Started a new one.

[towtruck]

I had some 1/4" pipe and most of the pieces I needed to make an offset smoker. I decided to get started on it. The wife likes what she sees so far so I think she will get this one to use.

The wife thinks it will make a good patio smoker so I will make wheels and a way to move it by hand. Go ahead and beat me up for not posting pictures.....I was so busy in the shop I forgot to take any shots.

In one afternoon I cut the pipe, cut out the door, capped the ends, plated between cc and fb, installed the stack, and installed the cooking grate. My wire feed welder is giving me fits and I had to use my old stick welder a lot. I think the dirty metal was the problem....I'm really bad about not prepping my steel as my old stick welder eats anything you feed it.

So far it has been a fun build. Getting all the little pieces made and making the fb door is next. We finally got a break in the weather so I took advantage of it. A few more hours in the shop and I will have it really close to done. I promise pics when it's done for sure.

edit to add...stayed out late and got the cc door on. I don't like any of it and will look at it in the morning to see if I start over....which I think I will if I have doubts now, I know I will in the morning. It works but it ain't right.

[Big T]

It sounds like a cool build, especially if the wife approves.

[towtruck]

Yeah, she likes it. I tore the door apart this morning and will start over with it. I can save the pipe section but I have to get some new steel for the flange and hinges. Going to stop by my steel supplier and get a fresh piece for fire box door as well. I have to go see my arthritis doc in the morning so I may not make the steel run tomorrow.

The trailer rig made some brats today and is headed to work Friday for bbq'd salmon and smoked mushrooms....the new build will have to wait a bit.

[towtruck]

I got the cc door back on with good flanges and good hinges. I have to pull it off and do some grinder work on it next. My wire feed is choking up a bit. I need to get an new roll of wire and see if that is the issue as I'm getting to the end of the roll. I have to make a new wood handle and get that mounted as well. I may have to put a little special touch on the door face for looks and functionality...it's coming together....

edit.... I did a quick test burn yesterday to see if I liked the fire box.....it did not go as planned so it's getting cut off and a square fb will be made with a top loader.

[towtruck]

I got the little bugger done enough to try it out and make some Q. Now that I know it works I need to make a set of wheels for the back, a leg in the front, and make a lid stopper for the fire box to hold it open without it going all the way over.
Two brats are a max load for this smoker It's a monster for sure......I mounted it onto a scrap of diamond plate for the testing.

The warm up fire..


In go the brats..


And the Q.....


A little smoke rolling for the camera....


A little size comparison...

[Big T]

[towtruck]

I had to make the second fire box a little bigger than 1/3 the cc size. The original fb held two briquettes and that is just not enough to make any heat. This fb holds seven+ briquettes. I am going to add a temp gauge to the cold end of the smoker just to see what the temps are as I have the gauge I just need to drill and tap the hole. I burned some small lump charcoal to season it then started dropping oak twigs into the fire and it handles small sticks pretty well. I dropped a few briquettes on the coals and tossed the brats on...they cooked pretty even end to end. I turned them over and swapped ends once during the cook.
I just threw some scraps together on this one and did not take much time cleaning it up but it came out pretty slick. It works and that is all I wanted it to do.

[Chromeski]

Lol, looks great. I had a similar plan in mind except my tank boarders on a small smoker rather than a miniature

[Pete Mazz]

[mp4]

That thing is just freeking awesome!

[towtruck]

I got the wheels on it today and I don't like the front one. It is too wobbly with it on there. I am going to get a carriage bolt to make a single peg leg with instead.



I have had it smoking for a few hours now just letting it burn. 11 briquettes can be stacked inside but that gets a little crowded. I'm playing with it to see where it burns hottest.

[ajfoxy]

Awesome

[towtruck]

I cooked a single brat for lunch today and then switched over to small pieces of lump charcoal and that burns much better and hotter than briquettes. I am now cooking a pair of brats for dinner.
As the fire burns down I poke it down with a screwdriver and add more lump on top. It works pretty well and cooks low and slow like it should. The temp gauge is on the far end and past the stack opening and it has been running 125-150* on that end. I have had it burning for 6 hours and so far have used 11 briquettes and about two and half cups of lump pieces.

edit...on this second cook I got the coal bed to really perform by dropping the coal level a bit and only placing a little bit of fresh coal on top. Doing that made the cold end of the smoker get up to 200*.....I do believe I have got it down how to make and maintain the fire on it.

[Big T]

[McBroom]

Show off that’s Awesome


I love my truck!
Blue Mule 18 Ram 4x4 C/C
Off Road.

[towtruck]

Smoked a couple more brats this morning for my lunch and dinner. What a fun little smoker. I bust up some lump charcoal into 3/4"-1"pieces, place them in the fire box and put a wax fire starter on the bottom. Light it up and let it get going with the lid open. Once warmed up with a good hot coal bed I add a few more pieces of lump and close the lid. Let the smoker warm up a tad and add the brats. Takes about two hours to smoke them low and slow and they come out perfect.