SavinaRed said:
In one of the threads someone posted a link which I can't find for a under $300 shipped smoker that will hold 8 racks of ribs hanging from 2 racks. Its the shape of a drum that stands upright and I think uses 8lbs of coal for 7 hours cooking at 250-275*.
I have built a drum smoker and it is my main man when it comes to bbq. I can tell you 3 things definitively...
1. I have only ever done 4 racks of ribs but that was only on the top rack in a file sort of method where they are in a rack that holds them up on their side.
2. if you are getting a drum smoker, the most popular choice is a 55 gal drum like I have. WIth that said, the fire is directly under the food and the distance between the two is crucial for low and slow. If you have several racks of ribs hanging vertical, the bottms will be very close to the heat and be overdone compared to the other half of the rack.
3. The ribs I cook end up so tender and moist that if I was to hang them during the cook they would fall into the fire so I do not suggest that as a method personally.
Now, in regards to fuel for the smoker, I have a big charcoal basket that will hold 20+ lbs. I can run my smoker for over 24 hours on a full load without ever touching it once (look into a bbq guru digi-q). I have a smaller basket that will hold around 10 lbs and that is good for 8-10 hours depending on the temp I run at which is always between 235-250.
Below are a few pictures for reference, let me know if you have any questions.
My bigger charcoal basket
My oh so fancy smoker lol
some recent grub