Which materials to make offset smoker

[13Cookie13]

After watching lots of TV showing BBQ meat on smokers, I want to start making my own. I plan to build and offset smoker but I'm coming up with few obstacles.
I was originally looking for 20" pipe I could use....... Too dear
Maybe buy a sheet and roll it ....... Don't have a metal roller large enough
I know I can get metal drums ( oil ) but is the wall thickness enough? And can I be sure I'll get the oil burnt off so it won't be poisoning people and/or tasting the meat !
I'm a metal fabricator by trade so the build won't be an issue, what is an issue is that I'm not informed on BBQ so I'd appreciate any advice or tips.
I want to experiment with different designs be it having the barrell horizontal at first and then taking it from there.
The biggest question at this stage would be is an oil drum worthwhile or should I keep looking for some pipe ?
Thanks in advance

 

[SmokinEdge]

Search for UDS (ugly drum smoker) you will find your way.

 

[TNJAKE]

If you are building an offset but can't roll your own steel I'd look into a propane tank close to 500gal

 

[thirdeye]

Welcome.

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No disrespect intended, but SmokinEdge is on the right track. You can't cover all the bases on a bunch of cookers, and decide to buy one in the next month or three. Maybe a year??

Why not build or buy an upright drum and play around with it for a year? Around $300 to build your own, or $1500 range, if you buy a high end one. They are so automatic, you could focus on barbecue meats and all the flavors that go with it without getting interrupted with learning a new cooker.

 

[boykjo]

If you are building an offset but can't roll your own steel I'd look into a propane tank close to 500gal

Here's an option

boykjo's reverse flow build 05/07/2015 update

Well..............I might as well jump in and build me one too. Picked this up for 200 bucks. I am guessing it should take me about a year to build. I'm not as aggressive as I use to be. Will probably be doing some measuring at the SELA gathering. Dont have any plans.... Just going to find one I...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Boykjo

 

[13Cookie13]

Search for UDS (ugly drum smoker) you will find your way.

Thankyou, great shout I had seen some of them which actually prompted me to post this as I had given up hope on the pipe and knew that I could lay my hands on some oil drums. At the minute it's as much about the build as anything.. I love my job and bring it home as a hobby so I'll definitely get one going. Where I live ( Northern Ireland) a BBQ is generally an instant throw away job, might be all the great weather we get here lol but I've moved to a bigger house with a big garden and always enjoyed cooking while wild camping and wanted to integrate some of that into the design of the garden for example an earth oven etc .
I'll get started in the next week or so and share with the forum to be critic'ed and learn. God help us when I actually start cooking on it as I'm below novice but hey we all start somewhere.

 

[13Cookie13]

If you are building an offset but can't roll your own steel I'd look into a propane tank close to 500gal

Had never even thought of that and it sounds like a step up from the ugly cooker for wall thickness at least. I work with these too as a hobby making fire pits out of them albeit smaller tanks, I will definitely look into getting my hands on a tank and it will enjoy making it. As said I'll make a few different ones and keep what works best for me and gift the rest to friends and family.

 

[13Cookie13]

Welcome.

View attachment 526012​

No disrespect intended, but SmokinEdge is on the right track. You can't cover all the bases on a bunch of cookers, and decide to buy one in the next month or three. Maybe a year??

Why not build or buy an upright drum and play around with it for a year? Around $300 to build your own, or $1500 range, if you buy a high end one. They are so automatic, you could focus on barbecue meats and all the flavors that go with it without getting interrupted with learning a new cooker.

At this stage 90% of my interest is the builds, I would be lying if I came on here purporting to be a big BBQ person, rather that looks fun to build and hey if I can cook on it all the better lol
Where I'm from there won't be too many including myself that a BBQ brisket etc is anything else but something that we see on TV.
Yes I'm a meat lover and yes I would love to get my mouth round some of those great looking lumps of meat that I see produced when watching the TV, but it's not something I'd go to spend much money on as our weather would in reality mean that I wouldn't get the real benefit from spending a lot.
Really sound advice on the cooking too thankyou, it will take some hard work and patience to start really enjoying it so when i get some variations built look out for the posts asking if it's my fault or the cookers that I ruined something lol

 

[13Cookie13]

One word.....Beast. Love it, don't know what else to say lol

 

[unclebubbas bbq]

Why a round one, so many options out there, you can build one similar to Lone Star Grilz....surf the net there are so many styles and ways to build smokers your head can explode! Vertical smokers, offsets, reverse flow, ugly drums, oil tanks.....ect

 

[BigW.]

Not a smoker, but if you have the skills and materials a Santa Maria grill would be sweet.

Hybrid Santa Maria Grill Build & V-Tines Dinner (Pic Heavy)

I've built a couple of table top Santa Maria grills recently and each one turned out better than the one before it. When Tracy saw the last one I did she said we need one for ourselves...like I really need another cooker :emoji_laughing: I do love the concept of the SM grills but wanted...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

 

[13Cookie13]

Why a round one, so many options out there, you can build one similar to Lone Star Grilz....surf the net there are so many styles and ways to build smokers your head can explode! Vertical smokers, offsets, reverse flow, ugly drums, oil tanks.....ect

Thank you, I guess I'll see what material is easiest sourced for me and adapt on that basis

 

[13Cookie13]

Not a smoker, but if you have the skills and materials a Santa Maria grill would be sweet.

Hybrid Santa Maria Grill Build & V-Tines Dinner (Pic Heavy)

I've built a couple of table top Santa Maria grills recently and each one turned out better than the one before it. When Tracy saw the last one I did she said we need one for ourselves...like I really need another cooker :emoji_laughing: I do love the concept of the SM grills but wanted...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Actually would lol but with telling the missus I'm digging a hole in the garden to cook in and also having a go at a smoker I don't think I would be allowed lol, I fish a lot and in turn a lot of guys I fish with often talk about getting a smoker so I have that in mind too.