New 500 gal build

Any type of purchased BBQ Pit.

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banditbbq USER_AVATAR
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New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Fri Sep 21, 2018 6:02 pm

I am in the planning stages of converting a 500 gal propane tank to an offset smoker on a trailer. I will be cutting 1/2 of one end off the tank to mount my firebox to the end of the tank. My rough estimate for the firebox size is 36x36x36. I plan on insulating the box and the door. I'm thinking 1/4 inch steel inside walls and 3/16 on the outside walls with a minimum of 1" ceramic insulation between. Any advice would be welcomed. How large an opening do I need for the throat? I plan on placing the bottom of the throat about 1 1/2 inches above the bottom of the cook chamber to keep grease out of the firebox. My plan is for a 1/2 moon opening, but being in the planning stages, I am open to suggestions. This is my first build and could use all the advice I can get.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby GRailsback » Mon Sep 24, 2018 10:12 am

You may want to send KAM a PM on here. He will get you pointed in the right direction.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby k.a.m. » Tue Sep 25, 2018 8:00 pm

banditbbq wrote:I am in the planning stages of converting a 500 gal propane tank to an offset smoker on a trailer. I will be cutting 1/2 of one end off the tank to mount my firebox to the end of the tank. My rough estimate for the firebox size is 36x36x36. I plan on insulating the box and the door. I'm thinking 1/4 inch steel inside walls and 3/16 on the outside walls with a minimum of 1" ceramic insulation between. Any advice would be welcomed. How large an opening do I need for the throat? I plan on placing the bottom of the throat about 1 1/2 inches above the bottom of the cook chamber to keep grease out of the firebox. My plan is for a 1/2 moon opening, but being in the planning stages, I am open to suggestions. This is my first build and could use all the advice I can get.

Here is a filled out link to the calculator I would use.
Link to BBQ Pit Calculator
I would go 2" minimum insulation.
Always remember slow and steady wins the race.



My Hybrid cooker.
Competition trailer #2.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:20 pm

The pit is 50 miles from home in a shop where I have access to heavy lifting equipment. We've been working away at the pit. We built a 3'x3'x3' firebox and insulated all sides but the bottom. The smoke stack is an old 9" dia oxygen tank. I don't have a clue how many hours we have in it. It's been very tiring when we can spend time on it, but it sure is fun. I can't wait until I get to bring it home and fire it up for the first time. We'll be recessing it into a 16' trailer and welding it in place. After that I can bring it home and finish out all the details in a little more timely manner.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby Chasdev » Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:42 pm

I could be wrong but that exhaust stack looks too short to me.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:18 pm

Chasdev wrote:I could be wrong but that exhaust stack looks too short to me.


Thanks, I'll double check the calculator, but I thought we had it long enough since it is 9.25" I.D.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Sun Jan 13, 2019 6:30 am

banditbbq wrote:
Chasdev wrote:I could be wrong but that exhaust stack looks too short to me.


Thanks, I'll double check the calculator, but I thought we had it long enough since it is 9.25" I.D.


I double checked the calculator, stack is fine because it's 9" in diameter.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby spacetrucker » Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:35 pm

I like everything I see there just one problem.... its not mine.... :laughing7: :laughing7:
the extra large fire box is a good thing in my opinion, I have cooked on pits like that. Hopefully you have the exhaust at or below the grate level.. are you going in with tuning plates? some day I'm gonna buy me a gas hatchet and a cracker box & build me one of them... :roll: in past we my employees and self bought several feet of large pipe and built ourselves each a pit. There are still all of them somewhere in existence as they will never rust or burn out due to their thickness.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby BigThicketBBQ » Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:46 pm

Looks awesome!
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:17 pm

spacetrucker wrote:I like everything I see there just one problem.... its not mine.... :laughing7: :laughing7:
the extra large fire box is a good thing in my opinion, I have cooked on pits like that. Hopefully you have the exhaust at or below the grate level.. are you going in with tuning plates? some day I'm gonna buy me a gas hatchet and a cracker box & build me one of them... :roll: in past we my employees and self bought several feet of large pipe and built ourselves each a pit. There are still all of them somewhere in existence as they will never rust or burn out due to their thickness.



The exhaust is at the grate level. I welded in some angle to hold my tuning plates. I had them cut this week from 1/4" steel. They are 7.5 inches wide. Got my money pit mounted to the trailer this weekend. Brought her home so I could finish her up in a more timely manner. Been having to travel 60 miles one way each weekend to get some work done because I didn't have anything that would lift something this massive.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:18 pm

BigThicketBBQ wrote:Looks awesome!



Thanks! I can't wait for a test run. Few more things to finish up, then I get to light the fire.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby banditbbq » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:22 pm

Got the money pit welded to the trailer and brought her home where I can finish her up.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby TwoGuysBBQ » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:39 pm

Looks great, can’t wait to see it smoking! Going with the standard black paint?
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby GRailsback » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:51 pm

That unit is going to serve you well. It will outlast the trailer.
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Re: New 500 gal build

Postby Rambo » Wed Jan 30, 2019 8:54 pm

Get it Brother

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