Bream Pole
Senior Member
Beware: Pic Heavy.
I built a medi drum smoker. I had most of the parts needed except the grill racks and the drum. Grill racks are weber 18" racks and they sit at 3" and
7" below the top edge of the drum. I bought the 30 gallon drum on ebay for $40 and $42 shipping. It was an open drum and unlined. A closed drum lined with a rust inhibitor could be had for $53 and free shipping. 30 Gal. drums are hard to come by. I could never find a used one. The table it sits through is plywood I found at the county landfill when taking some stuff there. The legs I already had. (I was interested throughout the build with functionality and not appearance.) I cut the rim off the top of the drum so the lid to my Weber Jumbo Smokey Joe (18 in cooking surface) would fit and cut the hole in the plywood both with a reciprocating saw. I had copper pipe and valves so the air vents are of copper, and I did buy a few copper fittings. There are three air vents two on the side that have valves and extend by pipe to just under the table top and one on the bottom front which consists of a closed end piece of copper pipe that can be pulled out to create the opening in the fitting. I brushed the inside with oil and ran a hot smoke through it. With all air vents open the heat got to 400 degrees. What follows are a few pictures of the smoker and the first smoke of a Butt and a side of ribs both from Costco. Smoke was low and slow at an average of 250 degrees. I only used the side adjustable vents and they ran about 1/4 open.
The Big Black Drum ( my poor man's BGE)
This picture shows the coal basket I made and the Pizza stone I bought for a heat defuser. I didn't use the pizza stone on the first cook. I have a grate that sits on top of the basket and the stone sits on it. The rib rack you see in the picture is not the grate. The stone leaves several inches on all sides for heat and smoke to rise and sits about 4 inches above the coal level. I filled the basked about 2/3's full of lump with a couple of pieces of split pecan on top of that and had plenty of coals left when the 11 hour first cook was over. I had the butt and ribs on the top rack and didn't think I needed the defuser and I didn't. When I smoke a turkey on the bottom rack when bark isn't desired, I'll use it.
I don't have a patio and cook in my cook hut which is why looks don't matter. This is the opening to the hut.
This is the butt and ribs as smoke begins. I just purchased the wireless Maverick temp gauge. In the front of the smoker I glued in with JB weld two brass bushing type things I got at Bob's Wholelsale and the probes go through them. If you look carefully you can see them in the pics of the smoker. I also have a temp gauge inserted in the smoker just below the bottom rack on the left as you face the smoker. Man that wireless is the ticket. For the most part I stayed in the house in the air conditioned Fla. type room and monitored the cook. I was about 40' from the smoker. Almost 11 hours on the butt and several on the ribs. Seldom had to go and adjust air on smoker and knew right when the butt reached 196 internal. Ribs I went by sight.
The finished ribs before cutting and left overs.
I took Butt off and wrapped in foil for about an hour then removed bone. These pics are after sitting showing before pulling and after. I ate a good supply and then divided the rest into two parts and gave to my sons for fathers day when we visited them in Atlanta Sunday. (Cook was Saturday) They emailed me it was very, very good. But what could they say?
I am extremely satisfied with my Big Black Drum and expect years of service from it. I have a full size, 55 gal, UDS, but it is too large for my liking. I also have a Smokey Joe Jr that I made smoke capable with a steaming pot, but it is too small for my liking. This is much, much better.
I built a medi drum smoker. I had most of the parts needed except the grill racks and the drum. Grill racks are weber 18" racks and they sit at 3" and
7" below the top edge of the drum. I bought the 30 gallon drum on ebay for $40 and $42 shipping. It was an open drum and unlined. A closed drum lined with a rust inhibitor could be had for $53 and free shipping. 30 Gal. drums are hard to come by. I could never find a used one. The table it sits through is plywood I found at the county landfill when taking some stuff there. The legs I already had. (I was interested throughout the build with functionality and not appearance.) I cut the rim off the top of the drum so the lid to my Weber Jumbo Smokey Joe (18 in cooking surface) would fit and cut the hole in the plywood both with a reciprocating saw. I had copper pipe and valves so the air vents are of copper, and I did buy a few copper fittings. There are three air vents two on the side that have valves and extend by pipe to just under the table top and one on the bottom front which consists of a closed end piece of copper pipe that can be pulled out to create the opening in the fitting. I brushed the inside with oil and ran a hot smoke through it. With all air vents open the heat got to 400 degrees. What follows are a few pictures of the smoker and the first smoke of a Butt and a side of ribs both from Costco. Smoke was low and slow at an average of 250 degrees. I only used the side adjustable vents and they ran about 1/4 open.
The Big Black Drum ( my poor man's BGE)
This picture shows the coal basket I made and the Pizza stone I bought for a heat defuser. I didn't use the pizza stone on the first cook. I have a grate that sits on top of the basket and the stone sits on it. The rib rack you see in the picture is not the grate. The stone leaves several inches on all sides for heat and smoke to rise and sits about 4 inches above the coal level. I filled the basked about 2/3's full of lump with a couple of pieces of split pecan on top of that and had plenty of coals left when the 11 hour first cook was over. I had the butt and ribs on the top rack and didn't think I needed the defuser and I didn't. When I smoke a turkey on the bottom rack when bark isn't desired, I'll use it.
I don't have a patio and cook in my cook hut which is why looks don't matter. This is the opening to the hut.
This is the butt and ribs as smoke begins. I just purchased the wireless Maverick temp gauge. In the front of the smoker I glued in with JB weld two brass bushing type things I got at Bob's Wholelsale and the probes go through them. If you look carefully you can see them in the pics of the smoker. I also have a temp gauge inserted in the smoker just below the bottom rack on the left as you face the smoker. Man that wireless is the ticket. For the most part I stayed in the house in the air conditioned Fla. type room and monitored the cook. I was about 40' from the smoker. Almost 11 hours on the butt and several on the ribs. Seldom had to go and adjust air on smoker and knew right when the butt reached 196 internal. Ribs I went by sight.
The finished ribs before cutting and left overs.
I took Butt off and wrapped in foil for about an hour then removed bone. These pics are after sitting showing before pulling and after. I ate a good supply and then divided the rest into two parts and gave to my sons for fathers day when we visited them in Atlanta Sunday. (Cook was Saturday) They emailed me it was very, very good. But what could they say?
I am extremely satisfied with my Big Black Drum and expect years of service from it. I have a full size, 55 gal, UDS, but it is too large for my liking. I also have a Smokey Joe Jr that I made smoke capable with a steaming pot, but it is too small for my liking. This is much, much better.
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