I found this Bar-Be-Que for sale for $125.00

[thomasyoung]

Hello,
I found this Bar-Be-Que for sale for $125.00 it is the right size for cooking for around the house. It cooks ok for a grill. It needs some extra work on it plus I would like to change it around and add a firebox on it. I’m thinking of using one of the smaller propane tanks that I have for that purpose. I need to put in a drip pan and put the smoke stack on the other side. In the tank instead of using a pipe for the extra fat and water top drip out of it has expanded metal instead. I’m thinking of putting a drip pipe or just leaving it as it is. The expanded metal is on the same side of where I will be putting the pipe and firebox. Your thoughts on this? I also need to get it higher off the ground to a more comfortable level while working with it during cook time. Also I’m thinking of some other kind of wheels to move it around. Hard to move as it is now. The temperature gauge needs to be also replaced as it is reading a temp even when its not burning anything. And of course I need to put in some thin strips of metal around the doors to keep the heat in.

I did have my first barbeque. Wouldn’t call it a smoker yet till after I get done working on it. I cooked some ribs using my own recipe for rub. Two of the ribs I put Mustard on first to give it an extra kick.


Thomas

Home Barbeque - Photo 1


Home Barbeque - Photo 2

Home Barbeque - Photo 3

Home Barbeque - Photo 4

Home Barbeque - Photo 5

Home Barbeque - Photo 6

Home Barbeque - Photo 7

Home Barbeque - Photo 8

Raw Ribs - Photo 1

Raw Ribs - Photo 2

Seasoning the Ribs - Photo 1

Seasoning the Ribs - Photo 2

Seasoning the Ribs - Photo 3

Cooked Ribs - Photo 1

Cooked Ribs - Photo 2

 

[pignit]

That's a heck of a start on a smoker for $125. Ribs look good too. Let us know how it comes along.

 

[the iceman]

Nice score. That beast certainly has a lot of potential. Keep us advised when you do the mods.

 

[randocammando]

I like it has wheels, how hard is it to move with them on there good buyt for that price

 

[pineywoods]

Congrats that has lots of potential for sure

 

[beer-b-q]

Heck of a buy for $125.00.

You could use the same size angle iron to raise it.

Have someone cut the current legs in the middle between the wheels and the tank.

Then place the new longer angle over the old and weld them on.

The old pieces should give the legs added strength..

 

[kookie]

Nice score...............Heck of a deal and lots of room to add on to it..................

 

[bbq engineer]

Excellent score! When I see things like that my mind goes into overdrive thinking of all the cool things that could be. Keep us updated with your progress on Modding it. That has mega potential.

 

[d-que]

I wouldn't worry about the temp guage. I see you are from Florida as I am. That guage is reading about 100 deg. in the pic you provided. That is about normal for my smoker this time of year. Gotta figure, it's job is to record heat.....if our ambient air temp is 95 deg, the inside of that closed black steel drum is certainly that hot or more likely, hotter if it's been out in the sun. I've found that Walmart temp guage you have there to be pretty accurate over at my place. Just a thought.

 

[pantherfan83]

I'd make that thing into a reverse flow in a heartbeat.

 

[bigbaldbbq]

Man that is a deal at 125. The smoker that you can turn that into will be seven sweeter!!

Thansk for the pics, and I am very jealous!

 

[mballi3011]

That looks like a heck of a deal there but do you have to get on your knees to use it. It looks alittle little but it wouldn't take much to raise in and with all the work your talking about you will have one heck of a smoker there.

 

[chefrob]

looks like a great start!

 

[lightfoot]

looks like money well spent!
same temp guages as i have. yup, that thing just screams reverse flow!
keep us updated wth pix as the changes come along.

nice score!

 

[morkdach]

oh yea what he said fer sure^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[shooterrick]

Great buy and nice looking ribs. The side firebox idea great. Are you going to turn it into a reverse flow?

 

[zopi]

what he said...

 

[thomasyoung]

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all your complements! Yes I thought it was a nice little grill when I bought it. It's not a Smoker yet, at least not in the way I'm thinking. It will be in time. I tested it by cooking some ribs that you all saw here. I was really craving for some good ribs and not the kind that you get from Sonny's because I think they are too dry. They sure would good. Too bad that when I put up the images of the ribs that computers didn't have Scratch and Stiff so you all could smell the aroma! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm Good!

I did notice in cooking them that the heat was not as uniformed from the front to the back. Maybe that will all change when I convert this bar-be-cue grill into a Smoker using Reverse Flow!

The things I need to do to this cooker is build a better frame to hold the tank in. Getting the tank higher off the ground for one thing is a must. Now what has been in my mind for an idea , I want to run it by all of you Guys and Gals too. Remember the old red wagon with the spindle that turned towards the direction that was being pulled? I’m thinking of something like that to turn the whole tank around other wise as it is right now its too darn hard to budge. Any Ideas out there from all of you? After I have the frame and the tank set higher off the ground I need to put in a shelf in the front of the doors so I can use it to transfer the meat from the start to the end of the cooking process.

I need to put in the drip tray to use it as a reverse flow for sure. The way the tank is setup now the Smoke Stack is on the wrong end. Should I leave it there? Remove it and seal in the hole when I take out the stack? I know from seeing the Flow Charts of Reverse Flow the stack is on the other side, so that’s where I’m going to put the new smoke stack. Should I keep the stack the same size or make it bigger?

I going to be putting in a firebox using one of the extra propane tanks that I have in the garage. Using the method that Uncle Beef use in making his firebox. Uncle Beef, I may be asking you a few questions in the future about the firebox if that is ok?

Now on the bottom of the tank where the firebox is going to be located is a square hole with expanded metal welded in to use as a drip hole, should I seal that area and close the hole or just leave it. I plan on using a pipe welded from the drip pan and having the pipe come out the bottom of the tank with a release valve. I also need to repair the slide in shelves as they are badly need of repair. Well I think that is all. If I missed anything or if you all have any ideas I love to hear them!

Thanks,
Thomas

 

[tasunkawitko]

both the smoker and the food look great! points!

 

[the iceman]

I'm not an expert but here are a few thoughts anyway.

I would move the stack to lower on the tank so the smoke doesn't exit so quickly. The size looks fine.

Seal up the existing drip hole. That is just another place for air to get in & dilute your smoke.

If you build a big ol' firebox on one end & you place your wheels properly it could balance each side out & should make moving it about a bit easier.

Just my 2¢.