food MikeUSMC: "Bury Me in Smoke"

MikeUSMC

MikeUSMC

Ok, I started with a Jim Beam barrel on Craigslist for $100



Sanded it down with a wire wheel on an angle grinder on the bands.
80 grit, then 120 grit, then 150 grit sandpaper "flapper" wheel on the oak
Cleaned it up nice


5/8" self tapping stainless screws (predrilled pilot holes) in every stave to hold the bands up, and to stop the barrel from falling apart when I cut the top off. This took FOREVER


Off comes the top, out comes the loose char. Smelled like smoky bourbony awesomeness


Little 14" Weber "Smokey Joe" for the bottom. I drilled a ton more holes in this for better airflow, and altered the legs a little so it would sit lower




Access door to refill water pan/charcoal




Four 3/4" threaded pipe air vents w/ caps to control the airflow. High-temp, food grade caulk in each stave joint



Somewhere along the way, after all the hardware was on (holes drilled), I was ready for paint. I love the textured look of this stuff. (Spray paint) "Forged Hammered Antique Pewter"



A coat of stain, and BOOM!

'MERICA. :cheers:









Boss, let me know if you want me to delete any of the double posted pics. I'm not looking to get in trouble here :)
 
A few more random things I did:

-set an 18" pizza pan directly in the bottom of the barrel to catch any loose ashes

-used "black" steel wall/floor flanges and threaded couplers (3/4") for the vents on the bottom, and for the 2 exhaust pipes to clamp to on the top. Had to shim those with stainless shims (shiny rectangles on underside of lid) to get the pipes to stay at 90* to the top (they wanted to lean). Another bigger flange and cap (1&1/2"?) to cover the bung

-used the same high-temp, food grade caulk to secure 1/4" (maybe it was 3/8"?) wood stove rope gasket to bottom rim of the lid to prevent leaks. Also filled any cavities around the inside of the flanges/vents heavily with caulk

-Grand Total was something like $515 (barrel and hardware/supplies). Took (estimating here) roughly 40 hours to build




Any questions, feel free to ask!
 
MikeUSMC said:
Now you're gonna get me in trouble for double posting pics :rofl:

I posted a few pics in the community smoker thread, then it started getting a lot of attention, so I decided to start my own, here. Figured I'd show the build too.

Here's the original post I made, with food pics:
http://thehotpepper.com/topic/21961-post-pics-of-your-smoker-or-grill/?p=1427179

All future cooks I do, I'll post in this one :)
Click to expand...
 
OK, I didn't see that. Thought this was an original thread.
Nice grub master.

 
 
Still haven't done a brisket yet (on this smoker), but I plan on doing a small corned beef brisket on Friday (4-5lbs for me, my wife, and the kids). I'll probably do a big one on Memorial Day (big picnic)
 
No, I didn't brine it at home (that's why it's not in the DIY Corned Beef thread ;) ) Either way, it came out fantastic. Never smoked one before, and I doubt I'll ever boil one again. I'm not sure how to embed a video on my phone yet, but I followed Malcom Reed's recipe from his channel, "How to BBQ Right." If you've never seen his stuff, he has some great recipes; especially his carñitas. Ok, back to St. Paddy's Day

4.5lbs


Brisket went on, now prepping the cabbage


Get brisket up to 130*, fill pan halfway with water and cover with foil to braise; cabbage goes on


Brisket at 150*, add potatoes, carrots, onion. Cover back up with foil, back on smoker


Brisket up to 195*, veggies and cabbage should be nice and soft (I let the brisket rest in a cooler, wrapped in towels for a bit)


Cabbage was AWESOME; super buttery and tender, but still had a little crunch


Got my Boos Block in the mail yesterday ;)


Carved






Plated


Great meal! Happy St. Paddy's Day! Check Malcom Reed out if you haven't already! :cheers:
 
Yeah, you ain't kiddin'! I'm really looking forward to sandwiches. I can't decide if I want to make Reubens or just have sandwich melts with Swiss, and mustard mixed with CaJohn's Fatalii Fire :party:
 
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