This is what the paint looked like post burnout, half ground off the outside.
Here's my charcoal basket, sans legs and ash pan.
I used box-store expanded metal (12" x 24"). I cut the top 4" off each and used it to bridge the gap (17" Weber replacement charcoal grate x Pi = More than 48"). Then I used stainless steel zip-ties to hold the expanded metal to the grate. Got a baggie of 10 at Lowes for about $2.
Here's what I used for an ash pan. It's the bottom (charcoal pan) from an 18" tabletop grill.
Here's the basket with legs and ash pan attached.
My "handle" design from above:
Barrel finished:
From the Front:
Side/Back:
Top Rack:
Bottom Rack:
Here's the thermometer I mounted between the two racks. It's adjustable so I boil tested and adjusted it slightly. I know I need to rely on internal temps when smoking meat but I wanted something that would at least give me a ballpark.
What I read for setting up a dual rack was that the bottom rack needs to be 24" above the bottom of the charcoal basket. I think this is close enough.
These pictures were taken before the seasoning burn. For the seasoning burn I did about a 8 lb basket of charcoal with a few chunks of hickory mixed in. I left both valves all the way open. Note, I have only two holes, both piped and valved. After about 45-60 minutes temps stabilized just above 300 degrees. I checked on it a few times over the next 2-3 hours before I went to bed and it stayed at the same temp. When I woke up in the morning (7 hours later, 10 hours total) there was no more smoke flowing out of the vent but the temp was still 175. Not bad given the air temp on my deck was around 45 degrees.
This is my first smoker and the next post will contain the results of my first ever attempt at smoking meat.
Here's my charcoal basket, sans legs and ash pan.
I used box-store expanded metal (12" x 24"). I cut the top 4" off each and used it to bridge the gap (17" Weber replacement charcoal grate x Pi = More than 48"). Then I used stainless steel zip-ties to hold the expanded metal to the grate. Got a baggie of 10 at Lowes for about $2.
Here's what I used for an ash pan. It's the bottom (charcoal pan) from an 18" tabletop grill.
Here's the basket with legs and ash pan attached.
My "handle" design from above:
Barrel finished:
From the Front:
Side/Back:
Top Rack:
Bottom Rack:
Here's the thermometer I mounted between the two racks. It's adjustable so I boil tested and adjusted it slightly. I know I need to rely on internal temps when smoking meat but I wanted something that would at least give me a ballpark.
What I read for setting up a dual rack was that the bottom rack needs to be 24" above the bottom of the charcoal basket. I think this is close enough.
These pictures were taken before the seasoning burn. For the seasoning burn I did about a 8 lb basket of charcoal with a few chunks of hickory mixed in. I left both valves all the way open. Note, I have only two holes, both piped and valved. After about 45-60 minutes temps stabilized just above 300 degrees. I checked on it a few times over the next 2-3 hours before I went to bed and it stayed at the same temp. When I woke up in the morning (7 hours later, 10 hours total) there was no more smoke flowing out of the vent but the temp was still 175. Not bad given the air temp on my deck was around 45 degrees.
This is my first smoker and the next post will contain the results of my first ever attempt at smoking meat.
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