stick burner.

They run best on wood splits.

 

[smoke ninja]

Definitely get a grate for the firebox

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Congrats and Enjoy When I had an offset I used Stumps hardwood Briquetts and added wood throughout the cook

 

[LMAJ]

Congrats!
The charcoal your friend uses is lump charcoal, and what I use in my Egg.
As far as what to cook - toss on a naked fatty along with those ribs!

 

[SmittyJonz]

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209208

 

[luv2smoke]

I guess there is such a thing as good neighbors?

 

[Bludawg]

You'll go broke feeding that thing charcoal to keep the temps up less you work for a charcoal Co. Get your self a chord of hard wood. Don't put a Basket in the FB it disrupts the draft, off sets need to move lots of air to burn right and keep a clean fire. Ask your self do the wine pour better from the bottle with no cork or a one that is busted in two? A basket in the FB is like that busted cork. You do need a rack or a grate in the FB at least 2" off the bottom for the fire to rest on.

First cook I'd do something easy & forgiving like a Pork butt

Seasoning> spray it with cheap ass cooking spray and run it up to 350 for 1 hr

I don't recommend grilling in the main unless your pit is super clean void of all grease or you might be feeding the Fire Brigade. If you do it dump your hot charcoal in to disposable hotel pans to make clean up easier.

My beer ratio 2.5 :1 2.5 beers to a wood split.

be patient
don't over complicate things keep it simple it's BBQ less is more it's all about the meat not sauces &rubs
You don't need to see smoke to be smoking>> White billowing smoke BAD Thin blue to Invisible smoke GOOD.