Features of the Smoker:
First off, as you can tell from the sketch below, it's going to be based on a steam locomotive. I think we're going to do a two-axle design, perhaps 60" wide on the frame.
In a remarkably phallic layout, the fire box (small tank) will sit below and perpendicular to the meat box (large tank). Inside the firebox, we'll weld in metal to make a water tank above the fire; cut holes to accomodate the exhaust, intake, work area and ash dump. The water tank is going to be for hot water and steam. We'll weld in rebar to act as the grate for the ash.
For the meatbox, there will be two doors on each side, for a total of four doors. One side will have four thermometers at various places. Inside each door will be two sliding shelves, made of expanded metal and angle iron. The top sliding shelf will have a design that keeps it from falling; the bottom sliding shelf is going to rest on the railing...
... which we'll build about 18" out from the tank. About 3" under the railing will be an angle iron strip running the length of the meatbox, matched up with one welded to the tank, which will hold full-size steamtable pans. Along the length of the smoker we should be able to hold about eight full pans. Also we would be able to put chopping blocks here. At one end we'll put a propane eye, too, so we can do things like french fries, gumbo, corn-on-the-cob etc.
Back to the water tank in the firebox. Out the top, we have essentially a radiator cap and a steam feed. I have two immediate uses for the steam: first, a steam whistle, hooked up to the pipe currently on top of the smoker. (We're going to seal that one off and install a different exhaust, shaped like a traditional bellows stack, towards the far end.) The kids will love a chance to play with the steam whistle. Second, I am going to run a few steam outlets underneath the 2nd level grates, valve controlled. This allows me to set a brisket above an outlet, thus keeping the bottom from drying out while not having to bother the meat. I think chicken and turkey could probably benefit from some applied moisture as well. But I will also build on some extra valve stuff (note: figure out what the right stuff for steam plumbing is).. hah. Expansion slots for steam.
At the bottom of the water tank would be a standard spigot. This would have pressurized hot water when in operation. The outlet would be out the bottom of the subtank to make sure that we could drain it well.
Aside from that, there's angle iron and sheet metal and paint to make it look like a choo-choo train. We'll have to give it a name and a number. Suggestions? At the moment I'm liking "1945" on the front (my parents' birth year) with "Old '45" on the side. But I'm totally open to other suggestions. We'll have to see what J thinks, when he's mended.
In a remarkably phallic layout, the fire box (small tank) will sit below and perpendicular to the meat box (large tank). Inside the firebox, we'll weld in metal to make a water tank above the fire; cut holes to accomodate the exhaust, intake, work area and ash dump. The water tank is going to be for hot water and steam. We'll weld in rebar to act as the grate for the ash.
For the meatbox, there will be two doors on each side, for a total of four doors. One side will have four thermometers at various places. Inside each door will be two sliding shelves, made of expanded metal and angle iron. The top sliding shelf will have a design that keeps it from falling; the bottom sliding shelf is going to rest on the railing...
... which we'll build about 18" out from the tank. About 3" under the railing will be an angle iron strip running the length of the meatbox, matched up with one welded to the tank, which will hold full-size steamtable pans. Along the length of the smoker we should be able to hold about eight full pans. Also we would be able to put chopping blocks here. At one end we'll put a propane eye, too, so we can do things like french fries, gumbo, corn-on-the-cob etc.
Back to the water tank in the firebox. Out the top, we have essentially a radiator cap and a steam feed. I have two immediate uses for the steam: first, a steam whistle, hooked up to the pipe currently on top of the smoker. (We're going to seal that one off and install a different exhaust, shaped like a traditional bellows stack, towards the far end.) The kids will love a chance to play with the steam whistle. Second, I am going to run a few steam outlets underneath the 2nd level grates, valve controlled. This allows me to set a brisket above an outlet, thus keeping the bottom from drying out while not having to bother the meat. I think chicken and turkey could probably benefit from some applied moisture as well. But I will also build on some extra valve stuff (note: figure out what the right stuff for steam plumbing is).. hah. Expansion slots for steam.
At the bottom of the water tank would be a standard spigot. This would have pressurized hot water when in operation. The outlet would be out the bottom of the subtank to make sure that we could drain it well.
Aside from that, there's angle iron and sheet metal and paint to make it look like a choo-choo train. We'll have to give it a name and a number. Suggestions? At the moment I'm liking "1945" on the front (my parents' birth year) with "Old '45" on the side. But I'm totally open to other suggestions. We'll have to see what J thinks, when he's mended.
posted by Steve at 6:38 PM
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