Jo - Talk to me - Let me have it

[skyhightree1]

Jo I bought this from a man I know that's moving for couple hundred bucks he has been a good friend and I like it. The charcoal rack is stainless steel you can see the grates to place the food on. The bad is the side he cooked on most is rusted out so I started cutting it out don't laugh at my cutting skills I was rained out but will finish. I have 4 tanks to use to get more metal from for the bottom but do you think it would be best to get maybe a half inch thing of steel to place in the bottom? I have some other metal around her that I could use for the grate and put metal on it that I will find and take pics of but let me know what you think. He told me if you adjust the dampers on the sides right hes had it stay at 300 for 10 hours if he throws in a few chunks of history every so often off of 2 bags of kingsford. It also has a swing out table on it too.

 

[Sd1030]

Sky i think putting the 1/2 in steel in bottom will be fine to patch the hole. If it was me i would cut a door in the front to load and unload coal from. Thats how our cookers work, when we do shoulders we actually put hickory coals in instead of putting chunks of hickory, id think youd stand a better chance of the chunks flaming up bad vs using just coals. Im no grill expert but i highly doubt itll maintain 300 for 10 hrs on two bags of charcoal and few chunks of hickory. Thats just my thoughts. We had one that got a small hole in it and actually put a piece of tin in the cooker to cover it and it worked fine. Im sure you know but i think the big key to keeping them from rotting out is cleaning out after each use, and keep it dry.

 

[Jogeephus]

I agree with SD. Put a thick piece in the bottom and it will last longer and hold a steady heat better. I rarely cook with charcoal so I don't know about the time and all that. Like SD, said, cooking with embers from wood chunks is a common way here. You have a separate fire for that and shovel them in and it works good.

I think in time you will finally get around to either making a proper pit or a reverse flow and when you do you'll kick yourself for dragging your feet so long.

 

[Sd1030]

Jo what is a reverse flow? Is that the cooker where the meat goes in a box and a lid is put on, then fire built on the lid? You got my curiosty up as i have never heard of one. I have seen what i described in dehnman springs, la one time but they didnt really tell me what they called it.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sd, I'm sure you've seen these and if you've ever smoked on one you'll never want to do it any other way. Basically you just have a fire box attached to a tank. Inside the tank is a piece of solid plate steel that separates the tank. The initial heat and smoke has to travel to the far end of the tank where it then come up through a hole and then passes back over the meats and out the chimney. Because of all the metal, the temperature stays constant and once you get your dampers set properly it will coast at a steady temperature and there is no way you can burn the meat because there is no such thing as flareups and stuff. I have two of these, one likes to cook at 225F and the other likes to get to 250F but once they are set all you need do as add three sticks of wood each hour.

Here is a basic design. They are very easy to build out of propane tanks. I prefer propane tanks because the are heavy gauge metal and hold the heat really well.

FWIW, I've been on Sky for a few years now to go this route. Heck, he's in the tree business and has access to piles of free wood yet he insists on buying charcoal. I think he just likes buying stuff. (Maybe I can shame him to the right track ;-) )

 

[Sd1030]

Gotcha jo i know what your talking bout now. Ive seen them but never used one. It makes since and it seems like it would be easy to use. Do you do alot of cooking? Im no expert at it, just done alittle bit. We smoke pork shoulders at church for thanksgiving, i enjoy fooling with it.

Sky jo is right you got all the wood you need at your figertips lol.

 

[TexasBred]

Skyhightree is indian name.....white eyes name is "Fred Sanford". :lol: :mrgreen:

 

[skyhightree1]

FWIW, I've been on Sky for a few years now to go this route. Heck, he's in the tree business and has access to piles of free wood yet he insists on buying charcoal. I think he just likes buying stuff. (Maybe I can shame him to the right track ;-) )

lol I do like buying stuff I do use the wood to cook with though in addition to charcoal. soon as I get some of the other projects I already started out the way I will build one though. I bought this to use a time or two and either keep and rent to folks I know or sell it to make a lil profit honestly. I went to agri and say I could make it gas for 100 bucks.

Skyhightree is indian name.....white eyes name is "Fred Sanford". :lol: :mrgreen:

yes you got that right wife calls me Fred Sanford mom calls me Mr Haney has been my whole life lolq

 

[Jogeephus]

Sd, I'm no expert either but I do enjoy smoking meats. I think its the journey that I like the best but I do like to experiment and see how different things turn out. Had plenty of failures but its all fun. I went to the reverse flow several years ago. I have a lot of pecan trees and every time the wind blows I have limbs breaking and I had to do something with them and a pit is too much work so I went with the reverse flow and have been real pleased with it because its so easy to cook on.

If Fred Sanford here would just go on and get a propane tank and build him one he'll be glad he did. Not saying his find isn't a good setup its just that I call that a BBQ grill more than a BBQ smoker so really it all boils down to what you want and what you are cooking. My reverse sucks at grilling. You can do it but its not what its made for.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sd, I'm no expert either but I do enjoy smoking meats. I think its the journey that I like the best but I do like to experiment and see how different things turn out. Had plenty of failures but its all fun. I went to the reverse flow several years ago. I have a lot of pecan trees and every time the wind blows I have limbs breaking and I had to do something with them and a pit is too much work so I went with the reverse flow and have been real pleased with it because its so easy to cook on.

If Fred Sanford here would just go on and get a propane tank and build him one he'll be glad he did. Not saying his find isn't a good setup its just that I call that a BBQ grill more than a BBQ smoker so really it all boils down to what you want and what you are cooking. My reverse sucks at grilling. You can do it but its not what its made for.

SD If he were closer I would show you his smoker Wilber that he built cause I would have bought it and renamed it FRED.. :lol2:

 

[Sd1030]

Jo i gotcha, the cooker i described was one i seen at a friends wedding. It was bascially a stainless box with a lipped lid that was removable. A pig was put a two rods if i remeber right and hung inside. Then a fire was built on the lid to cook the pig. They cooked it so long on one side then flipped it. I tbought it was the neatest and crazyiest thing i ever saw as far as a cooker goes. The concept is the fire heats the metal which in turn cooks the meat, but you dont get the smoke flavor. Id take my hickory smoked pork over theres anyday. I

I like the concept of yours and the fact you dont have to constantly worry with firing burn barrels and shoveling coals.

Sky thats a good one lol.

 

[Jogeephus]

the cooker i described was one i seen at a friends wedding. It was bascially a stainless box with a lipped lid that was removable. A pig was put a two rods if i remeber right and hung inside. Then a fire was built on the lid to cook the pig.

We call that a Cajun Microwave. They are handy if you are going to cook something and be away. Just build the fire on the lid and leave and go fishing or whatever and when you come back and your campsite hasn't gone up in flames your meal is ready.

 

[Sd1030]

Jo i thought it was called a cajun something but wasnt for sure. My luck id be the one whose campsite would burn down if i used one of those.