I have been asked a few times about catering with a whole hog cooker. Since spending a decent chunk of change on XL Egg, Vault, & trailer the last few months I dont really want to drop a boat load on a new cooker. Was thinking about building one. Was going to build a similar replica to Pitmaker Magnum sniper but put the firebox underneath directly in the center. I would insulate cook area with 2" and firebox with 3". Use the whole bottom of cooker as water reservoir if needed and put a 3" high metal fence around firebox opening to keep water from going inside the firebox. I was thinking inside dimensions to hold a 250 lb hog. For the baflle plate directly above the firebox I was thinking making a removable piece that sits directly in the middle that has 2" of insulation inside so the middle wouldnt have a hot spot. Smoke and heat would move to the sides where the last 16" or so on each side had no baffle plate and put smoke stack dead center. This way heat enters cook chamber then moves both left and right then flows back towards the middle across the grates and exits out the top. Didnt know if this would give me pretty even cook temps. Was hoping with firebox in center you can use minion method with charcoal and get 12 hours or so out of it. Even thought about going as much as making a gravity feed shoot on the back. Any ideas would be great.