- May 18, 2011
- 7
- 12
In my first Roll Call post I mentioned what I use for smoker and people requested pictures. Someday I might do a step by step video, but for now I think the pictures do it justice as it is frighteningly simplistic.
1.) Find a keg. I luck out here, because I work at a brewery! You'll want to be sure and utilize a half barrel keg. Which is your standard size. When you think keg, this is what you think of. Just be sure. A couple fun facts; it holds 15.5 gallons and an old school, legit wooden barrel holds 31 gallons... thusly, these kegs are "half barrels." But if you don't have a connection on getting a freebie, you could always bite the bullet and throw a keg party one weekend -- not return it, eat the deposit -- and build your smoker the following weekend. Find a super cheap deposit, fill it with the cheapest stuff possible.
2.) HAVE YOUR KEG DE-PRESSURIZED AND REMOVE THE SPEAR. Even after one of these ponies is empty they can pack a punch. I'll say this once: this is borderline dangerous without the right tools. That said, I'm not even going to explain how to do it because I refuse to be responsible for people losing teeth or taking a stainless steel rocket to the sternum. Do yourself a favor, find a local brewery and take them an empty keg. Explain what you're doing, they'll think it's bad ass and high five you and stuff. If you're going to the effort of all this, you're probably super righteous and I'd bet you leave near a brewery anyway. And if you don't, head to your favorite restaurant that you have a repoire with. Talk to them about this project, someone will know someone that can do it -- either a distributor or a SOMETHING, somebody will have the tools.
2a.)The mechanism inside a keg that pulls the beer up from the bottom, if not removed with the right tool can come shooting out at about 10-15psi. Not awesome. This is what it looks like as I still have mine. Working on finding a usage, but I've yet to come up with anything.
3.) So you've got an empty, de-pressurized keg. Get your hands on an angle grinder and 3 or 4 cutting wheels. Stainless steel EATS cutting wheels. Most half barrels have two bubbles, or "seams" around the circumference. What you need to do is cut all the way through and all the way around the bottom half, of the bottom seam. Once cut, use pliers and a ton of elbow grease to bend the top half OUT and the bottom half IN. What all this does is allow drippings to fall nice and cleanly across the bottom third of the smoker while at the same time creating an air tight seal. You want the two pieces of your vessel to kiss together, not lay on top of each other. It'll take a little while, do several test fits. When you put the top back on and it grabs a nice seal, you'll know.
4.) On the bottom of the keg there are 4 small notches in the metal from the factory, right at the bottom weld. You'll want to drill one small air hole on top of each of the factory notches. The drill holes should be a solid 1/4''.
5.) You'll need a dinner plate rack. I don't have the packaging anymore but I'll ask my guy who showed me all of this and get that info. He finds them at Target and they cost about 10 bucks.
6.) Grill grates, three of em'. They are 13.5 inches across and fit perfectly. One on the bottom to keep your fire up and get some air under it. The middle one will be your water pan holder and the top is for the meat. The water pan rack needs 2 notches cut in it to fit on the rack.
7.) Temp gauge with a short probe and a wing nut. Drill a hole, drop her right in the top.
8.) Drill a bunch of holes in a veggie can for all-weather smoking! Water won't get in the top, and smoke can still escape! I also find that if it's riding a bit high, the can on top can act like a small damper and drop your temp about 15 degrees.
Simple, cheap, bad ass. A bitching conversation piece. Nothing quite like drinking beer outside, while smoking meat outside... in something that used to hold beer! Oh and did I mention it's 100% PORTABLE! The bonus to putting it in your trunk is that it smells like bacon all the time. I've used this thing about 15 times so far and only twice have I smoked at my own home. My apologies for the poor quality phone pics but here's samples what you can get out of her:
I know it may not look like much room but this is a 9lb brisket.
ONE of TWO simultaneously-cooked 6lb pork butts.
She's money in the Winter too. Oh and here's some short ribs... which I used to make "Viking's Pie." Smoked short ribs, chopped up fine with some sauteed onions, put that in a pie crust, then corn, then a layer of sweet potatoes, then yukon goldies. Throw it in the oven fora bit to crisp it up... ridiculous.
So there it is, my first official post. If anyone decides to build one, let me know I'd love to see one out in the wild having never seen another one. Not even the guy who helped me build this, he gave his original to his brother because he bought a big ass Brinkmann. I'll get a big boy someday, but this'll do the trick for now without question! As far as running her, I use Cowboy lump charcoal. Never had an issue. I know some people frown upon Cowboy but like I said it works for me and I can always get it around here. What I do is fill a whole chimney to the tip top, get her going real good, dump the coals onto the bottom half and put the top half on. Now she's going to ride high around 300-325 for a bit while it settles in. At this point I fill my water pan. Typically I just use beer and water. Once your coals have been going for a few, take the top off and put your water pan in. Temperature should slowly creep down and ride perfectly between 200-250 for a good for a long time. I've had days where I need to add a couple pieces of charcoal/wood. But she's really consistent for the most part. Just gotta watch it and learn how it rides.
Good luck!
1.) Find a keg. I luck out here, because I work at a brewery! You'll want to be sure and utilize a half barrel keg. Which is your standard size. When you think keg, this is what you think of. Just be sure. A couple fun facts; it holds 15.5 gallons and an old school, legit wooden barrel holds 31 gallons... thusly, these kegs are "half barrels." But if you don't have a connection on getting a freebie, you could always bite the bullet and throw a keg party one weekend -- not return it, eat the deposit -- and build your smoker the following weekend. Find a super cheap deposit, fill it with the cheapest stuff possible.
2.) HAVE YOUR KEG DE-PRESSURIZED AND REMOVE THE SPEAR. Even after one of these ponies is empty they can pack a punch. I'll say this once: this is borderline dangerous without the right tools. That said, I'm not even going to explain how to do it because I refuse to be responsible for people losing teeth or taking a stainless steel rocket to the sternum. Do yourself a favor, find a local brewery and take them an empty keg. Explain what you're doing, they'll think it's bad ass and high five you and stuff. If you're going to the effort of all this, you're probably super righteous and I'd bet you leave near a brewery anyway. And if you don't, head to your favorite restaurant that you have a repoire with. Talk to them about this project, someone will know someone that can do it -- either a distributor or a SOMETHING, somebody will have the tools.
2a.)The mechanism inside a keg that pulls the beer up from the bottom, if not removed with the right tool can come shooting out at about 10-15psi. Not awesome. This is what it looks like as I still have mine. Working on finding a usage, but I've yet to come up with anything.
3.) So you've got an empty, de-pressurized keg. Get your hands on an angle grinder and 3 or 4 cutting wheels. Stainless steel EATS cutting wheels. Most half barrels have two bubbles, or "seams" around the circumference. What you need to do is cut all the way through and all the way around the bottom half, of the bottom seam. Once cut, use pliers and a ton of elbow grease to bend the top half OUT and the bottom half IN. What all this does is allow drippings to fall nice and cleanly across the bottom third of the smoker while at the same time creating an air tight seal. You want the two pieces of your vessel to kiss together, not lay on top of each other. It'll take a little while, do several test fits. When you put the top back on and it grabs a nice seal, you'll know.
4.) On the bottom of the keg there are 4 small notches in the metal from the factory, right at the bottom weld. You'll want to drill one small air hole on top of each of the factory notches. The drill holes should be a solid 1/4''.
5.) You'll need a dinner plate rack. I don't have the packaging anymore but I'll ask my guy who showed me all of this and get that info. He finds them at Target and they cost about 10 bucks.
6.) Grill grates, three of em'. They are 13.5 inches across and fit perfectly. One on the bottom to keep your fire up and get some air under it. The middle one will be your water pan holder and the top is for the meat. The water pan rack needs 2 notches cut in it to fit on the rack.
7.) Temp gauge with a short probe and a wing nut. Drill a hole, drop her right in the top.
8.) Drill a bunch of holes in a veggie can for all-weather smoking! Water won't get in the top, and smoke can still escape! I also find that if it's riding a bit high, the can on top can act like a small damper and drop your temp about 15 degrees.
Simple, cheap, bad ass. A bitching conversation piece. Nothing quite like drinking beer outside, while smoking meat outside... in something that used to hold beer! Oh and did I mention it's 100% PORTABLE! The bonus to putting it in your trunk is that it smells like bacon all the time. I've used this thing about 15 times so far and only twice have I smoked at my own home. My apologies for the poor quality phone pics but here's samples what you can get out of her:
I know it may not look like much room but this is a 9lb brisket.
ONE of TWO simultaneously-cooked 6lb pork butts.
She's money in the Winter too. Oh and here's some short ribs... which I used to make "Viking's Pie." Smoked short ribs, chopped up fine with some sauteed onions, put that in a pie crust, then corn, then a layer of sweet potatoes, then yukon goldies. Throw it in the oven fora bit to crisp it up... ridiculous.
So there it is, my first official post. If anyone decides to build one, let me know I'd love to see one out in the wild having never seen another one. Not even the guy who helped me build this, he gave his original to his brother because he bought a big ass Brinkmann. I'll get a big boy someday, but this'll do the trick for now without question! As far as running her, I use Cowboy lump charcoal. Never had an issue. I know some people frown upon Cowboy but like I said it works for me and I can always get it around here. What I do is fill a whole chimney to the tip top, get her going real good, dump the coals onto the bottom half and put the top half on. Now she's going to ride high around 300-325 for a bit while it settles in. At this point I fill my water pan. Typically I just use beer and water. Once your coals have been going for a few, take the top off and put your water pan in. Temperature should slowly creep down and ride perfectly between 200-250 for a good for a long time. I've had days where I need to add a couple pieces of charcoal/wood. But she's really consistent for the most part. Just gotta watch it and learn how it rides.
Good luck!
