Barbecue (alt.food.barbecue) Discuss barbecue and grilling--southern style "low and slow" smoking of ribs, shoulders and briskets, as well as direct heat grilling of everything from burgers to salmon to vegetables.

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I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I mainly
just want a better/larger one.

I weld, and can make one from scratch. I have access to scrap steel, so
could do so at a reduced cost.

I watched a BBQ competition where the contestants just had cinderblock cube,
a sheet of expanded metal, and charcoal, and that was about it. They each
barbecued half a pig. It looked delicious. One of the losers cussed the
judges, guess he won't be back on any future programs. But, it showed to me
it's the process, not the equipment.

Am I overthinking this project? Should I just go get something like the New
Braunfels charcoal BBQ/smoker, which are relatively inexpensive? My SIL has
a vertical Brinkman like mine, just double the size with a gas burner. Are
gas burners advisable, or just stick with wood?

Are there sites that are good for getting basics of design with plans or
ideas?

Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into barbecueing
seriously.

I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I could
possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller amounts,
........... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens ......... smoke some
fish ........ etc.

Thanks in advance.

Steve


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On Thu, 5 Jan 2012 10:21:19 -0800, "Steve B" > wrote:

>I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
>limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I mainly
>just want a better/larger one.
>
>I weld, and can make one from scratch. I have access to scrap steel, so
>could do so at a reduced cost.
>
>I watched a BBQ competition where the contestants just had cinderblock cube,
>a sheet of expanded metal, and charcoal, and that was about it. They each
>barbecued half a pig. It looked delicious. One of the losers cussed the
>judges, guess he won't be back on any future programs. But, it showed to me
>it's the process, not the equipment.
>
>Am I overthinking this project? Should I just go get something like the New
>Braunfels charcoal BBQ/smoker, which are relatively inexpensive? My SIL has
>a vertical Brinkman like mine, just double the size with a gas burner. Are
>gas burners advisable, or just stick with wood?
>
>Are there sites that are good for getting basics of design with plans or
>ideas?


So many option and they can all be good. IMO, the best pit would be
brick, next would be heavy metal. Brick takes longer to heat up, but
has the advantage of good thermal mass and consistent temperatures. If
you plan to do this on a regular basis, give brick some serious
thought.

If you like the idea of fabricating metal, look at some of the better
made pits for ideas. Klose builds some of the best. www.bbqpits.com I
don't advocate stealing designs that he's put a lot of work into, but
it shows what quality is..

I do much of my smoking these days on a Great Smoky Mountain from Wal
Mart for about $140. Purists will cringe at the thought of gas, but
it does have some advantages. Steady heat, little tending, reliable.
I use wood chunks for the smoke. I've had Texans tell me my briskets
is as god as any they've had in their home state.

I've done some work with block pits and steel grates for cooking too
and they can do a great job. They are generally larger though, and
need a lot of wood and a lot of time.

If you want a small pit for you and the wife, no need to be elaborate,
but if you want a pit to do whole hogs for all the neighbors, think
block or oil tank for the basis.
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On 1/5/2012 12:21 PM, Steve B wrote:
> I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
> limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I mainly
> just want a better/larger one.
>
> I weld, and can make one from scratch. I have access to scrap steel, so
> could do so at a reduced cost.
>
> I watched a BBQ competition where the contestants just had cinderblock cube,
> a sheet of expanded metal, and charcoal, and that was about it. They each
> barbecued half a pig. It looked delicious. One of the losers cussed the
> judges, guess he won't be back on any future programs. But, it showed to me
> it's the process, not the equipment.
>
> Am I overthinking this project? Should I just go get something like the New
> Braunfels charcoal BBQ/smoker, which are relatively inexpensive? My SIL has
> a vertical Brinkman like mine, just double the size with a gas burner. Are
> gas burners advisable, or just stick with wood?
>
> Are there sites that are good for getting basics of design with plans or
> ideas?
>
> Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into barbecueing
> seriously.
>
> I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
> block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I could
> possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller amounts,
> .......... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens ......... smoke some
> fish ........ etc.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Steve
>
>



Several years ago someone from here or abf, made a horizontal pit.
Instead of round, he made it hexagonal. For grates, you can buy
replacement grates at Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

I don't know where you can purchase the steel. Steel could be very
expensive now. I thought I heard recently a junk car scrapped out for
its steel value, one could get $300.

For design considerations, look at Big Jims site lazyq.com.
Making one your self is a good idea. That way you can have the size you
want. If I were to make a horizontal pit, I would want one deeper then
the New Braunfels I have seen. For cooking ribs, I would like to lay
them down front to back length wise, rather then side to side. A
typical spare rib is around 24 inches in length.

Enjoy your project.

BBQ
--
Vegetarian

An old Indian term for poor hunter...
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On Thu, 5 Jan 2012 10:21:19 -0800, "Steve B" > wrote:

>I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
>limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I mainly
>just want a better/larger one.


Somewhere in the FAQ or references there are suggested modifcations to
the Brinkman (aka "El Cheapo BBQ") that'll help a LOT. I know, I made
it work for a couple years. But I succombed to the Weber Smokey
Mountain, and I have no regrets. Get the big one. Or make one like
it.

-Zz

>
>I weld, and can make one from scratch. I have access to scrap steel, so
>could do so at a reduced cost.
>
>I watched a BBQ competition where the contestants just had cinderblock cube,
>a sheet of expanded metal, and charcoal, and that was about it. They each
>barbecued half a pig. It looked delicious. One of the losers cussed the
>judges, guess he won't be back on any future programs. But, it showed to me
>it's the process, not the equipment.
>
>Am I overthinking this project? Should I just go get something like the New
>Braunfels charcoal BBQ/smoker, which are relatively inexpensive? My SIL has
>a vertical Brinkman like mine, just double the size with a gas burner. Are
>gas burners advisable, or just stick with wood?
>
>Are there sites that are good for getting basics of design with plans or
>ideas?
>
>Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into barbecueing
>seriously.
>
>I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
>block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I could
>possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller amounts,
>.......... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens ......... smoke some
>fish ........ etc.
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>Steve
>

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"Zz Yzx" > wrote

> Somewhere in the FAQ or references there are suggested modifcations to
> the Brinkman (aka "El Cheapo BBQ") that'll help a LOT. I know, I made
> it work for a couple years. But I succombed to the Weber Smokey
> Mountain, and I have no regrets. Get the big one. Or make one like
> it.
>
> -Zz


I have a Brinkman vertical cylinder that is similar to those. Two racks,
one water tray, one charcoal tray. It smokes turkeys very well. And I have
done a couple of other things. Maybe I should dust it off and cook some
stuff on it. I just wanted to incorporate multiple components in an outdoor
kitchen, and a slow cooker/smoker/barbecue made out of brick would make a
good centerpiece with multiple uses.

Steve




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Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
> On Thu, 5 Jan 2012 10:21:19 -0800, "Steve B" > wrote:
>
> >I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
> >limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I
> >mainly just want a better/larger one.
> > [ . . . . ]

> So many option and they can all be good. IMO, the best pit would be
> brick, next would be heavy metal. Brick takes longer to heat up, but
> has the advantage of good thermal mass and consistent temperatures. If
> you plan to do this on a regular basis, give brick some serious
> thought.
> [ . . . . ]


And this, Jan!!!

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://semperfifund.org https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
http://www.specialops.org/ http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ ~Semper Fi~
http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/ http://www.legacy.com.au/ ~Semper Fi~
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bbq > wrote:
> On 1/5/2012 12:21 PM, Steve B wrote:
> > [ . . . . ]

> For design considerations, look at Big Jims site lazyq.com.
> Making one your self is a good idea. That way you can have the size you
> want. If I were to make a horizontal pit, I would want one deeper then
> the New Braunfels I have seen. For cooking ribs, I would like to lay
> them down front to back length wise, rather then side to side. A
> typical spare rib is around 24 inches in length.
>
> Enjoy your project.


Pointing him to lazyq.com is great, Rick! Jan, take note.

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://semperfifund.org https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
http://www.specialops.org/ http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ ~Semper Fi~
http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/ http://www.legacy.com.au/ ~Semper Fi~
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"Steve B" > wrote:
> "Zz Yzx" > wrote
>
> > Somewhere in the FAQ or references there are suggested modifcations to
> > the Brinkman (aka "El Cheapo BBQ") that'll help a LOT. I know, I made
> > it work for a couple years. But I succombed to the Weber Smokey
> > Mountain, and I have no regrets. Get the big one. Or make one like
> > it.
> >
> > -Zz

>
> I have a Brinkman vertical cylinder that is similar to those. Two racks,
> one water tray, one charcoal tray. It smokes turkeys very well. And I
> have done a couple of other things. Maybe I should dust it off and cook
> some stuff on it. I just wanted to incorporate multiple components in an
> outdoor kitchen, and a slow cooker/smoker/barbecue made out of brick
> would make a good centerpiece with multiple uses.


Post pictures of that outdoor kitchen (and brick slow
cooker/smoker/barbecue) on alt.binaries.food, Steve.

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://semperfifund.org https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
http://www.specialops.org/ http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/ ~Semper Fi~
http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/ http://www.legacy.com.au/ ~Semper Fi~
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On Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:21:19 -0800, Steve B wrote:

> I have a vertical Brinkman, the charcoal variety. I have reached its
> limitations, and find it hard to maintain much temperature in it. I
> mainly just want a better/larger one.
>
> I weld, and can make one from scratch. I have access to scrap steel,
> so could do so at a reduced cost.
>
> I watched a BBQ competition where the contestants just had cinderblock
> cube, a sheet of expanded metal, and charcoal, and that was about it.
> They each barbecued half a pig. It looked delicious. One of the
> losers cussed the judges, guess he won't be back on any future
> programs. But, it showed to me it's the process, not the equipment.
>
> Am I overthinking this project? Should I just go get something like
> the New Braunfels charcoal BBQ/smoker, which are relatively
> inexpensive? My SIL has a vertical Brinkman like mine, just double
> the size with a gas burner. Are gas burners advisable, or just stick
> with wood?
>
> Are there sites that are good for getting basics of design with plans
> or ideas?
>
> Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into
> barbecueing seriously.
>
> I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
> block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I
> could possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller
> amounts, .......... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens
> ......... smoke some fish ........ etc.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Steve


You could build one if you have the stuff, but buying is a lot easier.
The Weber Smokey Mountain is a brinkmann-style vertical charcoal smoker
only without all the suckage. I have the 18.5 and it maintains temps
really well. I picked up the 18.5 for $250. There is a 22.5 which is
about $100 more.

There's a pretty good WSM site he http://tvwbb.com/eve/forums There's
a good forum on mods. I made some resealable grommets for my meat
thermometer from lamp repair parts, handles from Genie garage door
handles, etc. Not essential, but I like that kind of tinkering.

I'm biased because this is the only smoker I've owned. I do think you
get good performance for the money, though i'm sure there are others
that would work just as well.
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[

Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into barbecueing
seriously.

I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I could
possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller amounts,
.......... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens ......... smoke some
fish ........ etc.

Thanks in advance.

Steve

Hi steve
You sound so much like me....I would love to build my own smoker or pit but don't have the room to keep it. If you can weld and get scrap metal , and you have room to store one , I would look at making a 55 gal drum into a smoker. There are tons of designs for free online and you could make it as plain or fancy as you like. I may invest in the smoky mt smoker just because of space considerations , but like you , I find my brinkmann el cheapo just ain't cuttin it...good luck....hambone


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"Hambone" > wrote in message
...
>
> [
>
> Grilling has its place for some foods, but I'm ready to get into
> barbecueing
> seriously.
>
> I also have access to construction materials to build one out of
> block/concrete/metal. How effective is that vs: cost, etc. I think I
> could
> possibly cook half a pig, but think most things would be smaller
> amounts,
> ......... some racks of ribs ......... a few chickens ......... smoke
> some
> fish ........ etc.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Steve
>
> Hi steve
> You sound so much like me....I would love to build my own smoker or pit
> but don't have the room to keep it. If you can weld and get scrap metal
> , and you have room to store one , I would look at making a 55 gal drum
> into a smoker. There are tons of designs for free online and you could
> make it as plain or fancy as you like. I may invest in the smoky mt
> smoker just because of space considerations , but like you , I find my
> brinkmann el cheapo just ain't cuttin it...good luck....hambone
>
>
>
>
> --
> Hambone


I just returned today from San Jose de Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Those people
can make anything out of metal. I got some new inspirations about metal
sculpting, and if I can get some thicker materials, may just do the metal
thing. I have many welders, cutting torches, and access to plasma CNC, so
might just come up with something outlandish but functional. Where might I
find some of those free metal designs with the basics as to what to build
and how and why?

Steve

www.heartsurgerysurvivalguide.com


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