Home built cookers?

[Crazy Tex]

Hello all! I have built one cooker with my ex brother in law, and selling out of half of it to build a bigger, better one, with a GRILL on the opposite side, so I can stop fussing when he uses it as a grill...

Anyway, how many of you have built your own? I am using propane tanks (already drained/vented... I wont explode) Just needing some suggestions on firebox damper placement, etc.
Should I build an upright box on the end of it.. Lots of thinking needed before I start doing too much cutting and fabrication.

Here's the one I built the first time.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30504117&l=f76889be4c&id=1018187365

 

[Don Marco]

Heres my build, 20" Pipe and some 1/4" plates of steel.

Its already way too small for me, never thought i´d outgrow my pit that fast. I highly recommend a vertical chamber for cooking at different temps and especially for keeping food warm.

DM

 

[Crazy Tex]

Looks nice. I think I will design an upright into mine, as several people not from this site mentioned to keep food warm and to cook at different temps. The more I think about it, the more I need a big trailer... gonna be heavy. LOL :idea:

 

[early mornin' smokin']

what size propane tank? We've been sitting on a 10ftx3ft oblong for about 6 months now, finally found someone to help us weld it up, still trying to work out how big of a firebox we're gonna need.

 

[got14u]

I would go as low as possible for the damper on the side of the fire box. you want air to flow from under your charcoal/wood fire....imho

Hello all! I have built one cooker with my ex brother in law, and selling out of half of it to build a bigger, better one, with a GRILL on the opposite side, so I can stop fussing when he uses it as a grill...

Anyway, how many of you have built your own? I am using propane tanks (already drained/vented... I wont explode) Just needing some suggestions on firebox damper placement, etc.
Should I build an upright box on the end of it.. Lots of thinking needed before I start doing too much cutting and fabrication.

Here's the one I built the first time.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30504117&l=f76889be4c&id=1018187365

here is a calculator for figureing some of the sizes out. Hope this helps
http://webpages.charter.net/tomchism/BBQ Smoker files/BBQ Ratio Calculator.htm

what size propane tank? We've been sitting on a 10ftx3ft oblong for about 6 months now, finally found someone to help us weld it up, still trying to work out how big of a firebox we're gonna need.

 

[Lake Dogs]

You may want to look at the basic design of Lang and/or Bubba Grills. They use a
baffle that goes the length of the cooker, making the smoke come "back" towards the
firebox (reverse flow). It helps reduce hot-spots and from what I've seen keeps the
smoke more even/predictable. Mine has the warming box above the firebox. Some
cut a hole through the main chamber to/through the warmer with the vent going
through it (the warmer) making it hotter and smokier, thereby making it the upright
cooker vs. the warmer. FYI, when cooking at 250 degrees, the warmer stays pretty
constant at 170.

Best of luck.

Forgot: URLS:

www.bubbagrills.net
www.pigroast.com

 

[WineMaster]

We built these.

 

[Crazy Tex]

what size propane tank? We've been sitting on a 10ftx3ft oblong for about 6 months now, finally found someone to help us weld it up, still trying to work out how big of a firebox we're gonna need.

I have 2, the first one is a 30" diameter, I've cut off a 5' section. The second is about 12' long, and I think 26" or 28" around. drove 3 hours to get it and the guy had it advertised as a 12x24... so I took my 5x10 trailer thinking nothing of it. Got it loaded, back end hanging off...strapped down good, but I couldn't get above 55 or the trailer would start fishtailing. Made for a slow ride home.

I've read about the reverse flow cookers... I was going to use the water pan idea from it, but wasn't sure if I was going to make it a truly reverse flow or not.

WineMaster - wow, those look good! What do you use to seal the doors with.. looks like you have some sort of a gasket or rope?

I'll also say I have no shop to build this in... all in my drive.. so its a weather permitting kind of ordeal.

 

[WineMaster]

We use a rope gasket. They are reverse flow systems just like the backwoods.

 

[jestridge]

All of them looks good really like the orange one what size is it.

 

[Dutchovendude]

Winemaster, those are awesome looking cookers! Have you tried them out yet? I am curious how they work because I am in the proccess of building something that is very simular in design.
I love the looks of your cookers.
Mike

 

[WineMaster]

Been using them since 2008 they are the same specs as a Backwoods competitor only we used a heavier guage steel for all three layers. They weigh around 475 empty but cook like a dream.

 

[Dutchovendude]

Thanks! Maybe there is hope that mine will work.

 

[bocephus]

heres 2 that I built, a stumps clone that is my baby, a double barrel smoker... that I got rid of, and I have a UDS to... but just realized I dont have any pics of that one. Im sorry

 

[Crazy Tex]

Here's some build pics of my first one http://s197.photobucket.com/albums/aa289/mvoss2576/smoker/

hope to add more pictures of the tanks and build of the new one as I get them.

 

[bingo1912]

I don't think this is completely a homebuilt but it's a half a homebuilt. I used my New Brunswick offset as the firebox for my cold smoker,,, But the other half is a modified Gym locker :lol:
You guys have some great looking smokers!
Thanks for the pics. Gave me some great ideas. Didn't understand reverse flow before. but now I do.
Bing

 

[sitnfat]

thats great reminds me of an old moonshine still!!!!!

 

[OutlawSwine]

Hello all! I have built one cooker with my ex brother in law, and selling out of half of it to build a bigger, better one, with a GRILL on the opposite side, so I can stop fussing when he uses it as a grill...

Anyway, how many of you have built your own? I am using propane tanks (already drained/vented... I wont explode) Just needing some suggestions on firebox damper placement, etc.
Should I build an upright box on the end of it.. Lots of thinking needed before I start doing too much cutting and fabrication.

Here's the one I built the first time.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30504117&l=f76889be4c&id=1018187365

I built one very similar to this about 2 years ago.

http://ubuildbbqsmokers.com/cyclops1.htm

I ended up cutting the firebox off and insulating everything to cut down on stick usage.
Unfortunately, a coal truck took it from me. I have built many cookers, so let me know if you have any questions.

I was talking with someone earlier about this same topic. Take a look at this thread:
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75955

 

[Crazy Tex]

Thanks outlaw.. that will help me out a lot on the new one. Do you happen to have pictures of your firebox and air controls on it? Thats going to be one of my hangups is how to design it.

 

[sitnfat]

do you think a 3/16th inch thick fire box is thick enough it will actually be double walled with insulation in the middle?