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.

[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.

[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.

[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?

[wruehl]

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

[Krookz]

That looks great Mark, nice job!

[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]

I just came across a deal on some trailer axles that may be a good fit for my project. My tank is already in trailer form, but not nearly as nice as what you've got. If these axles will hold the weight, I'll be getting them and going with a design similar to what you have. Could be said that I REALLY like what you've done

[performance]

The first pictures were of the finished product.

I am working on another now that will go cross ways over the axle...with the tank in the bed of my truck in the pictures. I have been looking around for a better fire box. I had a perfect one picked out of a air compressor that had gone south, but when I cut it open, it was about 1/8" thick. You need a minimum of 3/16" preferably 1/4" thickness, or it will burn out rapidly. It will be configured differently with the fire box attached to the side of the tank. I have been letting it sit for a while now, and I really need to get it together, but work and other concerns have been distracting me from its completion and my search for better firebox. I have another tank to go get, but its larger than I want for a firebox. I found some slightly damaged thick wall 24 inch pipe, but the price is too high.

[jameswswanson]

I like it, you can defiantly cook allot of meat. Can you smoke with it?

[Salty]

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