Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
Do you think the baskets used for " gym lockers" in schools, and at swimming pools, would work as a charcoal basket in a New Braunfels offset firebox smoker? I can probably get one of those, for free, so I am curious as to what anyone thinks.
It would look something like this. I might be able to get one that is mostly metal, with small holes, as well. My girlfriend works at an elementary school, and they have an excess of these things.
Galvanized metal gives off a noxious and deadly gas when exposed to heat! I would do more than do a hot burn, I would make sure that all the galvanization is completely removed before using as a charcoal basket!!!
I wouldn't use galvanized at all. When I had an offset I built a charcoal basket form expanded metal. It was way too easy to do to risk issues from galvanized metal.
Yoke up can make one to your specs for you. Yokeup dot net
It's been awhile since I attended the grade school where these baskets are, but if I remember correctly, I don't think they were made of galvanized steel. I really don't know, because that was 30 years ago.
I got the zinc removed from the basket, and I used it, yesterday. It worked perfect. The holes aren't as big as they look in the picture, so no charcoal fell through. It kept a perfect 250 temp through the whole smoke. Who came up with the charcoal basket idea, anyone know?