Double Barrel Build - Indirect Heat

[buck futta]

Been getting questions on how the smoker my friend Dmccurry built came to be. Ask whatever you want, we'll try to answer the best we can!

From what I know talking to my old man, this is a true indirect heat build. Both the barrels are 55 gallon drums and were purchased un-painted from a local barrel dealer in-town for cheap. Bottom barrel is lined with firebrick and also has a firebox made from Expanded 3/4" Stainless that we whipped up with little fuss. The double flue design works great at dialing in the temperatures and there is also a vent on the fire door as well as dampers on the chimneys for further fine tuning.

Here are just a few pictures I've snapped in the last few days while practicing this new tasty hobby. If you would like more detailed shots of a certain area feel free to ask and I'll run out to the back yard and see if I can accommodate your requests.

Since Dmccurry was lucky enough to build this at school overall costs were below $250 I believe. He can verify that if I'm wrong. I can tell you that it works like a dream!







Since I don't plan on smoking anything this week I'll be painting it up with some high temp Krylon BBQ or whatever my local ACE Hardware has for grill paint. I need to add another thermometer or two for more accurate temperature monitoring. This is one hell of a smoker!

 

[got14u]

Very nice !

 

[hemi]

Try some of the rustoleum weber black. It covers good and most of the brush marks flow out as it dries. It sprays good also. Did I mention CHEAP ? Good lookin job. Hemi..

 

[buck futta]

Thanks for the advice. You mentioned brush marks, I take it's in a regular can and not a spray?
Repped!

*Edit - You mean this stuff? http://www.deerso.com/BBQ_BLK_HIGHHE...s.aspx?src=gbs

 

[dmccurry]

Ya, all parts included it set me back about $250. Bought 3 barrels 2 for the 2 you see and another to cut a larger door out than the hole cut into the top barrel. I probably used about 5'x5' 10gauge mild steel. The grill surface is 31"x21" of 1/2" expanded stainless steel welded to a 1/4" frame I cut and welded together. the smoke stacks took about 3'9" of 2" ID steel pipe. All of the 10gauge steel parts were cut out with a BUGO Systems shape cutter programmed from laptop we had lying around. Since the barrel was so thin (24guage i believe) a typical oxyfuel cutting torch made way too big of a cut so i had to use a small plasma cutter turned all the way down. Once all the parts were cut out it just took quite some time with levels and squares to set it up and about the same amount of time to weld it together. I used both MIG and TIG welders to weld it. With MIG I had some issues with burning through the barrel but nothing that was unfixable. If anyone has anymore questions about the smoker just post em in here and I will try to answer them.

 

[meateater]

Just have to love homemade smokers.

 

[buck futta]

Got in some painting today, picture is super dark. I'll get some better ones up tomorrow.



She's almost all dressed up, we're looking to get some custom paint done soon.

 

[michchef]

Do you have any plates or baffles between the two stacks coming out of the firebox and the grates or is it just direct heat straight up the tubes? (besides the dampers, that is).

 

[dburgette]

That is one beautiful beast!


I also love the homemades. I will never buy a store bought smoker again.

 

[5lakes]

That is a great smoker!

I've been toying with the idea of something similar. I have a question, though.. I'd like to have a door on the bottom barrel similar to the one on the top barrel. Is that a bad idea? I think it would make access to the fire better, but could be very wrong.

 

[roller]

I think that thing is so cool !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sausiesmoker]

Hi,

I'm building a smoker at the moment , it is a tad smaller than yours - instead of 45gallon drums - I'm using 2 - 100l compressor tanks - in the under over format , just like yours , and like yours I have butterfly style regulators in the induction tubes , what I'm most interested in is , how did you decide on what diameter to make your induction tubes? Iv used 80x80 mm box section x 2  with very nice tight fitting butterflies that close really snugly . I am also wondering , about the diameter of the chimney - i see the chimneys on yours have about 1/3 of the diameter of your induction tubes too , do you have airflow baffle plates in your smoke chamber? Just in order to direct the lions share of the smoke to the desired area of contact with the food?

I also noticed that your air vent seems to be only in the door , is having one large single vent (variable of course ) effective ? I was thinking of having multiple evenly spaced fairly small vents about 1/2" in diameter and controlled by sleeve slide valves in order to feed the fire a uniform amount of oxygen all down the length of the fire ...or do you think this could be over thinking it a bit? I do look forward to your opinion , I'll try and get some Photos of how my build is going and put them up so you can take a look.

 

[paul-b]

Looks great man

 

[fkfiad]

im trying to build something like this for a school project however i need to add a rotisary any suggestions