Great pricing. I'd jump on that 48" if the $$ are in your realm. And if you don't want to use the 250 gallon.
Dirtytires wrote: ↑March 22nd, 2021, 11:40 amA 250 gal is a big pit. Probably too big for the backyard family cooker in my opinion. It's also way to big to put on casters so either a solid skid or trailer work best.
A whole hog can be a fun experience but, seriously, how often are you going to do it? It's expensive, time consuming and really not the most efficient way to properly cook all the sections of the animal. If/when you really get serious about it, just rent a big pit for the event. In the meantime, build a pit that you can use every week in the backyard.
The 24x48 is an awesome size pit. You can fire it up for a single meatloaf or make pulled pork for 200. A 20" pipe isn't bad but getting a second shelf in it can be pretty cramped. With just one shelf, it is pretty easy to grow out of. Best part is the plans for a 24x48 are available on the home page for free.
I am considering doing the 48" pipe. Everyone says to build bigger (within reason). I have an Oklahoma Joe Highland. It is something like 18"x31". That is how I came up with the 20x32. It has been big enough for the most part for me so I am trying to decide to build one about the same size or just a little bigger which led me to the 24x48. I have the money set aside now and will be making the trip to the area of the pipe supplier in a couple weeks.
We’re you able to have have enough cut off metal for your firebox? Or did that come from where else? I have considered cutting down the 250 to something like in your picture. If I did that then I’d probably only have to purchase metal for the end caps.hogaboomer wrote:Been there, done that:
http://smokerbuilder.com/forums/viewtop ... =13&t=7548
Started out as a 250, but I decided early on it was way too big, so I cut it down. It turned into a 171 gallon, but it used a ton of wood, not sure if the oversized stack had anything to do with that, or not.
But it was too heavy to move around by myself, so I cut it down some more. I figured those bell ends were too much wasted space to heat up, so I cut them off. Swapped out the firebox for a lighter wall pipe, and put a 6 inch stack on. I cooked on it again yesterday, it works great, now. I think it's in the neighborhood of 120 gallons, now.
I think the last question I have, for now, is, what is the metal thickness of the cook chamber? I have read it is 3/8 for a tank that size but just checking.hogaboomer wrote:I had some 24 inch pipe that I bought, that I used for the firebox. The cook chamber is 30 inch tank 40 inches long. The firebox is 24 inch pipe, 23 inches long.
I may possibly have been able to make the whole thing out of just the tank, if I had done that from the start. It was a several step process of trial and error to get to the final result.
Ok. I may go the route you did. I like the way your’s looks. I’m still in the process of getting prices from one other place.hogaboomer wrote:Propane tanks are thin. This one is 3/16".