needing some advice.

codykrr

codykrr

ok so, my grill which i have had for 5 years is done. so i decided to get a cheap webber for grilling, but in the mean time im wanting to build or buy a good smoker.

i really want an offset smoker. but i cant find any drums to build the fire box. and if i go over 100 bucks then i might as well of bought one pre made and modify it myself.

so what should i do(and no UDS for me)

so my questions are this. if i was to buy an offset smoker what is a decent one to start with? i can modify it if need be.

and if i build one out of a 55 gal drum, what should or could i use for a firebox? without going over budget?
 
Not sure what your gonna find for $100 in an offset smoker. When shopping for mine the most important thing I looked at was the thickness of the steel. Most of the manufactured ones are VERY thin and although they look nice and can smoke they are very difficult in holding temperature. I basically gave up on the store bought over the counter ones and ended up finding a VERY nice almost new custom built smoker for pennies of it's original cost. I spent $400 after searching the local BBQ forums, for a used one. I ended up finding a great smoker that was $1200 new with a lot of extras thrown in. This smoker is built to last and i'm sure it will outlast me for sure. If you have to have a good smoker and are on a budget, just go with a barrell smoker and add a few mods to it that was my first smoker and what I learned on until I saved up for a much better offset.
 
well i can get a charbriol smoker that i could modify for about 150. im just having trouble figuring out what to use as a fire box. as i cant find any 20 gallon steel drums for a decent price.
 
codykrr said:
well i can get a charbriol smoker that i could modify for about 150. im just having trouble figuring out what to use as a fire box. as i cant find any 20 gallon steel drums for a decent price.
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Again the problem with those is they won't hold heat for a #$%#. This is REALLY important in an offset since the heat isn't directly below the meat. Again you can do it, but it will drive you crazy trying to keep a temp for more than 10 minutes at a time and even then it will probably only last a few years if that. Keep in mind if your trying to smoke something big like pork butt (shoulder) that can weigh over 10 pounds most people smoke it for around 10 hours. I couldn't imagine trying to smoke anything that doesn't hold heat for 10 hours.

the best thing you can do for that amount is try and find a good used one and get it back up to par or get a UDS.
 
UDS are cool, not true indirect cooking (direct smoking) but easy to maintain. For offset, you should be able to build a good offset with a 55 gal. and a 10 gal. The next most important thing will be the positioning of the smokestack for the flow and even smoking. If you just put a stack at the top (opposite end of course) the smoke finds the fastest route out, which is over the meat. Use a continuous piece of pipe through the top and down to almost grate level. The smoke is forced through the entire chamber before escaping. This or put a stack on the side instead of the top, and angle it upward (opposite side of box). I'd do that if I had the choice. No pipe inside taking up meat room ;)
 
hey thanks for the link! pretty stiff on the price though. and yeah i planed on using a 2.5 inch pipe down about 1 inch above grate level on the opposite side of the fire box. also i plan on making it with a baffle 6.5 long to extend the heat away from the grate directly above...coupled with a series of 1/8 inch steel tuning plates of course.

like i said the fire box is what has been setting me back. angle iron, and the drum alltogeter would be like 60 bucks. but if i had to buy a 4'x8' sheet of 1/8 inch steel to build a fire box it would put me over budget.

but i think i have a plan.

you know those portable air tanks?, well with a little modification i could get that to work. so im thinking thats what im going to use. went to a buddies house the other day and he showed me one he built using that as the fire box. those are pretty cheap.
 
oh, one more thing.

what size should the hole to fire pit be? i heard once it was 1/3 the ratio of the 55 gallon drub to 1/2 of the fire box(20 gallon) or is it a 1/4?

and i had a UDS before...seemed to small for me. i like to cook multiple briskets, ribs slabs, and whole turkeys and such. i just couldnt do it on my old UDS. so i sold it.
 
get into the phone book call every propane dealer and ask for out of date or old tanks they mite have, most of time i get them for free. rinse them out with soap and water, should be safe to cut. i use them all the time. building one for the guy next door now.
 
I bought a 300 gal propane tank for 25 bucks that will be used for old fashion barbq pit. it is every bit 3/16" thick so it should hold heat well!
 
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