500 gallon smoker build

[akorte4]

Hello all,

I'm a first time user of this page, I've been reading posts for a long time but never posted myself. I'm getting ready to start a RF smoker with a 500 gallon propane tank I've acquired. I've ran all the calculations and plan to use 1/4 plate on everything. For those of you that have one this big is it a beast to heat? I'm considering cutting it down a bit because I'll primarily use it for back yard bbq's. I do a couple competitions and a few catering jobs a year but I'll only need the size 3-4 times a year. Is this going to be unpractical for backyard use?

I have thought about adding a removable plate at the 2/3rds point to create a smoker/grill combo to be more user friendly at home. When I need it full size I can remove the plates and have it full size. Any expert thoughts on that?

Any opinions or recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks

Aaron

 

[SmokinAl]

  to SMF!

Glad to have you  aboard!

I'm not a builder, and I don't have a smoker that big.

But I would think that you would want more than 1 smoker.

The big one for the jobs & comps, and a smaller one for backyard BBQ.

I have 6 smokers and use them all.

Al