Custom BBQ Smoker

[txfireguy2003]

Okay folks, I finally collected my 150 gallon propane tank from the future father in law's back yard (free of course). He is also giving me a small trailer to mount the thing on but I don't have that just yet. The plan is to build a nice smoker and depending on how much I like it, either keep it, or sell it. Here's a couple of pics of the plans I sketched up using Google SketchUp. Any thoughts, ideas, suggestions? BTW, it looks like the "lid" on the tank is made up of panels, but it won't on the final product, that's just the only way I could figure out to make the "rim" around the door so that it doesn't fall through and so it makes a seal.

[hankj]

Needs a 2KW generator a a single-kegerator.

Hank

[Brianstick]

Hank, a little more welding and a little less drinking.

[TexHand]

I'm fixin' to start one of those myself. A buddy has 2 of 'em and he wants to split one in half and and spread it about 12-18" then weld a plate in place to transform the circle into an oval. The second on he want's to stand vertically and make into a smoker tower. Then build a firebox that can be utilized by both.

I'm looking forward to getting it started.

[txfireguy2003]

Needs a 2KW generator a a single-kegerator.

Hank

I was thinking along those lines at some point, but maybe not on this one. I would like to make the work surface be more like an "outdoor kitchen" countertop. You know, include a sink with a pump, water and waste tank somewhere underneath inclosed in a cabinet, plenty of cutting surface, maybe even a propane rangetop stove for heating up beans and whatnot. I hadn't thought about the kegerator, but I WAS thinking about a small fridge to stock to the gills with various types of BEvERages. But all that will be on a future project. This tank just isn't quite big enough, nor is the trailer it's going to be mounted on and I can't afford all the "materials" for all that right now, but if I sell this one for a tidy sum (I've seen cheesy, poorly made ones go for around $2000 in my area), then maybe I'll have enough for the investment on the next one. Might also help if my better half found herself a source of income in the near future.

[txfireguy2003]

Okay folks, this tank is 10% full still. Any ideas what to do with the remaining gas in there? I hate to just vent it, don't wanna waste it AND I'm worried it would settle in lowspots and pose an explosion hazzard. Can't burn it off right now since we are currently under a burn bad here in Central Texas and you never know who our fire marshal will interpret a weed burner hooked to a bulk tank and tied to a ladder or the like. Any suggestions?

[TexHand]

I asked the same thing of my local Propane Depot guy - (*free* advice cost me a couple cans of snuff) - he said just vent it or burn it off with my big fish fryer. He told me I could bring it by there and he'd do it for me, but that'd cost me more snuff, and it was nothing I couldn't do myself.

[txfireguy2003]

Hmmmm, fish fryer huh? I didn't think of that, my brother just bought a turkey fryer for the holidays...maybe I need to make some french fries tomorrow.....like about 200 pounds of fries.....cooking fires are permitted during the burn ban, so as long as I have something cooking on it, I'm good. Thanks man, what kinda snuff you dip? I'll mail it to ya! Of course, with snail mail the way it is, it'd be dry enough to smoke by the time you got it!

[TexHand]

It's his snuff, Cougar - the cheap stuff.

[hankj]

Hmmmm, fish fryer huh? I didn't think of that, my brother just bought a turkey fryer for the holidays...maybe I need to make some french fries tomorrow.....like about 200 pounds of fries.....cooking fires are permitted during the burn ban, so as long as I have something cooking on it, I'm good. Thanks man, what kinda snuff you dip? I'll mail it to ya! Of course, with snail mail the way it is, it'd be dry enough to smoke by the time you got it!


If there is a local propane supplier, he would most likely pump out the liquid at no charge just for the value of the propane.

Hank

[TexHand]

That's what I thought too - he said they are not allowed to recycle it like that. It's either vent or burn. I dunno if that's just a Propane Depot thing, and State of Texas thing, or what. Just going by what the man told me.

[txfireguy2003]

That's what I thought too - he said they are not allowed to recycle it like that. It's either vent or burn. I dunno if that's just a Propane Depot thing, and State of Texas thing, or what. Just going by what the man told me.

Oh, thanks for the info on that. I called them this morning but the girl on the phone didn't know and the manager wasn't there so he's supposed to call me back. I hope it's just a thing with your local supplier and not the State of Texas. I'm thinking that the state would be more upset with me just releasing it into the atmosphere than recycling it, but I suppose there's no real harm in burning it off, just wasteful, and with the cost of petroleum products these days....I hate to do that.

[Winger Ed.]

There's a site you might want to dig around in.
It's called 'the smoke ring'.

It all about BBQ-ing, and folks who have dedicated thier life to
cooking on those things.
They have a seperate forum for the smokers themselves.

Its pretty awsome. They get off into how they draft, make cool smoke,
hot-cooking smoke, baffels in the firebox, etc. etc,,,,,,,

If you haven't setteled on a design yet-- I'd give it a look.

[txfireguy2003]

Thanks, I'm checking into them now. I had decided on the plan that I had posted earlier in the thread, but when comparing dimensions of the tank and the trailer and the way I wanted the cleanout to work, I realized I was going to have to revamp the design. BLAH, that sketch took many hours to complete and now I have to start all over, maybe the next one will work out like I wanted.

[BBackSoon]

I have been kicking around the idea of making some kind of a BBQ Smoker for a couple of years. The main reasons I have not yet tried, is most people that have built one have things they would do different right off the bat and the other is deciding what I want to do with the cooker.

In my case just how often do I need to cook 200 pork steaks or chops? And I am generally against anything that is single use. It has to be multi-functional. Let us also realize that a big cooker would take an entire bag of charcoal if not more just to fire it up. I like to think of myself as frugal not cheap but I am not spending 10 bucks for charcoal just to cook 5 lbs of meat.

Two other design decisions. The first is if you put the fire pit away from the racks then you cannot cook beefsteaks because those need to grill, not smoke and when you do smoke you have the issue of fat runoff. Where as when you have a fire at least it is partially cooked off not dripping out of the bottom in large quantities.

The second is the opening. Doors? Flip up or open out? I have seen both done well and both done poorly. The entire lid opens? Big, heavy and loose your smoke but good access

We could also get into smokestacks, clean outs, dampers, food warmers, work surfaces and supply and tool storage.

I have really checked out quite a few homemade cookers and have used 5 or more at picnics and fundraisers, all have good and bad features. The dedicated ones are better at what they do and the multi-use don’t do anything great.

So those of you that can commit please post pictures so I can continue my research and try to decide on a final design.

Thanks,

[txfireguy2003]

Hey Robert,
I've noticed the same things. I had to totally redesign the smoker I'm building today because I took some measurements and the axel on the trailer I was given is just too short to put the cooking chamber on one side and the firebox on the other. Check out the link in one of the previous posts, it truly is a great site. I signed up this afternoon and got lots of advice already.

On my final smoker, there will also be the option of just heating up the firebox and putting a grill in the opening for the lid and grilling steaks right over the fire. As for the drippings, it will have a cleanout on the bottom of the cooking chamber...when my uncle was cooking in contests, he would catch those drippings, add some seasonings and occasionally a little cornstarch to make his "secret sauce" and it was awesome!

I'll post a new picture of the newest design, and you'll see that I also realized the problem with weight and heat loss with the single lid design so I opted to make 3 much smaller openings. A little less access, but with slide out racks, that's not such a big concern. As for work surface and tool storage, I'm not totally decided on that, but there is a guy nearby here in Texas that can cut some laminated countertops for me as long as they can take the heat, which should only be around 250 degrees or so. Otherwise, I'll be using rock maple wood, with Envirotex finish to stand up to the weather.

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee167/txfireguy2003/smoker1.jpg
So that's the newest design, not totally finished yet, but it'll give you a basic, scaled idea of what it will look like. Dimensions are 24" diameter X 72" long for the cooking chamber, and 24"X24"X24" for the firebox.

[TommyA]

Just a idea about the work surface, the material that they are now selling for use on decks is a composite of wood and other material that looks like it would last forever. I'm not sure about the temperature though. The ideal of laminated counter top probably won't hold up due to water causing delaminiation of the plywood or particle board. Watching to see your next move. What was the final on the remaining fuel?

[txfireguy2003]

Just a idea about the work surface, the material that they are now selling for use on decks is a composite of wood and other material that looks like it would last forever. I'm not sure about the temperature though. The ideal of laminated counter top probably won't hold up due to water causing delaminiation of the plywood or particle board. Watching to see your next move. What was the final on the remaining fuel?

Well, nobody would come and get it and I had no good way to safely burn it off under the burn ban, so the remaining fuel accidentally leaked out over the course of about 10 hours, good thing that leak developed on a windy day. As far as the work surface, I guess it's not laminated that I'm thinking about. What I'm thinking about it a solid piece of material about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. I don't know what it's made of, or what it's called, but it's similar to Corean countertops or possibly cultured marble maybe. We have corean in one of the fire stations and you can take a pot right off the stovetop and set it on the counter with no hotpad and no melting or discoloration.

[k.a.m]

there is a company called king starboard that makes a polymer board for marine use is that what your thinking of? it is nice material but kind of pricy.

[MarcelF]

Before you cut into that propane tank you should research the proper procedure. The web site thebbqforum.com has a lot of information about bbq and you should be able to do an archive search on propane tank cutting.

Just my opinion but I would place your cooker on the trailer so that you walk up to and not onto the trailer to access the cooking chamber. Move the cooker to the side of the trailer and place your other items on the other side. Your firebox should be on the end of the cooker at the end of the trailer. Don't forget your wood box. The wood box could go beside the cooker or on the tongue. If you put the wood box on the tongue don't forget the balance of the trailer front and rear of the axle.

[txfireguy2003]

Thanks man,

Most of that has already been adjusted due to the size of the trailer I was given. HOWEVER, you should take a look at Diamond Plate Pits out of Balinger, TX, this guy REALLY know's his stuff. The firebox on the backside, centered with exhaust stacks on each end is the easiest way to create even heat throughout the cooking chamber. And don't worry, I've done lots of research on how to cut the tank open, it's sitting on my patio right now, valves off, full of water. I had already used grease cutting soap on the first fill, then dumped and I'm on the second fill now and it started raining on me, so I'm waiting for drier weather before I start drawing lines, lighting torches and spinning grinders.

[par38lamp]

I might suggest you lower the cooking surface so you can stand on the ground and not on the trailer.

Edit - I see MarcelF had the same suggestion.

The ground should be easier on the feet than expanded metal, plus you are not having to step onto a trailer every time you check the meat.

Consider counterweights on the lids.

Head to the Houston BBQ cookoff for some really cool smoker options.

Maybe stop by Henry Klose's place in Houston and window shop.