New Toy Drum Smoker

[wakkatoo]

For those in the ballarat area - picked up 2 drums today from a bloke out at Learmonth. $10 each and very clean. Have been used to hold a non-toxic ingredient used in making shoe soles. He's washed them out and there is no smell or residue. After a good burn it should come up a treat.

 

[siiren]

I have 4 racks of ribs in the freezer ready to smoke on Saturday.....YUM!!!

 

[crundle]

funny that this thread got a bump today, I was over at a mate's house today welding up a fire basket and 3 grills for my smoker.

I made the fire basket almost the same diameter as the grills to spread the heat more evenly during the cook, and took the step of making 3 hooks on the fire basket so that I can adjust the height of the basket wherever I want it.

Now if I want to cook with direct heat near the top of the drum, I can raise the fire basket and grill only inches above it for more heat, or drop it down if I want to cook low and slow - pictures to follow once I get them uploaded.

Crundle

 

[Kleiny]

Photo's crundle?

 

[Phoney]

What sort of metal did you use to make your firebasket?

I couldnt find that 'expanded metal' anywhere, so I ended up using the bottom of a little old kettle BBQ as my fire basket. Made short legs with bolts & nuts and drilled about 100 1/4" holes in it for air intake. It works OK. Holds the temp at around 260F for about 6 hours, and then drops to 200F for another 6.

 

[barls]

fired up my little smoker, which is a 20L pot, and smoked a butterfly lamb roast the other day. heres the pics.
first is in progress

the second is the finished product

 

[crundle]

I finally got around to putting up the photos of the fire basket!

It is made from 5mm mild steel wire, welded up by a mate who builds rolling ball sculptures, so he is good with wire welding.

My idea was to have the fire basket almost as wide as the inside of the drum to allow the heat to be more evenly distributed than it is when using my brazier inside the drum as I currently do, but I may have made it a touch too tight a fit, which means that I have to cut the bolts that I am using to hold the grills down to the bare minimumto be able to move the fire basket in and out.

I wanted to be able to move the fire basket to any height I wanted it, so that I can keep it low for low and slow cooking, or raise it up high for direct grilling or rotisserie work if I ever give that a go. My plan is to have this drum smoker as a versatile outdoor cooker for parties, and to be able to cook outside in Summer to keep the house cooler (using the oven in Summer makes the air con work overtime).









I am still unsure of what to use in the bottom of the drum to collect ash and grease, if at all. It may work out easier in practice to make a small scoop to scrape it clean from time to time than to build a tray to fit.

There is only about 3/4" clearance around the outside of the fire basket, so if I were to do this again, I would give it a greater clearance to make moving it around easier, but this should be great when I fire it up next week!

Crundle

 

[Fourstar]

fired up my little smoker, which is a 20L pot, and smoked a butterfly lamb roast the other day. heres the pics.

Hey barls have any wider shots of the mini smoker?! Are you firing the wood from your stovetop burner?

 

[komodo]

Any one in SE melbourne theres a guy on fleebay with steel drums with steel open lids for $10 pickup in cranbourne or delivery to BENDIGO AND SHEPPARTON-KYABRAM

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/205-LTR-OPEN-TOP-ST...=item4a9da5c041

 

[barls]

yeah sure.
i do use it on the stove top without an issues apart from the kitchen smelling of what ever im smoking at the time.
here it is in its normal location well ether this burner or the one behind.

the top, the reason for two temp gauges was that one didnt go high enough and i was off the scale.

inside just a grill with the chips i use underneath it.

 

[johnw]

Can anyone advise where you get high temp/kettle paint? Does Bunnings sell it?

DrinkBeer

 

[Kleiny]

Can anyone advise where you get high temp/kettle paint? Does Bunnings sell it?

DrinkBeer

They sell potbelly black if that is what your after.

kleiny

 

[breaky]

Can anyone advise where you get high temp/kettle paint? Does Bunnings sell it?

DrinkBeer

automotive spray paint cans are high temp and you can get it at kmart etc

Regards

mark

 

[brettprevans]

automotive spray paint cans are high temp and you can get it at kmart etc

Regards

mark

do you think that auto paint is going to be food grade? i dont or at least wouldnt chance it.

 

[Phoney]

Bunnings sell black kettle paint, rated to 400C. About $25 for a little tin, but it's enough to do a 44 gallon drum inside and out.

 

[johnw]

Bunnings sell black kettle paint, rated to 400C. About $25 for a little tin, but it's enough to do a 44 gallon drum inside and out.

Awesome!

I have my drum but its a bit old with a slight coating of rust. It has previously been used as a burner i think. Would i need to get rid of the rust before i paint it with the pot belly paint?

THe drum also has cement in the bottom, i was going to use this as the base for the beads. Then place a some wire shelf above the plate with a cast iron smoker box sitting on it. Will this work? Is there a wire/grate type of metal that i can cut using wire cutter/tin snips? I dont have access to a welder or anyone who knows how to be good with their hands?

Much appreciated

DrinkBeer

 

[breaky]

do you think that auto paint is going to be food grade? i dont or at least wouldnt chance it.

You dont paint the inside, you paint the outside :lol:
On the Inside, once you burn it out and clean it up, just oil it - called seasoning it

 

[Duff]

Started my adventures in smoking yesterday. Made a garbage can drum smoker which is heated by an old electric frypan. Tossed a handful of hickory chips in the base and turned it up. Results were fantastic.

 

[Phoney]

I cooked for 12 on Australia Day. It was awesome!


2kg rubbed pork shoulder

Capsicum & jalapeno Fatty, before:

After:

MOINK Balls

Salmon chunks + pork shoulder

[quote name='breaky' date Jan 29 2010, 11:10 PM' post='589989']You dont paint the inside, you paint the outside :lol:
On the Inside, once you burn it out and clean it up, just oil it - called seasoning it[/quote]

Oh well I pained the inside. Does no harm, just prevents it from rusting.

 

[manticle]

Oh well I pained the inside. Does no harm, just prevents it from rusting.

I don't want to be a negative wet blanket type but just double check that - volatiles released from paint that has been exposed to high temperatures might not 'do no harm'.