How small is too small?

[Ranjer59]

Guy at work had a burned out air compressor- asked me if I wanted the tank for a smoker. I walked back and there it was....a shiny, blue...20 gallon Kobalt. I smiled - told him "thanks, but it's too small for a real smoker? But is it?

Stood there thinking: Cabinet doors would give it some cook chamber height... could go reverse flow... would be "cute"- would have a tiny cook chamber - but so what?. I am decidedly not in the "Go big or go home" smoker camp. It's just me and the wife- I do a couple racks of ribs OR a couple of butts (if others in the family wants some)-sometimes I do the occasional brisket. Would this size tank be worth messing with as an offset? Tank feels thick- it's 16" dia with OAL of 25-1/2 inches. Firebox would be proportionally tiny- prob no more than 12x12x12- would be tuff to run it on teeny splits alone. Might be primarily run with charcoal with some good sized wood chunks tossed in for good measure. Did I mention that it would be cute? "Practical?" is what's holding me back and committing. Thing might have a "hot spot" the entirety of it's massive 16 x 16 cooking grate for all I know.

Have I lost my mind or is it really just not worth jacking with? I realize this size tank would make a better fire box for a "real smoker" than a cook chamber but I'm looking at going that way. Would not be a huge expenditure in materials- and is (probably) doable with my skill set. Might be fun- and Lord knows my cutting and welding skills could use some practice.

What say you?

[dacolson]

Oh, I want to see it for sure. I’m sure someone will have some actual math/experience-based advice, but I for one just want to see you build it and try it out!

[dacolson]

I’d probably go standard offset. My guess is that with that small space, heat and smoke distribution won’t be an issue. And adding an RF plate will take up space in an already small space.

[Dirtytires]

Personally, I’d skip it just on the thin metal alone as I like the advantages of a thicker pit.

Definitely would be a cute little smoker. If you like to have multiple pits around and don’t mind the work of building it than I see no reason why it wouldn’t work. On the other hand, if you never use it because it’s too small, why have it in the first place.

Really no wrong answer here....just what you want to get out of it.

[Ranjer59]

Silly question time (again, I guess). If I did this-and went standard offset, what can be done about the first 6" next to the firebox basically being unusable because of of the heat? Having to give up 6 + inches of a 25" cooking chamber would make this a no go proposition. Are shadow plates only for RF cooker ? This tank has 4-1/2" bells and 16" between the bell welds- it is very short (I wish it were a few inches longer longer- but what guy doesn't, right??)

I think cabinet doors are the ticket , I can make the cook chamber bigger (taller - longer ain't happening- actually not true, I could make it as long as I want and have $ for but that's sort of silly)- this would give more room for the reverse flow plate and the shadow plate coming off the the firebox. This would also allow me to run a bigger firebox ( I think that would be a plus).

I think I might give it a go- worst thing that happens is I'm out of some petty cash for materials and some of my wife's honey do's don't get done on her schedule.

Any "yeah buts" or "whadda bouts" would be deeply appreciated. I have not cut anything or bought anything- I'd like to do this in one take

Thanks for the responses.

[SheffSmoker]

I'm certainly no expert having only just built my first, but the CC was half the size of the one you're thinking is too small at just over 10 gallons!

I can still get 2 full chickens in it if I wanted to, or a good size rack of ribs. Never say never.

Edited to add - one chap suggested a vertical smoker for my tiny one, that's something to consider too.

[towtruck]

**cough....cough*****

[dacolson]

Hahaha! I love it Towtruck.

[hogaboomer]

That looks like a homemade bong. "cough cough"

You already have a smoker, I'd turn it into a grill BBQ pit.

[towtruck]

That looks like a homemade bong. "cough cough"

You already have a smoker, I'd turn it into a grill BBQ pit.

Two brats and two hours and your ready to eat....

[hogaboomer]

[Ranjer59]

I'm certainly no expert having only just built my first, but the CC was half the size of the one you're thinking is too small at just over 10 gallons!

I can still get 2 full chickens in it if I wanted to, or a good size rack of ribs. Never say never.

Edited to add - one chap suggested a vertical smoker for my tiny one, that's something to consider too.

Love his two brat cooker- it's "very portable" for sure. Think I'm going to have to go "larger"

You made one from a ten gallon? You running charcoal? Good to hear on your capacity- yeah- rack of ribs or a butt or two would be fine- not cooking for an army these days. I'd like to run wood if I can- it's probably going to take splits so small that it's impractical but...will see.

I have "several" smokers- they are all home built on the lines of UDS's: 55gallon, 30 gallon, mini wsm (tamale pot), and a 16 gallon drum- so turning this 20 gallon tank into another vertical won't give me something I don't have.

It might make more sense to buy an Old Country Pecos from Academy and cook on it- but I want to build it myself.

May not work worth a flip but -if nothing else- it will give me some fabricating practice... and I already have my eye on a 20 x48 tank (aka "plan B") if this one don't cut it

thanks all.

[mp4]

My vote - Build It!

[tinspark]

That looks like a homemade bong. "cough cough"

You already have a smoker, I'd turn it into a grill BBQ pit.

Two brats and two hours and your ready to eat....

OK thats cool!!
Maybe not practical, but that's still pretty cool man!

[Big T]

The 20 gallon tank is useable but I would build a center feed and run it with charcoal and some small chunks of wood for flavor. There's a few of them on the forum but they're in different sections of the forum. I remember that McBroom built one not that long ago but I can't remember the name of the thread. He'll probably come a long and he can tell you where to find it.

[Dirtytires]

The number one reason people get new smokers is that they out-grow the size of the one they currently have. By your comments of trying to make it bigger, it sounds like you have out-grown it before you even start it.

Again, it’s your project but sounds like you should wait for a bigger tank/pipe. Sometimes “free” isn’t the best reason to break out the welder.

[nickanya]

Sumptuously!!!

[dacolson]

Got a new tank today. Thinking reverse flow ...

[Pete Mazz]

Gizmo did this years ago. And it actually worked!

[dacolson]

That’s awesome. I’d have to brush up on my tig.

[SheffSmoker]

Gizmo did this years ago. And it actually worked!

BarbieQ.jpg

I can just see my RC truck pulling that along! That's brilliant. Just shown it the wife and she wants one.

[towtruck]

I cooked brats on mine just the other day....they are a fun way to make one meal.

[dacolson]

That’s so cool. Couple pieces of oak kindling in there or do you throw 1 lump of charcoal in the fb?

[Pete Mazz]

FB fit 1 briquette.

[towtruck]

That’s so cool. Couple pieces of oak kindling in there or do you throw 1 lump of charcoal in the fb?

I first built mine to hold two briquettes. It would not heat up at all. I had to oversize the firebox to hold seven briquettes in order for it to cook well.