500 Gallon Reverse Flow Build

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 15th, 2015, 11:16 pm

Guys I'm new here and wanted to document my build. Be patient as it will take me a while to finish this project. I'm trying to do this as inexpensive as possible. A little background. I started with a small UDS smoker maybe 10 years ago. I had some great smokes on it but quickly realized I couldn't fit a Brisket in it. I built an offset smoker I thought would last me till the zombies came. Well I can feed maybe 30 off it but I've been getting requests for larger groups. So I decided to kick this thing off. I landed a 500 gallon propane tank made in 1971 with .295 wall thickness for $100 delivered and a bunch of .25 plate that was headed to the recycler for $0. I made my first cut today. I'll post my planner numbers tomorrow. I'm planning a warming cabinet that I can use for smaller cooks and a reverse flow design.

mp4 · Post by **mp4** » November 16th, 2015, 12:03 am

Looks like a terrific start!

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Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 16th, 2015, 12:26 am

I put a lot of time in trying to figure out the safest way to cut it. For those who are curious I settled on the following. Because this tank was in service before it was moved to my house I had to purge it as there was 75psi still in it. I live in the middle of nowhere with the nearest neighbors being 2 miles away surround by wheat fields. I waited for a windy day 20mph+ and hooked a garden hose up to it and purged it 200 ft away in the field. I wouldnt recommend this but its how I did it. Then came filling with 8 gallons of bleach and filled with water for 1 week to neutralize mercaptan. Drained and filled with water and one large bottled of Dawn soap for another week as a precaution. Drained to 50% on the gauge and purged 30 minutes from my truck exhaust and started cutting. No issues at all and it actually doesn't smell bad. I was more concerned about the mercaptan getting on the shop floor than I was about it blowing up. As for cutting I used a combination of a angle grinder with cutoff wheel to score the cuts about half way then followed up with a reciprocating saw. Total time to cut that wedge was a little less than an hour.

Post by **Pete Mazz** » November 16th, 2015, 5:32 am

Welcome!

Nice score on the goods!!!

The Czar · Post by **The Czar** » November 16th, 2015, 6:32 am

Welcome and it sounds like you did the best thing for making your plunge cut!!!

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 16th, 2015, 11:06 am

Here are the results from the calculator I'm using.

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 16th, 2015, 12:24 pm

I have a question on door width. One of my goals is to be able to smoke a whole hog on a rack that can be pulled out. What is the minimum door opening you would recommend?

Post by **Pete Mazz** » November 16th, 2015, 6:51 pm

I would make the width of the FB 36" to accommodate the throat cut-out.

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 16th, 2015, 9:07 pm

Thanks. I'm going to do that. It'll make it easier to fit.

Puff · Post by **Puff** » November 16th, 2015, 9:42 pm

Welcome. Like Pete said....nice score on material. I'm always amazed on these huge smoker projects. The finished product is well ....huge. Standing near the burning firebox must be like an incinerator. Then, I question the methods of moving it. After that, I can only imagine the processes in running it and cooking all that meat at one time. I admire that... Watching with great interest and wishing you luck

Post by **Rodcrafter** » November 16th, 2015, 10:16 pm

I agree make the FB match the tank width.

Making memories.

Post by **Pete Mazz** » November 17th, 2015, 5:02 am

Eckroll wrote:I have a question on door width. One of my goals is to be able to smoke a whole hog on a rack that can be pulled out. What is the minimum door opening you would recommend?

From past advice: 48" would be a minimum for a small to medium sized hog, up to 72" for a butterflied large hog.

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 17th, 2015, 9:33 am

Thanks guys that will help me layout the doors. I'll also go with the larger firebox. I'll repost the builder numbers today. I'm going to try and cut the doors this weekend.

forty_creek · Post by **forty_creek** » November 17th, 2015, 9:15 pm

Are you going to square up the front?

Drankin, Smokin and Dreamin

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Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 18th, 2015, 5:05 pm

I've been debating squaring up the front. I have enough steel to frame it out and do the doors. I could have the doors swing like French doors and be able to get a hog in there fairly easily and not have to worry about counterweighting the doors. On the other hand I really like the clean lines of the traditional smoker. I'm still debating.

forty_creek · Post by **forty_creek** » November 18th, 2015, 8:11 pm

I understand your debate. I to like the traditional lines but wanted to maximizes my cooking space. I also wanted to be able to cook a whole hawg.

Drankin, Smokin and Dreamin

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motoridr09 · Post by **motoridr09** » November 19th, 2015, 3:59 pm

My first smoker was a 500 gallon and i wished I had done square doors. I think square doors look better than counterweights sticking up but this is just personal preference. There's really no right or wrong.

Puff · Post by **Puff** » November 19th, 2015, 8:28 pm

I'm blissfully happy I was an unknowing newbie several years back. I had no traditional look in mind. It could have been a triangle and that would have been just as good. However, of the 5 smokers I've built in the last few years....they ALL have square doors. Funny but I think it's just coincidence.

On the other hand... It's my go to tradition now.

Post by **Rodcrafter** » November 20th, 2015, 1:48 pm

I'll be doing that on my future stuff. I never even saw that before this web site. My mod will be squared with swinging doors. After being around Mack last weekend the one thing I would do differently is raise it so the top of the doors were about forehead high. I say that because the smoke even though it was wonderful hit me right in my eyes every time I bent over and looked in.

Making memories.

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 20th, 2015, 6:46 pm

Here are the updated numbers on the FB

forty_creek · Post by **forty_creek** » November 20th, 2015, 8:08 pm

What's your tank width? Mine was 36. I went 36Wx36Dx32T. I wanted to keep my box as wide as the CC. Just my preference...

Drankin, Smokin and Dreamin

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Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 20th, 2015, 8:19 pm

Mine is 37. I'm glad to see your numbers. I wanted it as short as possible. Let me play with them a little more.

Eckroll · Post by **Eckroll** » November 20th, 2015, 8:30 pm

OK I measured and mine is actually 36.5 I like your measurements which would put it at 107% and keep the firebox 4" higher off the ground for trailering. I've still got some time to sort it. This weekend will be the CC door. I'm leaning heavily to a single counterweighted wide door since a goal is whole hogs. Anyone have any pics or links to one that has two doors and a middle section that can open also to make a single opening?

Post by **Big T** » November 20th, 2015, 9:42 pm

I'm not sure about a removable center piece but you could let the doors overlap one another. You would have to open one door and then the other or just the one door but it would keep you from having one big, heavy door.

forty_creek · Post by **forty_creek** » November 21st, 2015, 12:06 am

Ditto Big T...overlap. Gets my vote if not square doors.

Drankin, Smokin and Dreamin

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