been asked about this a few times so i thought i'd show some more pictures and talk alittle about the build.
i got the idea from a few of the smokeing website i check out so this isn't some crazey idea i thought up but a well researched and tested bbq
i have less than $100 into this smoker and there is nothing that even comes close to it for a reasonable price.
i bought the drum new for $64 out the door from penn barrel inc in pittsburgh. you can find drums anywhere but i wanted new just to save on the hassel of burning and all that. well worth the money. if ya go there you want a NEW UNLINED OPEN TOP BARREL. if you have a weber lid take it with you sometimes they fit better on the bottom of a closed head drum so try it out
heres a picture of the inside of the drum when new. they come with a light anti rusting agent so ya gotta wash that out real good with soap and water
i had the weber lid already my uncle had one he was throwing out so i got it for free. keep an eye out for these lots of good parts.
heres the charcoal basket. i can burn for over 16hr on one load so its very fuel efficent. if you have been paying attention i have used this drum almost every weekend and sometimes saturday and sunday and only used three or four bags of coal i can't remeber exactly but we'll call it 4.
it was made by rolling some expanded metal bought at home depot(took 2 peices) around a propane tank and bolting together with STAINLESS STEEL bolts and nuts. i bought these at home depot as well. the bottom peice is from the donor weber my uncle gave me so freebee. i think i got about 2.5 -3 inchs of space for the coal ash to fall thru, this is very important.
here you see the cooking grate, its a cheapo 22.5 in bought at walmart on clearence for 8 or 9 bucks. its held up by 3 STAINLESS STEEL BOLTS AND NUTS. these i had so they were free. DO NOT USE GALVANIZED STEEL IN YOUR SMOKER
heres a temp gage i installed its a cheapo walmart clearence also was somewhere around $8. i use digital thermos so this is just for an emergency if my batteries died or something like that but if you don't have a digital you need this
now in the first and 3rd picture you can see the vent holes on the bottom and see i have a valve on one. this method works very well for controling airflow but i have since removed the valve and the nipples and am using magnets as i like them better. no pictures of them but i can take some.
as for what height to drill holes that all depends on the drum and lid set up for your cooking grates. there is lots of info out there for you guys to look at
this drum is very easy to use and fuel efficeint. wind and cold has no effect but i did have to shut it down one day cause even with 40# of weight i was afraid it was gonna blow over other than that never a problem.
I can take more pictures if anyone needs some these i had loaded already
i'll leave ya'll with some Q-VEIW
