Smoker/Grill: Industrial Piping Build

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

edthetermite

Newbie
Original poster
My name is Ed and the north central part of Arkansas (the Ozarks) is where I hail from. I am an old fart who has grilled for years but never was real serious about it. Here in the backwoods I have plenty of oak, hickory, and other hardwoods on my property to use for charcoal and wood smoke. I plan on procuring some wild hogs and other native meats to use in my barby.

I guess I sort of put the cart before the horse since I should of joined a group like ya'lls BEFORE I decided to recently make my smoker/grill. I had some spare metal and piping laying around so decided to give it a shot. 

I successfully smoked/cooked two whole chickens with it the other day; went about 10-12 hours. The exhaust temp at the top of the smokestack ran about 140-160 degrees most of the time. Had to rotate the birds every couple hours but they stayed very moist. The 3/8" rebar basket sitting on the top of the firebox is what I drop into the grill cavity when wanting to smoke some meat; it is upside down in the picture. 

Eventually I want to build a heavier firebox and replace the steel drum that serves what I believe you afficionados refer to as an offset box; it will take awhile to burn this fella out I'm thinkin'. The smoke piping is galvanized stuff about 3 1/2" inches in diameter. Because of the beefy thickness of the cooker (3/8") and lid (1/4") it heats up and retains temperature pretty well. Used a front end loader to set it in place as this cooker has some weight to it.

I am still learning about how to run one of these things properly. Any suggestions are welcome, besides a complete re-design. :^ )



 
 
"I would be a little worried by the galvanized piping."

How so?

Ed
Welcome to SMF

Galvanize gives off noxious fumes when heated, cut or welded.  If it's only in the stack, you should be ok as all the fumes would be going out of the smoker.  If the pipe from the FB to the CC is galvanized as well, I would replace that before cooking again.

I see a jug of charcoal lighter fluid setting under the CC and hope you don't use that to start your coals.  Buy a chimney at Wally World for $8 and use it to get them going with a sheet of newspaper with a Tbsp of cooking oil smeared on it to help it burn longer and get the coals going

I also live in Stone Co. but North of you in Missouri
beercheer.gif
 
I have to agree with Radio... If you have any galvanized metal between the fire and anything you are cooking.... get rid of it..It is OK in the stack as long as it doesn't extend down into the cooking chamber where it might get hot enough to start to produce fumes.
 
 
@ Radio on the use of starter fluid:

Does the starter fluid not burn off in entirety before the meat is placed on the grill? I realize that I might not be a purist and that some procedures are looked at disparagingly. 

Ed
I'm not necessarily a purist, just use what works best.

Most of the fluid burns off IF you let all of the briquettes/chunks get completely covered in ash, but most folks don't wait long enough and you can still smell the lighter fluid.

A chimney is only about $8 at walmart, so it saves you money in the long run, plus the coals start so much faster and more evenly than with lighter fluid. 

Try one and you will wonder why you ever messed with lighter fluid
beercheer.gif


 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky