New guy building a smoker!!!

[jlee989]

As promised I said I will create a thread of my build. I will post more pics of my propane tank Monday for now all I have is pics of my trailer. I picked this trailer up last Friday for 150.00 bucks. It is a 5x12 trailer with a single 3500 pound axle the trailer even came with electric brakes. So far I have grinded the frame down and premiered it with automotive primer. I have also added a new 1000lb trailer jack. I plan on removing the old jack you see in the pics this weekend. I have welded up a some brackets for the trailer lights and have installed them light temporally. This weekend my plans are to add 3 more cross braces and put another coat of primer. Once the primer has sealed I'm going to coat the entire trailer in bed liner material. Hopefully if all goes well I will have the trailer wired and lights installed permanently.

The weekend after next or during next week I hope to have the trailer decked out. Then it will be a little wait time because of the propane tank. I'm having my propane supplier come out this Friday and remove the gauges and valves. The tank will need to sit a couple weeks with soap, water and degreaser in before I call a welder out to cut my doors.


A little about my plans…

Not sure if I going to use tuning plates or do a reverse flow still have not decided. I have a brinkman box smoker at home I'm going to incorporate for a warm box. It is not the best built smoker in the world mainly due to the then wall material but my plans are only to use the smoker to keep meat warm.

We crap how do I post pics?

[JamesB]

Here is a tutorial on pic posting. It should help ya out.

http://www.texasbbqforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=411

[jlee989]

o.k. I found the how to section.

Here we go.

This is an autocad pic of my plans.

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... qplans.jpg

This is the trailer when I picked it up

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... ailer1.jpg
http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... ailer2.jpg

This is the trailer primed.

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... rimer1.jpg
http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... rimer2.jpg

This is the new trailer jack.

http://i488.photobucket.com/albums/rr24 ... erJack.jpg

I'll have more pics monday of what I get done over the weekend.

[jlee989]

By the way the area behind the propane tank on the trailer will be built in storage for wood and misc. storage. The brownish color you see will be old weathered cedar for the tops of the storage bins. The cedar is from some old building my wife's family had on their farm. From what I have been told those building were built in the mid 30's. The cedar will also go on the tongue of the trailer as well. Another Idea I have it fab-ing up a door on the top of the fire box and putt a removable grate their to grill on. I might have to scrap that idea due to heat lose what do you guys think?

[DATsBBQ]

As for wieght distribution, you think not having the cooked not placed in the center widthwise will cause you any problemos?

[jlee989]

I don't think so. Like I said behind the propane tank will be storage built out of anlge iron then all sides will be lined with cedar inlcuding the top cover. The back side of the storage box will be lined with some thin metal to act as a heat barrier. So with the box built and filled with wood and supplies I think it would not be much of a problem. If I did center it on the trailer I would have a promblem reaching the back part of the smoker.

Does anybody know how much a 100 gallon tank weights? The dimiension are roughly 26 dia x 85"L.

[DATsBBQ]

A 250 gallon tank (31.5" x 81.5") weighs in empty at 472#

http://www.missiongas.com/lpgastankdimensions.htm

That's the smallest tank I've seen in these parts for home heating.

[jlee989]

Thanks Gator I at least have and educated guess on the wight of my tank. Would you say 375 ish?

[OSD]

Given the dimensions you posted, that would be a 150 gallon tank. Rough weight would be around 300 pounds for a stripped tank.

[jlee989]

Thanks OSD!!

Given a 300 lb tank plus an extra 250 for the fire box, up top smoker, stack, and misc fab. material I think I will be o.k. on wight distirbution. Heck the angle iron, wood, ice chest, misc suplies, & bbq wood would be very close to matching the smoker side.

Again thanks OSD!!

[bigwheel]

Just make sure the tongue weight is light enough if you happen to drop the trailer jack on your foot..you would be able to lift it off by yourself. This be if there aint no witnesses around to help. Not sure if the diameter of the tank would lend itself to a reverse flow design. We call em Georgia pits around here for some reason. Your plate would be so close to the meat it liable to give it a roasted over a dry hot skillet effect. Know a fella who had a storebought version of one of them thangs and thats the problemo he had. Burnt the snot out of the bottom of the meat and didnt shed much heat to the top. He got rid of that monstrosity purty quick. Now I have a theory that if a person put a water holding pan to run the length of the plate it might work ok. Make sure the fire is directly under the pan on the firebox end the meat stays entirely over the water. Got an old chum who had a pit built like that..sold it recently...but that was a cooking moochine. You could cook upwrapped briskets in that thang all day long and clean up was a breeze..you just pulled the plug on the water pan and all the grease and muck wind up on the ground along with the water. His held about 15 gallons of water and the water trough was custom made SS.

bigwheel

[u2plt]

JR Enterprises in Dewitt AK has been building his Smokers for several years now and they have a water fill the length of the cooker with the fire at one end under the water tank with the smoking area. He won a bunch of BBQ contests like Memphis in May in the late 1980's. with this design.

[bigwheel]

Well I hate to be redundant yet again as usual all over again but will say it just like getting a BA in College to hang around this place for a bit. I had no idear old JR had that water pan deal all figgered out. Course I aint never seen a JR pit but do know he got enough sense to put the fire under the meat where it belongs..obeys the laws of physics and thermodynamics etc...speaking of the old hot air rising dielemma which offset pits attempt to defy. I have seen some pics of them and know old Frank Boyer used to brag on his constantly. I think he had one w/o the water treatment. The pit my chum had was custom made by some old geezer from E. Texas or that how the story went anyway. Doubt he ever seen a JR either. Can't believe old JR want to be such a copy cat like that:) I dont think an upright would be a good plan on that deal. My old buddy's pit was just a hollow tube type configuration. Firebox was intregal with the pit with the firebox door pointing out sideways. Air control too I guess. Was a fine pit and his name was Bubba...sniff sniff.

bigwheel

[jlee989]

Interesting point bigwheel on the plate. Given the diameter of my tank what would you do for even heat distribution? What about welding a 6" half pipe down the center of the tank with square holes cut out equal spaced along the tank? I might even be able to add tuning plates on top of the pipe what do you think. All please join in my let me know what you guys think too.

[bigwheel]

Well know a fella who tried the large diameter pipe down the middle and it didnt work very well. Now old Tom Hofer makes some pits with a series of about 6 smaller pipes which lead from the firebox into the cookchamber with the pipes varying in length. Never have examined the arrangement real close but would assume he has a coupla pipes which stretch to the far end...coupla in the middle..one or two up closer to the firebox. You can see a pic of the firebox end at the link below. Now I still like the water trough idear too.

http://www.bbqcookoff.com

bigwheel