El Toro Joe
FYYFF
Ribs went on around 9:00 this morning...
Smokers (BBQ - not grilling)
- Thread starter Fred W
- Start date
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Knifemaker
Not me
We both love ribs here. I did four racks and lucky for us out of the twelve folks invited, only six showed...so we still have two racks left over.
Ribs were dry brined over night, and rubbed an hour before they hit the grill with my salt less rub.
They were in the pit for just over Six hours. Didn't crutch them. But did put some apple juice in a spray bottle and hose them down three times between the 4th and 5th hour... Then sauced them for the last hour. (Baby Rays sweet and spicy thinned down with apple juice and abit more sugar added)
Am guessing the pink you see in the photo is the smoke ring:
https://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/Knifemaker1954/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpshjo8lgxr.jpeg
Used more charcoal then I figured on, Mostley due to not starting off with enough in the first place. After I get my digital probe I'll be better at getting the time-to fuel needed worked out better.
But really really happy with my first smoke.
Ribs were dry brined over night, and rubbed an hour before they hit the grill with my salt less rub.
They were in the pit for just over Six hours. Didn't crutch them. But did put some apple juice in a spray bottle and hose them down three times between the 4th and 5th hour... Then sauced them for the last hour. (Baby Rays sweet and spicy thinned down with apple juice and abit more sugar added)
Am guessing the pink you see in the photo is the smoke ring:
https://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/Knifemaker1954/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpshjo8lgxr.jpeg
Used more charcoal then I figured on, Mostley due to not starting off with enough in the first place. After I get my digital probe I'll be better at getting the time-to fuel needed worked out better.
But really really happy with my first smoke.
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Knifemaker
Not me
Photo of them as they were being pulled out of the smoker:
https://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/Knifemaker1954/image_zpshau4pdt2.jpeg
https://i1279.photobucket.com/albums/y539/Knifemaker1954/image_zpshau4pdt2.jpeg
Congrats. The ribs look nice.
And yeah, that is a healthy smoke ring you got there. Good job.
And yeah, that is a healthy smoke ring you got there. Good job.
Cav47
Adventure Seeker
Not a smoker, but I am thinking about building one. I have a former player who runs a propane tank company and they get these old ones all the time. I wanted a fire pit that I could move around the patio depending on wind and amount of people sitting round it. This tank fit the bill. It was pre WW2. Weighed about 250 lbs before we cut the top out. . The old fire pit was terrible. Your face would roast and legs would freeze.
Now it serves as a grill when we throw the grate on top
The ribs were very tasty. Better than the ribeyes that I tried some new seasoning on.
Now it serves as a grill when we throw the grate on top
The ribs were very tasty. Better than the ribeyes that I tried some new seasoning on.
A little high temp black paint would smarten that up right nice.
hppants
Well-known member
With the exception of the ride reports, right now, this is by FAR my favorite thread on this forum. Those ribs made my mouth water, man.
Cav47
Adventure Seeker
That is the plan. First was to have a few really high temp burns in there and then power wash the flakes off. Wire brush a few spots and hit it with some rattle can grill paint.
I know that can happen after the riding season is over. Too bad I will be painting instead of riding soon.
Knifemaker
Not me
Nice patio grill you got there.
Out where we live, many homes have those somewhat larger propane tanks. (For heating their house/water) We went to a vineyard out here once that the owner built a smoker/grill out of one of them. Had a firebox the size of a large Colman ice chest...and it was rigged with a blower.
He had a charcoal box inside at the other end near the smokesstack...so he could do steaks there and smoke ribs back by the firebox....so it was like an offset smoker on one side and a charcoal grill at the other ...with two doors....but the two cooking chambers we not seperated...so even the steaks he grilled got some smoke.
Did want to ask being a newbie to smokers...how anal are you all about cleaning the grates and stuff up after you use your offset or reverse smoker? I did have aluminum foil down over the baffle...and I just took the grates from the smoker and put them
in my gas grill for a while to burn off the little bits, and brushed them down with a wire brush.
They are still a bit greasy, and there's a small amount of grease in the pit, but I just wiped with a rag and figured it all be good as the next smoke would burn/kill off any bacteria....seemed really wrong to use soap here.
Out where we live, many homes have those somewhat larger propane tanks. (For heating their house/water) We went to a vineyard out here once that the owner built a smoker/grill out of one of them. Had a firebox the size of a large Colman ice chest...and it was rigged with a blower.
He had a charcoal box inside at the other end near the smokesstack...so he could do steaks there and smoke ribs back by the firebox....so it was like an offset smoker on one side and a charcoal grill at the other ...with two doors....but the two cooking chambers we not seperated...so even the steaks he grilled got some smoke.
Did want to ask being a newbie to smokers...how anal are you all about cleaning the grates and stuff up after you use your offset or reverse smoker? I did have aluminum foil down over the baffle...and I just took the grates from the smoker and put them
in my gas grill for a while to burn off the little bits, and brushed them down with a wire brush.
They are still a bit greasy, and there's a small amount of grease in the pit, but I just wiped with a rag and figured it all be good as the next smoke would burn/kill off any bacteria....seemed really wrong to use soap here.
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gixxerjasen
Well-known member
Don't wash the flavor off of the grates!
@Cav - Do you still have the top half that was cut off of that propane cylinder?
If you do, that could be the start of a very cool, party sized smoker.
If you do, that could be the start of a very cool, party sized smoker.
Cav47
Adventure Seeker
I can get another one or just a little different. Not sure I want to tackle that whole project by myself. I do not know how to weld.
That cylinder lid would not be reasonable to lift up with one hand while getting into the grill/smoker with a tool in the other. No less than 80 pounds is what I figure.
When I got this one, I had my choice of this one that is about 160 Gallons or another one they were wanting to get rid of that was 380 Gallons. Little too big for my needs. It was about 10 foot long. Weighed way more than I would like to consider. I bet it was about 500 plus pounds. Not conducive to moving around the patio for different wind directions and seating arrangements. We move the fire pit right next to the rocks that we sit on when we start the fire. Leave it roaring for about an hour or so. It heats them up and are great for residual heat.
LittleJon
Farting Brisket Sprinkles
That cylinder lid would not be reasonable to lift up with one hand while getting into the grill/smoker with a tool in the other. No less than 80 pounds is what I figure.
We used lift assisting shocks, purchased from a camper dealer. They offered different lift abilities, and they work well, if you ever do want to venture down that road.
We used lift assisting shocks, purchased from a camper dealer. They offered different lift abilities, and they work well, if you ever do want to venture down that road.
08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
You could also use a counterbalance weight like the old windows used to have. Someday I am going to take on building my own smoker. I am not sure if I want to start from scratch or cobble parts together.
Dave
Dave
Knifemaker
Not me
I think for longevity I'd rather have a counter weight than those shock things. One of the larger pits my builder made just had two pipes welded on the lid pointed to the back, and had a big bar of steel welded to the ends of them behind the pit. The initial few inches opening the lid took a good tug, but after that it was almost weightless. There was a stop keeping it from opening too far.
Mines fairly heavy for its size and has no stop. In one of the photos you can see I just took a length of angle iron to prop it open as its a pain to open it all the way back as the pit sits a bit higher than the area in front where you stand. I'll likely pour some more concrete and make a platform to stand on later.
Unfortunately not knowing how to weld limits you on what you can build by yourself.
Mines fairly heavy for its size and has no stop. In one of the photos you can see I just took a length of angle iron to prop it open as its a pain to open it all the way back as the pit sits a bit higher than the area in front where you stand. I'll likely pour some more concrete and make a platform to stand on later.
Unfortunately not knowing how to weld limits you on what you can build by yourself.
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Yeah, counterbalancing would be the way I'd go. Using simple mechanical device to elegantly overcome a problem, and you could have some real fun with it too.
I think if I was going to build a really fancy pit like that I'd do it the size of knifemaker's (or maybe just a tad longer). unless you were going onto the party BBQ catering business or something, a pit that size would probably be overkill.
But overkill is good, isn't it?
As for not welding, neither do I. But I'm thinking that there couldn't possibly be a better way to learn.
I think if I was going to build a really fancy pit like that I'd do it the size of knifemaker's (or maybe just a tad longer). unless you were going onto the party BBQ catering business or something, a pit that size would probably be overkill.
But overkill is good, isn't it?
As for not welding, neither do I. But I'm thinking that there couldn't possibly be a better way to learn.
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Knifemaker
Not me
(or maybe just a tad longer)
Evey guy says that...
I'm pretty happy with the size of mine... Hard to tell from the photo, but it is deeper than most of the pits on the market, so I think the width makes up for the somewhat shorter length.
My wife plans on taking a class in welding, which I might join her on.
Evey guy says that...
I'm pretty happy with the size of mine...
Hard to tell from the photo, but it is deeper than most of the pits on the market, so I think the width makes up for the somewhat shorter length.My wife plans on taking a class in welding, which I might join her on.
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08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
One of the guys at work who does most the welding is phenomenal. He has given me many pointers. I just don't get to do enough of it. I have a Lincoln Tig welder at home but if I was going to build a BBQ Pit I would want a mig machine. Tig is a lot more time consuming than pushing wire. In the end it is the better way to weld and does a much nicer job. I have done both and taken night classes also. I do enjoy doing it and has come in handy around the house when I break things,
Dave
Dave
LittleJon
Farting Brisket Sprinkles
A smoker that size is overkill for the back yard. I wasn't suggesting that. Simply offering a cheap and easy suggestion for a heavy lid. A smoker sized like the one pictured is great if you're looking to smoke a 135lb pig and 100 chicken quarters. But the hydraulic springs don't care about the dimensions of your smoker.
Overkill? ...of course it is. That's what makes it such an attractive an idea.
In the "more is better", and "overkill is just right" departments: My son works in a brewery and their welder does sanitary welding of the giant stainless steel vessels all the time. Those welds are totally gorgeous. Just a continuous series of puddles along the seam, no place for bacteria to be harbored or for O2 to leak in to the fermenting beer. I'd love to get him to fabricate a custom smoker chamber from heavy gauge stainless steel. The firebox would probably be better made from high carbon steel plate, but having the cook chamber formed from stainless would be excessively cool (and expensive).
In the "more is better", and "overkill is just right" departments: My son works in a brewery and their welder does sanitary welding of the giant stainless steel vessels all the time. Those welds are totally gorgeous. Just a continuous series of puddles along the seam, no place for bacteria to be harbored or for O2 to leak in to the fermenting beer. I'd love to get him to fabricate a custom smoker chamber from heavy gauge stainless steel. The firebox would probably be better made from high carbon steel plate, but having the cook chamber formed from stainless would be excessively cool (and expensive).
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