I am going to be working with a welder (person, not tool) to build a 250 gallon propane tank smoker very similar to what Aaron Franklin does on his PBS show BBQ with Franklin, Episode 4: The Pits. I will also be having a trailer built for the smoker. I did have a few questions regarding some specifics, as the video is not super technical. (Note: I have used Feldon's calculator, but obviously Franklin's smokers do not follow that math to say the least. I am trying to get a Franklin style smoker, not a mathematically "correct" smoker.)
For the smokestack, I can't decide between a 6" or 8" pipe. I figure because the cook chamber is a 250 gallon propane tank, the 6" is probably the way to go, about 6 feet tall. I want a good draft, but not too strong. I have also thought about using an 8" pipe about 5 feet tall. Thoughts?
For the trailer, I'm thinking a 3500 lb axle on a 4 foot wide trailer should be sufficient. On a lot of these smaller trailer smokers, it seems like the firebox is fairly close to the ground. Does anyone have experience getting one of these over a curb or something like that?
It will have 2 doors, and I want a cooking grate all the way across, right at the lateral center line (15", assuming the tank is 30" diameter), then 2 removable grates about 8" above the main grate, leaving about 5" vertically for the second shelf. For the main grate, what sort of increments do you recommend to make sure it is fairly seamless all the way across but still easy to remove through the doors?
I'd like the grease drain to be towards the firebox, as I figure the trailer hitch will generally be the higher side.
Does anyone happen to have a picture of their baffle on this style of smoker?
Those are all of the questions I can think of for now, I'm sure there will be more. Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks!
For the smokestack, I can't decide between a 6" or 8" pipe. I figure because the cook chamber is a 250 gallon propane tank, the 6" is probably the way to go, about 6 feet tall. I want a good draft, but not too strong. I have also thought about using an 8" pipe about 5 feet tall. Thoughts?
For the trailer, I'm thinking a 3500 lb axle on a 4 foot wide trailer should be sufficient. On a lot of these smaller trailer smokers, it seems like the firebox is fairly close to the ground. Does anyone have experience getting one of these over a curb or something like that?
It will have 2 doors, and I want a cooking grate all the way across, right at the lateral center line (15", assuming the tank is 30" diameter), then 2 removable grates about 8" above the main grate, leaving about 5" vertically for the second shelf. For the main grate, what sort of increments do you recommend to make sure it is fairly seamless all the way across but still easy to remove through the doors?
I'd like the grease drain to be towards the firebox, as I figure the trailer hitch will generally be the higher side.
Does anyone happen to have a picture of their baffle on this style of smoker?
Those are all of the questions I can think of for now, I'm sure there will be more. Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks!
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