![]() Use a level and soft tape to ensure your lines are straight. I like to measure a quarter of the way around the tank for the bottom of the door and then have the top of the door a few inches from the top of the tank. The first step is to mark out where your doors are going to be. A good method for cutting into a propane tank safely is to fill the entire tank with water and dish soap in order to remove any residual propane and safely cut into the tank. IMPORTANT: Cutting into a propane tank can be very dangerous if not done safely so I'd recommend having a professional clean and cut the tank for your if you're not comfortable doing so. This is to ensure that the hot air and smoke flows directly across the grates where the meat is instead of pooling in the top of the cook chamber. You'll also notice that the smokestack draws from the side of the cook chamber rather than the top like many other cookers. ![]() I'd recommend a smokestack that is 6" - 10" in diameter. When a smokestack is too short it doesn't create enough draft causing incomplete combustion in your firebox which leads to thick smoke and bitter tasting meat. This calculator is a wonderful resource to use when thinking through your design and deciding on the different dimensions.įor this smoker I used a much larger and taller smokestack than is traditionally recommended in order to maximize airflow through the cooker and ensure a clean burning fire. The insulation is not necessary but definitely improves the performance of the smoker.Ī good rule of thumb for sizing your firebox is to make it roughly 1/3 of the volume of your cook chamber in order to provide enough heat for you cooker. I would recommend using at least 3/16" steel for the firebox as anything lighter will loose heat quickly causing you to burn more fuel and will warp and burn out over time. For this build I used an old 250 gallon propane tank because they're made of thick 1/4" steel and relatively easy to find but any other kind of steel tank or pipe will work just fine.įor the firebox I used 1/4" plate steel but also included 1.5" of ceramic insulation to help retain heat and improve fuel efficiency. This first major design choice you must make when building a smoker is what you're going to make the cooking chamber out of.
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