BIG FAT Bar B QUE grill

[performance]

I posted this over on welding web but thought I'd share it with you here. I built this for a guy recently and it turned out quite well. He did not want a large fire box and I built a lot of it to his specifications. It turns out it works quite well. Though I have built several over the past few years, this is the largest one to date. Its supposed to be a 330 gallon tank which is about 9.5 ft long and about 32" wide. Those are rough dimensions of course. I built it in stages. The customer decided he wanted a couple of more things done once he got it back...so I obliged.

Even with the small fire box, I managed an even 230 degrees with only about 30% air flow. There was no more than 10 degrees difference from end to end. It cooked for about 6-7 hours before I "killed" the fire by shutting off the air flow. I started with about a 10 lb bag of charcoal, got it ashed over and then put some quartered up oak on top of the coals. All total it only consumed one bag of charcoal and 7 -8 pieces of oak. When I shut down the fire, it left 3 large pieces of relatively unburned oak in the bottom.

[everlastsupport]

Nice. Very nice lid design.

I am doing a small one for a hunting camp, will post pictures when it is done. I used an engine stand for the base, so it can be an upright smoker or a grill. It is very small though.

Here's one from awhile back. Not as large or nice, but it is a grill/smoker. We used it for a month before the guy came for it. About went broke feed the local kids that showed up each weekend.

[everlastsupport]

Mark's grill (well not really Mark's grill he just made it and tested it) in action.

[performance]

Thanks, Mike
I couldn't get my own pictures to post. What happened?

[everlastsupport]

Best I can figure they were too big from the camera.

Mine would not upload either so I made them smaller. They went right up, then took yours that would not post (hope it was OK to post them before paint and during alpha testing haha). I made yours a bit bigger than mine and they posted fine.

Could be a setting we can adjust, will take a look. But I just made them smaller and they went up.

[performance]

I've got another one to do...I have some material and a smaller tank ready to go. I've got a catering BBQ to help a friend with on Oct 2. So I had better get started.

[wruehl]

Man that is nice, is it made from a tank? or is it scratch built?

[Krookz]

That looks great Mark, nice job!

[Ram48]

Mark's grill (well not really Mark's grill he just made it and tested it) in action.

Im calling FOUL...........no posting of food that looks that good.
Now I gotts find me a Rib joint for supper.

[ScratchStart]

ok, so with only 10 degrees difference from side to side does that mean you have a trough or something in the bottom that makes the heat/smoke have to travel the length of the cooker before it gets to the food? indirect cooker or whatever?


nice work by the way

[performance]

No it doesn't have a trough, but seeing as how the heat travels fully from one side to another before exiting it heats evenly.

[hooda]

Hey Mark, If you have more pictures of this grill, would you please post them. I have a tank available that's about the size if the one in your first post on this thread. I've had it for a couple of years, and seeing this thread has rekindled my interest doing something like this with it. I'm hoping to see some detail of what the firebox, and damping system look like. Thanks in advance

[performance]

The fire box was under built per customers request. It should be three times as large by most peoples recommendation, however, it worked very well. The damper system consited of a butterfly valve a the top of the stack and the air control at the back of the box which simply slides in a angle iron track.

[ScratchStart]

any chance you'd post some pictures of how the hige is built, and how the door seals up? Also, where did you get your thermometers?

Not trying to hijack your thread, but I have been thinking of building something like this kit from northern tool, only use it for a cooker instead of a heater.

Any thoughts?

[hooda]

Nice!! You have set it up real close to what I want to do. I plan on sharing an idea that I saw on a real old timer's rig that he set up for top dampers. What I saw was a little cap that looked like an upside down can on the top of the lid. He was real secretive and wouldn't let a set of prying eyes like mine get a closer look, but the grey matter that mostly lies dormant between my ears jumped to life and I figured out what it was. I will start a thread on the idea after I play with a few things I have in my shop to prove the theory.

[Salty]

What kind of tanks are you using to build these grills and where do you get them?

[Tritium]

They sure look like old propane tanks to me.

Thurmond

[performance]

Umm, would you believe left over atomic bomb parts from the 40's?lol

Yes. They are old propane tanks.
They can be bought at auctions, or from propane companies that have culled them out due to a leak or some other small defect.
Opening the valves up, then filling them full of water and a little dawn will drive the gas out. The gas won't remain, since it is a vapor. It, contrary to some peoples beliefs, should not be bonded to the walls to gas off later. The "stink" oil will still somewhat remain, giving the smell of the propane, causing the idea that something is left over. I leave it to soak a couple days. Then dump them out. Of course even if you know all the facts, there is still a certain butt clinch factor involved when you make your first cut.

The hinge is a simple piano hing I make out of pipe and cold rolled round that slides into it.
The doors were cut with a plasma and have a narrow kerf. Then seal is a piece of 1/8"x 1 1/2 or x 3 laid over the seam. The inside of the hinge has a piece welded on the inside cover that straddles the hinge to cut down the smoke escaping. You don't want a 100% seal, trust me. A little smoke out here or there is perfectly fine.

I have built one of those heater you describe, without the top. It should work, but it is rather tall by the time you finish...They burn out very quickly, especially the more modern barrels. The one I made was out of a 40 year old Lubriplate barrel that was quite thick...and it still burned out fairly quickly.

[Salty]

Thanks for all the great info Mark. I know what you mean about that pucker factor when you make that first cut on a propane tank that smells like gas. Using Dawn is a great tip.

[performance]

Be sure you flush all the bubbles OUT so that you completely displace the gas.