Back to double barrel build have a few questions

Well after my propane plan got nixed for liablity reason I had a nice door open up and I now have a supplier for my 3 barrels that I need brand new form Trilla Drum in Chicago. The sweeter part what that I found out that ACE sells the BK150E for $60 and the BK50E for $30 and I can order them in and I would not have to pay for shipping. That is $55 cheaper them getting it right from vogelzang.

I am using this site and plans for my over all plan but I do not like all the idea and I want to make a few improvments. I am just wondering before I buy if they will work. http://www.mikesell.net/smoker/

For the racks I am just not liking them. I am just wondering what else could I use for material. My one idea I want to try is making it so that I have more then one rack. That way if I put a few slabs of ribs on I can stack the over each other and just have them drip on each other. Looking at the pictures I think I should be able to do about two more half racks in the back just for this that I can take out when not in use. I am thinking of the metal that looks like this but I am not sure how well it will work or if I need to paint it or just leave it raw metal: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For the hinges I want to use door hinges so that way on each hing I can put on the the adjustable door stoppers instead of having the door lay aganst the vent.

Around the cut areas around the lid or door opening I am thinking of runnung some sealer like silocone or something with some give to help give a little better seal.

I know this might sound very weird but I know for this smoker I get to use wood and not lump coal. I have to say I am not sure about one thing. What is the best way to start the fire up? When I look at the opening there does not seem to be a lot of room.

Does anyone else have any tips for this smoker? What I am happy about is that I should be able to keep this under $300 for the full project.

I should be getting the barrels in the begging of October so I hope by mid Oct to have this thing up and going.

 

Well hit the stores again. I found the grates at a local steel store in town. For $25 they will cut it to size and everything me and same with the angle iron.

For the stacks I went to my local hardware store and I found I could make 4" stacks on each side with a damper inside for about 20 each stack. I am using stove pipe and just having to put it all together. The stack is 24" tall.

Just wondering for the stacks the 4" should be more then enough right? Also just wondering should I have bottom of the stacks even with the rack then? In placing the dampener should that go higher or lower in the stack? I have the parts right now for the one stack to play with.


***Edit found some info******

I think I found a few sites for better stacks and a better lid.

For the stacks:
http://www.thesmokering.com/pits/met...by/default.jsp

For the lid: (will save me a barrel)
http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowl...ontent/bbq.asp

 

Well I am getting the barrels on monday but today I did some prep work. I think I have everything set but the grates but I have to get the barrels first and that will be a simple install. Today the one thing I did get done was the stacks for each side. I installed a dampener on each stack and painted them with high temp paint. I do have to say I am kind of shocked on how you can take odds and end from the hardware store and put them together to make a good looking end product. I have to say this prodject has been a lot of fun so far. I hope to have this project done and working by Sunday.

BTW these are the pics of the stack with what I just noticed is a nice promo shot of my work.

 

It is done. Satruday I will get it will get cured and Sunday it will get cooking.

 

After starting to get down working with all wook I put on two hocks and a jowl to see they would do. A long with a bunch of dog treats from the hogs skin.

I did not do much prep I just put them on to see how they would do.



They started to look good



It looked ver good when done.



I have to say over all I am very happy with it. The temps are very even all across. Compaired to my old off set were it was very hot at one end of cooler at the other and I just had this nice little sweet spot. With my off set I could only do 1 pork butt but now with this setup I could do at least 6 and my gate room is not that much more. My Pitmaster delux was 30"x15" and this one is 33" by 22". It is just the less curve to the barrel, no hot spots, and I did not lose any room like I did with my modded pitmast with extended stack were it was placed on the grate.

 

No I have not. I am just using the lump for the starting fuel then adding some small dried branches, and then working up to logs. I have to say though it would take a lot of lump though. When about one log is half way done I have to add anouther one just to keep in the 200's. The nice part is that I only have to add one about every 45min to an hour at the earliest.

When I get my pork sides on though to make some bacon on Sunday I am goning to try and use the mix of lump coal and hickory chunks to keep the temp low but keep the smoke nice. I have noticed when my temps start getting low with the large logs I get a lot more of a heavy white smoke. When I keep it in the 190 and up range I keep a nice blue looking smoke going. I think the logs are to large to hold a low heat with out smoldering.

I still have a lot of playing to do though.

Just wondering what would be better about using the lump over just strait wood? I ate some of the hocks and jowl today for lunch and they were not over smoked at all. I have to say though strait oak does not have a lot of flavor though. Kind of wish I would have added some other wood to mix.

 

I just did the pulled pork today and I just got done pulling it for tomarrow and it was great. This thing cooks so much better then my old smoker. It just cooks so much more even.