Comments on: Build a double barrel BBQ

By: chris

chris — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:09:00 +0000

I believe the reason the exhaust should be under the food grate is because heat rises, so the smoke would have to go to the top of the barrel and then fall to exit the exhaust. this would give a better result.

By: willie

willie — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:59:13 +0000

it looks like everyone is putting the exhaust stacks ABOVE the food grate and the plans show installing it under the grate????which is better??? does it matter?? thank you for your time

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:49:18 +0000

I built one of these a decade ago and loved it. Made great food!! Unfortunatley it died an ignoble death. Just today I brought home 2 new barrels to create the next generation. I use two 55 gal drums. Suggestions for cleaning: You’ll want them to be paint free on the outside. This avoids introducing chemical toxins to your food. It also allows you to recover them with high temp grill paint. Last time I cleaned the barrels with a 4.5” angle grinder and a wire brush. You could also use a wire brush on an electric drill. This time I sand blasted them. Done in 15 minutes! If you don’t have a sand blaster check in an industrial area close to you. A lot of businesses have items clean via sand- or bead blasting.

You will also want them clean on the inside. Last time (the barrels had contained bulk glue) I took the lids off, turned them upright, and burned them out. CAUTION: KNOW WHAT YOU ARE BURNING –don’t BBQ yourself!! This time I paid more attention to the barrels I was buying. The one blasted and brought home today contained dehydrated dairy products. Much easier to clean and no toxin dangers.

In answer to the question above about why there are two pipes, I used the two with dampers in them to control how hot I allowed the upper barrel to get. Mine had a thermometer in each side of the upper barrel. When I put the meat on one side only, I was able to control the amount of heat/smoke that went to it.
I recommend installing bricks or a grid in the bottom of the fire barrel. Makes for a better fire and for less rust in the bottom of the barrel.

I also recommend installing a second fire door on the back side of the fire barrel. The cross draft will allow your fire to get going quicker, and makes for easier cleaning (you don’t have to reach all the way in from one side to the other to get the ash out). If you make the back door one that slides up and down it will allow you to control airflow to vary the temps.

Hope that helps someone. Nothing like doing it once to think of ways to improve it. Oh, and by all means put a rack on the front. You’ll love it. Happy smoking!

If you’ve never tasted it, try mulberry wood.

By: Drooper

Drooper — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:08:47 +0000

Hello, great smoker! I have a couple of questions for you.Why use the two flues from the bottom barrel? Could you just use the regular double barrel set up with the flues on opposite ends of the barrels and get better heat and smoke transfer? My friend and I really want to build one of these!

By: octaco

octaco — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:36:50 +0000

It doesn’t look too hard to make. The trick is what to make the barrels out of. Barrels to tar your roof, the 30 gallon size would do.

By: CeCe

CeCe — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:43:49 +0000

My husband has one of these smokers and it is on its last bbq, do you know how I can purchase one of these? I would like to give it for Father’s Day.

Thanks,
CeCe

By: tazz

tazz — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 10:46:31 +0000

That is a great looking grill and I am probably going to build one this fall,but I have a suggestion that might improve your design a little bit.I think that if you were to incorperate some type of water tray in the cooking chamber,you would be abel to keep your beef and ribs along with poultry more moist.
Also I wanted to ask about how you cleaned up the ashes and the meat drippings,and if you had a grate under your coals in the fire box? I like the use of fire bricks in the fire box.I have never seen that done in a cooker.I am from South Carolina and we cook a lot of pig down here and this design looks like it will be a real winner,Thanks,TAZZ