Well I purchased Aaron Franklin's book and it has inspired me to build my own offset, Ive cooked for years on a cheap chargriller barrel grill made from thin sheet metal and no firebox (starting fire on one side with meat on the other). I am a tool and die maker and have access to very well priced sources of steel, but unfortunately we don't have 20 inch diameter .250 wall pipe laying around and neither do a lot of steel suppliers apparently. I needed two pieces, one 40" long (cook chamber) and another 20" (firebox). I recieved quotes for the two pieces for $370, $510, and $670. Scrap yards didn't have anything and neither did well drilling companies.
So I sheared two pieces of .250 mild steel
One 62" × 40" × .250
One 62" × 20" x .250
..... took them to a large fab shop where they're rolling them into 20" diameter tubes and tacking them a few times. Should be $90 or less and the steel was next to nothing (with approval from a top dog at work of course). I will post pictures when I get them back.
I'll finish the bead on them myself for cost savings. I am planning on building a traditional offset -no reverse flow or tuning plates but I may install a baffle. However....
A) I'm planning on a 4" diameter 36 inch long stack that connects at grate height with the intention of drawing the smoke direction over the meat -appropriate size? Damper needed?
B) As for the size of the opening connecting the firebox to the cook chamber- Aaron's book says the top of the firebox should be at the center of the cook chamber? Should I cut that whole area out though (half moon shape)?
C) Interesting stuff, all of Aaron's smokers do not have firebox vents, or top access firebox doors, he instead has a simple side access door and advocates simply cracking it open a little. So...vent or no vent? Size?
Thank you for your help,
Kevin
So I sheared two pieces of .250 mild steel
One 62" × 40" × .250
One 62" × 20" x .250
..... took them to a large fab shop where they're rolling them into 20" diameter tubes and tacking them a few times. Should be $90 or less and the steel was next to nothing (with approval from a top dog at work of course). I will post pictures when I get them back.
I'll finish the bead on them myself for cost savings. I am planning on building a traditional offset -no reverse flow or tuning plates but I may install a baffle. However....
A) I'm planning on a 4" diameter 36 inch long stack that connects at grate height with the intention of drawing the smoke direction over the meat -appropriate size? Damper needed?
B) As for the size of the opening connecting the firebox to the cook chamber- Aaron's book says the top of the firebox should be at the center of the cook chamber? Should I cut that whole area out though (half moon shape)?
C) Interesting stuff, all of Aaron's smokers do not have firebox vents, or top access firebox doors, he instead has a simple side access door and advocates simply cracking it open a little. So...vent or no vent? Size?
Thank you for your help,
Kevin