Wanting to build a horizontal!

[SmokerMike7715]

I’m wanting to build a fully insulated horizontal smoker with a warmer on it. Wanting something to hold around 20 shoulders and at least 10 briskets. With at least 2 shelves.

Something that is movable by hand nothing on a trailer.

What sizes do you all recommend?

What gage material you all recommend?

Square or round?


Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

[GRailsback]

Anything you build would need to be out of heavier guage steel to make it durable and last. And in order to isulate it you would need 2 layers. And in order to be able to hold that kind of volume, it would have to be fairly long. I suspect close to 5 or 6 feet in length. Not sure just how light you could make it and still end up with something that would last.

KAM will be able to get you more accurate and solid advice on that.

[SmokerMike7715]

I was looking at something made of 3/8 inner and 3/16 outer shell looking to use two different sizes pipes that will allow at least an inch gap between the two.

[GRailsback]

3/8 is heavy iron in itself. And with the volume that you would like to be able to cook, I am not sure you are going to be moving that around by hand. You will need a minimum of 24 in pipe, and that small of pipe I don't know how you get that much volume on anything less than 5 to 6 feet. My pit is 30in x 7ft. 3 racks, and depending on the size of the briskets I can get 6 to 9 or 10 in one door. With 24 in pipe and a length of 6 to 7 ft. with 2 racks you may get 6 in one door and 6 in the next door, depending on size of course. And it will also need to be tuned to cook even, or be a reverse flow. Or you will be rotating a bunch of meat. And that just add more weight.

[SmokerMike7715]

I could possible do a custom built trailer but man I hate
Pulling anything less than 12’ little trailers give me a hard time for some reason.

[GRailsback]

Don't make it 12, make it 14 or 16. You are going to need close to 6 feet of pipe, then add a fire box, then add the upright smoke box and you are already at 12 foot. Then add a couple of burners, and a steak and fajita cooker, and your sinks and water heater and fresh water storage, and a wood rack. Easy for me to spend your money. But KAM will be able to give you much more accurate dimensions for what you are wanting to achieve. I just know how much mine holds.

[strength_and_pow]

Having just built an insulated cabinet smoker I can say with good certainty that building an insulated round unit would be a good challenge. Instead of using pipe, I’d be looking at getting steel sheet rolled into the diameters you want. Holloway Steel in Saginaw, TX has done some rolling for me and the price was very reasonable. I believe they could plasma cut the door openings and only leave a few spots keeping the doors attached to the body. Have some 1/4 moon shaped pieces cut and weld to the doors before cutting them free would keep them from springing. A 2’ firebox, 6’ cook chamber and 2’ warmer definitely puts you in trailer territory.
Won’t be a cheap build any way you go about it.


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[k.a.m.]

Square with two doors will be your best bet for holding the volume you want in a smaller footprint.
You will need a chamber roughly 24" to 30" deep and around 60" long.
So lets say 24" Sq x 60". An inner shell 1/4" firebox 24" x 24" will work with a 1/8" outer shell you will be looking at around 550 lbs. for the firebox counting insulation fire basket and what nots.
The chamber with a 3/16" inner shell and a 1/8" outer shell before insulation and what nots will weigh in around 812 lbs. Then add the warmer and your'e really getting up there. I my opinion this is looking like a tandem axle rig.

[SmokerMike7715]

Square with two doors will be your best bet for holding the volume you want in a smaller footprint.
You will need a chamber roughly 24" to 30" deep and around 60" long.
So lets say 24" Sq x 60". An inner shell 1/4" firebox 24" x 24" will work with a 1/8" outer shell you will be looking at around 550 lbs. for the firebox counting insulation fire basket and what nots.
The chamber with a 3/16" inner shell and a 1/8" outer shell before insulation and what nots will weigh in around 812 lbs. Then add the warmer and your'e really getting up there. I my opinion this is looking like a tandem axle rig.

KAM is there any blue prints available anywhere for a tandem axel rig?

[k.a.m.]

Square with two doors will be your best bet for holding the volume you want in a smaller footprint.
You will need a chamber roughly 24" to 30" deep and around 60" long.
So lets say 24" Sq x 60". An inner shell 1/4" firebox 24" x 24" will work with a 1/8" outer shell you will be looking at around 550 lbs. for the firebox counting insulation fire basket and what nots.
The chamber with a 3/16" inner shell and a 1/8" outer shell before insulation and what nots will weigh in around 812 lbs. Then add the warmer and your'e really getting up there. I my opinion this is looking like a tandem axle rig.

KAM is there any blue prints available anywhere for a tandem axel rig?

There are plans for different cookers you can purchase from smoker builder.com but I have never seen or used them. I tend to fly by the seat of my pants when building one.