Oil tank smoker

[marvinpotter]

Have any of ya'll made a smoker out of a 250 gallon oil tank before? I have a buddy willing to give me 2 250 gallon oil tanks for free along with a boat trailer for $200 for the frame and some 55 gallon oil drums to use as the firebox. Any advice on that? Is a 55 gallon drum going to be big enough and provide enough airflow to keep a hot enough fire?

[Nate]

Well there is this:

https://amazingribs.com/links-our-favorite-websites/building-your-own-grill-or-smoker

But hey... to each their own.

[bten]

Using the drum as a firebox may have issues. the drum is very thin and will not hold up for long in that heat.

[Mr. Bones]

Absolutely. It will burn out, in this scenario.

[Henrik]

Go for it! Two things to check first:

1. has there been any oil in them before? If so, a big no no.

2. The drums are too thin. See if you can find/build something thicker.

[Bubbadub]

I'm working on my second one right now. I know at least 3 of the many bbq spots around here actually use them for commercial use, and yes the y have had fuel oil in them at one time. Just make sure to burn two long and hot burns in it before moving on. I recommend sand blasting as well. You'll definitely want a better firebox than a drum though, unless you want to change it out every other year. I also recommend insulation around the chamber, the metal is usually pretty thin, i use regular housing insulation on the outside, at least 1/4 inch steel for baffle plates, and use fire bricks in the bottom. They are awesome, very spacious and efficient if you build them right.

[Oakgrovebacon]

Take a look at smokerbuilder.com Lots of great ideas there. My opinion is also that the 55 gal drums are not heavy enough for a fire box. Also it would be too large. I have cooked on several smokers made from fuel oil drums built in horizontal and vertical configuration. Both work if set up correctly. Good luck and have fun!

[Donw]

You may have seen this already, but if not it might give you some ideas of what you can do. The 55 gallon drums will give you probelms too. http://www.pbs.org/food/features/bbq...de-4-the-pits/

[Troutman]

That used to be the pit of choice here in Houston back in the day. It was either that, a Weber kettle or a thick walled pipe stick burner. That pretty much were your choices. I never made one out of a 55 gallon drum but made a couple out of 36" heavy walled pipe I picked up from the refineries. Those made great smokers !!