250 gal fuel oil tank RF - it continues...

Mr Tony's BBQ · Last edited by Mr Tony's BBQ on Oct 09 2012; edited 5 times in total

Last fall I removed my Lang from its trailer and mounted it to my kitchen trailer - so I have the trailer with grill, lp burners and sink - I have access to a 100 gallon compressor tank and a 250 gallon oil tank. My thought was to build a rf pig roaster along the lines of the pic below...

The thought is a heavy steel duct under the thinner oil tank, off the vertical mounted tank, using half the tank as firebox, top part as "rib box" / chimney. My thought is the heavy duct will help the thinner oil tank last longer, and give me full useage of the space inside the oil tank - allowing for more shelving and still getting the heat transference of a rf plate!
One other big factor is [most ] all the material to do this, this way - is available - paid for or free!!
Any input - pro or con - is greatly appreciated - right down to the static for the terrible drawing [ but not required...lol]

EDIT:

I think we are already on page 2... I am putting the changes and pics there... Embarassed

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ChuckieD · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 07 Oct 2009 Posts: 1129

Tony,
I say "build it and they will come... and eat Q!"
It sounds like a good plan, but I'm not an expert bro. Crying or Very sad

I'm sure some of the expert builders will comment soon... Wink

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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 24 2012 Post subject:

Thanks Chuckied! I appreciate the encouragement - times are tough - buying as little as possible to get this backup unit running is part of the plan - I know of MANY steel drum pig cookers that have been around for a long time here in the harsh winter elements of Wisconsin, and am curious of input from others with actual experience with them....must not be any here??!!
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k.a.m. · Posted: Jan 24 2012 Post subject:

Tony, are you going to open up the bottom of the tank or just add a box under it for the heat smoke to travel though?
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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 24 2012 Post subject:

My thought is a box under the tank for smoke / heat - giving me more room in the tank, and even possibly using the big tank as a huge grill when needed.
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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 24 2012 Post subject:

Having the far side open to the big tank, creating a r/f system. Sorry about the double post ... not sure what I did there...lol Thanks KAM - I am confident I will be lookin gto you for air flow guidance as well!! Embarassed

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Catman · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

Essentially what you have is a conventional R/F smoker with a warming box above the fire box. The warming box also acts as your exhaust stack.

Should work.

You may not get up to cooking temps in the "rib box" after dissipating most of your heat in the pig roaster section though. Depends on how much heat radiates up through the top of the fire box.
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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

Thanks Catman, I really am just using the design of my Lang with different materials - cheaper / free stuff!!
Currently, my Lang's "rib box" gets up to temp no problem - so much so, it has an additional defector / grease catch / rf plate in the rib box! Anything above 50° outside and I can smoke on any of the 3 shelves - on a blustery winter day, I can still cook on the lowest shelf and use the other 2 as warmers....and thats all via a 3" [?] pipe and 2 small vents! I do smoke on the warmer side of 250° though - which does help....but some of the best butts and brisket I have ever done were in said rib box while the main chamber was packed full of pig for a day! Musta been all the flavors released by the hog!! Cool

I am a bit curious / concerned about heat loss due to thinner walls on the oil tank, but am hopeful the "duct" below helps recover / maintain! Not as "conventional" as most builds here, but functional!! {?}
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Catman · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

I think you have it exactly right Mr Tony.

As to the heat loss, maybe I can shed some light on that.
Heat loss is inversly proportional to thickness; all else being equal, a tank half as thick will lose twice as much heat.
In addition, heat loss is proportional to surface area. So for the same volume, an oval tank will have more surface area than a round tank, and lose more heat.

The duct or RF plate effect on recovery depends on your definition of recovery.
When you open the lid and release the hot air, the recovery time is how long it takes to replace that heat after the lid is closed again.
The firebox design, draft efficiency, cooker volume and amount of hot gas produced by the firebox are much bigger contributors to recovery time.
In fact if the lid is open long enough for the RF plate to cool a bit, it will slow the recovery as the RF plate consumes some of the heat energy to come back up to temp.
The added mass will change the recovery profile, so the temp will rise faster initially as the RF plate gives up heat to the air (This is what many refer to as "recovery").
However the rate of recovery will slow as the air and RF plate both need to increase in temp again.
To reach the same initial stabile temp will take the same amount of time with our without the added mass.
You'll just get closer sooner with the added mass.
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Chef · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

Looks good Tony. But I think I would build a fire box out of heavier metal. I think the longevity will be poot on the tank. Even if you use a good grate in it I think you will have a hard time getting it to last.

Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

thanks for the reply's guy's - now if only the system would inform me of them like it used to....anyone else have this issue??
Catman, I felt like I was in science class again reading that reply - MUCH appreciated!!
Chef - the thickness of the upright tank is considerably thicker than the oil tank - it is a commercial air compressor tank, I am confident it will outlast the oil drum by a decade Very Happy

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k.a.m. · Posted: Jan 25 2012 Post subject:

Tony, in my opinion you will be disappointed in the results making the channel under the cooker a separate part of the build.
By now you know your Lang depends on the radiant heat from the plate as a great part of the cooking process. By taking this away or removing some of the efficiency you will have a cooker that is going to require a lot of fuel to maintain temps if not you will most likely have cold smoke entering the chamber and creating a mess towards the exhaust in the way of creosote.
These are just my thoughts. Smile

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Catman · Posted: Jan 26 2012 Post subject:

Having gone back and re-read k.a.m.'s replies, I see what he means.
You should cut out the bottom of the tank and weld it to to the duct. It would still have the same volume in the cook chamber.
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Fast Murray · BBQ Fan Joined: 02 Jan 2012 Posts: 200 Location: Huron, SD

I would look at the cost of materials and what your time is worth before building a cooker out of an oil tank. They are thin metal and there are disadvantages to that. It will probably work but in the end will you be happy with it? I wanted to build a reverse flow and couldn't come up with the right tank. Lots of other tanks but I wanted a 250. Wound up at a contest with a guy selling his Lang. We're very happy we went that way and I'm really happy I didn't settle for some other tank and sink a bunch of time and dollars into that.
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Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

it all may be put on hold for a while....went to pick up a free tank today, while loading I slipped on ice hit my rear hard on the ice.......jarred so hard I thought I cracked a rib or two....was wishing my butt was as big as my gut as it would have broken my fall!
Good part is, the tank fits perfectly on the old Lang trailer, bad part is I may be on the couch for a couple weeks??!!?!?!? May be hurt enough to get my dumb a$$ to a doctor - Crying or Very sad

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GF · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

Hope you feel better brother!
The cooker ain't goin anywhere, get yourself fixed up first.

Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

Thanks GF, but the pit will be burning a o-dark-thirty tomorrow morn....I do have a back-up pitmaster in training I have a call into, but he hasnt called back....AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaarrg I really hope I dont need him!
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GF · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

Mr Tony, I wasn't talking about the Lang, I was talking about your new build.
I know the Lang gotta run, no work = no money. Crying or Very sad

Good luck finding your "help", If he's younger, text him or try facebook. Rolling Eyes

Mr Tony's BBQ · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

Understood GF! Still no callback and I'm off to bed, gonna crawl down the hall,hope I can fall up into bed, and pray for a good morning! Already had my wife put my socks on for me for in the morning cuz I cant bend over - slip on shoes ready at the door...lol...man this sucks! Evil or Very Mad

Maybe I'll put less meat on and be forced to close early! Confused

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Catman · Posted: Jan 27 2012 Post subject:

Ice?
On the ground?
Imagine that.

Been in Southern CA way too long (sunny 75 today)!

Hope you can walk upright again real soon.
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There are no perfectly good airplanes.

What ever it is, do it, do it 'till you're satisfied.