Water tank smoker

[Forkin Pork]

Just brought home this great water tank (not galvanized).
26 inch dia X 5 ft tall.
Whatda think guys....... vertical smoker or horizontal offset?
I'm thinkin horizintal
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[bigwheel]

Vertical is the only way to fly in my book.

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

Hmmmm, I thought everyone was so dead set out horizontals be the way to go.
Why is it that you like vertical so much?

 

[bigwheel]

A vertical follows the Laws of Physics..thermo dynamics...hot air rising etc...where an offset tries to break em. Logistically speaking an upright is much more efficient. All it take to cook on one is a bag of charcoal and some chunks. On an uninsulated offset..it helps to have your own forest and crew of guest workers to cut..haul..split and stack the wood. Wimmen tend to nag about big piles of half rotten wood sitting around in the yard too. So a vertical can keep you outta devorce court.

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

That's pretty much what I thought you would and I would have to say I agree.
I actually never owned or built a horizontal pit and don't understand why everyone builds them.
I guess I'll have to stay with the ol' verticals.
Unless someone can give me a good reason why not too!

 

[bigwheel]

Only advantage I can see with an offset pit is I think with typical configurations a person can cook more at once. My pit Fred is a fairly largish offset with a big upright..so I can swing either way or both ways at once. For a cookoff or just cooking for the family I fire up him up in the direct mode with or w/o the optional water pan and just cook in the upright. If somebody able to talk me into cooking for a crowd I fire him up in the offset mode and do 33 briskets without batting an eye. Couldnt duplicate that feat just using the vertical part. Now you come to Texas and start hanging around with bohunks (Chezks..Germans etc) they have a lot of horizontal type direct cookers which can do a bunch at once..but it takes a lot of wood (usually real dead Mesquite) which is burned to coals and shoveled under the meat from the back side. Till you get a lip lock on some of that stuff you aint had no bbq

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

Well, I had me a discussion with smokey joe and I have made my final decision, it gonna be an horizontal off.
Now I can tellya any more then that, because it looks like this one may be the best design to him the market since they invented the tong for women.
Pic's coming out around early spring!

 

[Larry D.]

If that's the type of tank with a rubber bladder inside, is there a way to remove the bladder before you start cutting it? It seems like it would either (1) gum up your saw blade, or (2) treat you to the wonderful aroma of burned rubber (if you're cutting with a torch).

 

[Forkin Pork]

Well this model has no bladder or plastic liner in it.
BUT!.....what happen to me is, I research the design of the tanks from a manufacture drawing before I picked it up and thought is was perfect.
However, and why I don't know......the plans failed to show other metal obstructions that are a real pain to even bother to try and cut out.
So I scrape the project and it's back to the drawing board.

 

[Cliff H.]

That tank kinda looks like the one I rescued from being squished.

Mine is on the list of things to do that ain't been done. I did cut into it and removed the bladder. There is a coat of epoxy paint on the lower 1/4 that will have to be burned off before I can move forward. I need to find a welder who will work for Q now.

http://www.bbq-4-u.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ht=bladder

Good luck on your build.

 

[bigwheel]

Be much easier to find a welder who will work for beer.

bigwheel

 

[Smokey_Joe]

Be much easier to find a welder who will work for beer.

bigwheel

<RAISINGHAND>

 

[Forkin Pork]

Well I'm back in business with my smoker.
Went to the recycling center today with a friend and the tank was still there. I was showing my friend the tank and all the problems with the inside stuff, when he said, "GET THE TRUCK!" :roll:
We took it to the shop where he works and he took out the PLASMA CUTTER.
It took about 10 minutes and the inside was cut clean.
She gonna be a pirty vertical!

Smokey........your hired! Got lots of beer for ya.

 

[bigwheel]

Now your talking sense. Think we coulda cleaned it out with a regular old cutting torch in about half the time..but shucks if that fella has a toy and wants to use it I vote for letting him have it..as long as he works for beer. Thats the key to a good welder.

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

Just kinda scratchin my head wondering what's gonna be the best method to introduce low heat and smoke to this missle.
Anyone have any good proven methods.

 

[bigwheel]

Well your gonna need a series of removeable grates starting from near the bottom on up. Build the fire on the bottom grate or drill out a Brinkmann ECB replacement pan and use it for a fire pan..water pan goes next..also ECB pan..then above that goes the meat. I would space the grates about 9-10 inches apart. Would be nice if you could make em spin. Thataway you could give it an occasional half turn in case the bottom meat is blocking off the top stuff. That give it a chance to get some exposure. If you dont want to use a water pan put the meat up higher than normal. 36" above the fire is a sweet spot on my pit. Too far away to worry about flare ups and such things. A rectangular deep perforated SS steam table pan also makes a good fire pan. Throwaway full sized Sams pan immediately above that for a water/grease catching pan.

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

Well from what I'm hearin and seein, I think I may build a 2'x2'x2' fire, locate it 5 feet away and lower, with an 8 inch steel tube connecting the two units.
That's my idea at this point.

 

[bigwheel]

You getting it total over injuneered quickly. Just play like its a big ECB. You be ok. Dont get too cute.

bigwheel

 

[Forkin Pork]

Yah, your right!
I tend to go over board and get a little wacky with my designing, I need to keep it simple.
Ya know, Im not into homesmokers that you purchase, so I have not idea what an ECB is? :roll:

 

[bigwheel]

Well you know whut is a WSM? An ECB (El Cheapo Brinkmann) is a WSM without the fancy paint job and high price tag

bigwheel

http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=c ... 00430-8105