Hi Everyone.
I'm having a BBQ made. I'm really into the idea of it being enclosed, so that I can use wood-chips etc for smoke-roasting the food. (have been using plain open BBQs for a while and they're pretty crappy - I mean that the food burns on one side while remaining cool on the other if you're not careful. The plan is simple: A large box (4' long, >2' high and >18" wide) made from welded sheets of steel (not sure about the guauge - 16 or 18 I think) there will be a stand to support it but the idea is to make it quite deep, so that I can have several different levels on which to support the grills, thus enabling me to control the rate at which the meat cooks. I'm aware of the fact that steel tends to buckle after prolongued exposure to intense heat so am kind of factoring into the design a kind of loose-ness (panels that slot into each other and therefore have some room for expansion and contraction).
Has anyone heard of or seen anything like this before?
I know that most people end up using oil drums but I wanted something with a lot more depth and flexiblity.
Know what I mean?
Cheers,

"Jake Honeywill" > wrote in
message . ..
>
> Hi Everyone.
> I'm having a BBQ made. I'm really into the idea of it being enclosed, so
> that I can use wood-chips etc for smoke-roasting the food. (have been
> using plain open BBQs for a while and they're pretty crappy - I mean
> that the food burns on one side while remaining cool on the other if
> you're not careful. The plan is simple: A large box (4' long, >2' high
> and >18" wide) made from welded sheets of steel (not sure about the
> guauge - 16 or 18 I think) there will be a stand to support it but the
> idea is to make it quite deep, so that I can have several different
> levels on which to support the grills, thus enabling me to control the
> rate at which the meat cooks. I'm aware of the fact that steel tends to
> buckle after prolongued exposure to intense heat so am kind of factoring
> into the design a kind of loose-ness (panels that slot into each other
> and therefore have some room for expansion and contraction).
> Has anyone heard of or seen anything like this before?
> I know that most people end up using oil drums but I wanted something
> with a lot more depth and flexiblity.
> Know what I mean?
> Cheers,

There are plenty of home made cookers out there. I'd use heavier steel for
the fire area though. Take a look at what is available commercially as well
as home made. Go to www.bbqpits.com and see what can be done. Note that
he uses much heavier steel for his units and they are some of the best in
the world.

If you are going to the trouble of making a special grill, do it right and
it will last for many years. 18 gauge will be gone in two.

In article >,
Jake Honeywill > wrote:

> Hi Everyone.
> I'm having a BBQ made. I'm really into the idea of it being enclosed, so
> that I can use wood-chips etc for smoke-roasting the food. (have been
> using plain open BBQs for a while and they're pretty crappy - I mean
> that the food burns on one side while remaining cool on the other if
> you're not careful. The plan is simple: A large box (4' long, >2' high
> and >18" wide) made from welded sheets of steel (not sure about the
> guauge - 16 or 18 I think) there will be a stand to support it but the
> idea is to make it quite deep, so that I can have several different
> levels on which to support the grills, thus enabling me to control the
> rate at which the meat cooks. I'm aware of the fact that steel tends to
> buckle after prolongued exposure to intense heat so am kind of factoring
> into the design a kind of loose-ness (panels that slot into each other
> and therefore have some room for expansion and contraction).
> Has anyone heard of or seen anything like this before?
> I know that most people end up using oil drums but I wanted something
> with a lot more depth and flexiblity.
> Know what I mean?
> Cheers,

A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...

They are bigger. ;-)

I own a new braunfels offset smoker..
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

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"Omelet" > wrote in message
> A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
>
> They are bigger. ;-)

Natural gas tanks are intestines. Propane tanks though, can be used.

On Jan 27, 4:41*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

> If you are going to the trouble of making a special grill, do it right and
> it will last for many years. *18 gauge will be gone in two.

I sure couldn't agree with that more. I would take my time and get
EXACTLY what I wanted. I can stand the deficiencies of my pits as I
didn't design them. I have done quite a few mods to make them better,
but there is only so much you can do.

If I had a clean slate to start with, I would want it to be as close
to perfect as I could get it for my needs.

Robert

On Jan 27, 7:25*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:
> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
>
> > They are bigger. ;-)
>
> Natural gas tanks are intestines. *Propane tanks though, can be used. *

That would be correct sir! And propane accessories would come in handy
too.

In article >,
"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote:

> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
> >
> > They are bigger. ;-)
>
> Natural gas tanks are intestines. Propane tanks though, can be used.

Sorry, you are correct!
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
> >
> > They are bigger. ;-)
>
> Natural gas tanks are intestines. Propane tanks though, can be used.

Natural gas tanks converted to smokers would tend to need a crane to
open the lid and a forklift to load and unload the meat. Most LNG tanks
are pretty damned big, and the non-L NG tanks even bigger.

In article .com>,
"Pete C." > wrote:

> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >
> > "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > > A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
> > >
> > > They are bigger. ;-)
> >
> > Natural gas tanks are intestines. Propane tanks though, can be used.
>
> Natural gas tanks converted to smokers would tend to need a crane to
> open the lid and a forklift to load and unload the meat. Most LNG tanks
> are pretty damned big, and the non-L NG tanks even bigger.

Ok, so nobody is perfect. <g> I've never owned one...

I deliberately bought an all electric house. I don't like gas
appliances... Grew up with them and learned to hate them!
--
Peace! Om

"Human nature seems to be to control other people until they put their foot down."
--Steve Rothstein

Web Albums: <http://picasaweb.google.com/OMPOmelet>

Subscribe:

Omelet wrote:
>
> In article .com>,
> "Pete C." > wrote:
>
> > Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> > >
> > > "Omelet" > wrote in message
> > > > A lot of the rednecks around here use converted natural gas tanks...
> > > >
> > > > They are bigger. ;-)
> > >
> > > Natural gas tanks are intestines. Propane tanks though, can be used.
> >
> > Natural gas tanks converted to smokers would tend to need a crane to
> > open the lid and a forklift to load and unload the meat. Most LNG tanks
> > are pretty damned big, and the non-L NG tanks even bigger.
>
> Ok, so nobody is perfect. <g> I've never owned one...
>
> I deliberately bought an all electric house. I don't like gas
> appliances... Grew up with them and learned to hate them!

I've got mostly electric, only the 5 burner cooktop of the dual fuel
range is gas (LP), the ovens are electric. This seems to be the optimum
configuration.

Thanks for the reply. I'm in the UK dude - we do things a bit more twee over here you know? I'm not about to start cutting up 8ft long propane tanks, welding' em together and sticking chimneys all over the place and towing them around on the back of my HUMMER (well, ford transit). I've checked out your yankee pits man - awesome, but where on earth you gonna keep one of those mothers when you're in the middle of a big city with minimal storage..?
I need something that can be lifted in and out of a van (possibly dismantled to facilitate cleaning and storage) we have a small industrial unit in London UK where we store all our gear and do prep for catering events.

I thought that it might be a good idea to make it so that the panels were not actually welded together but sitting freely within a strong frame so that when they expand, they would not buckle (the same principle as the way that train tracks always have a cm or so gap in between them to allow for expansion. Is that not a cool idea? especially as it would make the otherwise very heavy BBQ a bit more manageable to carry around (we do barbecues in people's houses (well, in the Garden, normally HAHA) in London and quite often you have to go through the house with all the kit and it can be a bit tricky trying to make sure that you don't scratch the walls or knock something over..