[simi-steading]

I put this here, since it's going to be a real project in the shop,...

I don't have it yet, but I'm getting one of these that I'm going to turn into an upright smoker... I know a guy that has a huge pile of them and he said bring the truck up next time I see him moving them around...

Just curious if anyone has used a separator tank to build an upright smoker?

I'm going to build it and use it for large jobs like lots of deer sausage, and pork hams and bacon and such...

Should be a really interesting project.. especially since opening one of these up isn't exactly the safest thing you can do..

This isn't one of them, but I'll be getting one pretty much identical..

 

[Sawmill Jim]

What did they separate ? Looks well vented to me .

 

[simi-steading]

gas/oil... There's a few pipes and a plunger in it.

I was thinking too it was perfect using the already plumbed holes for getting the smoke in and venting it.. Just cut a door and add rack hangers and racks and hooks for hanging..

 

[logbuilder]

Are you planning on a separate firebox?

 

[simi-steading]

Exactly... One that I can make a short run from for hotter smoke, and maybe a second pipe under the ground and a long run to help cool the smoke for some cold smoking too.

 

[logbuilder]

For the nearby box, I can see a 5 gal propane tank welded to the side. The cold smoke idea is good too. In my area, we would use that for salmon. We have an abundance of alder which is really good for cold smoking salmon. I tend to prefer hickory for general smoking. I have a bunch of cuttings from a hickory floor that I installed. No finish, just hickory. I probably have enough for 2-3 years of smoking. I can just throw it into the side box and no worries with flames. I just watch the temp and keep smoke in it.

 

[simi-steading]

I was thinking cold smoke for bacon and hams... Sadly we don't have much for fish around here I can smoke, but if I did, I would.. .

Not sure what I'm going to use for a fire box... I don't have anything laying around, but I"m sure I can find or whip something up.. I had thought about a propane tank though, only the regular 20lb bottles is too small...

've got a lot of Hickory trees on the property, and oak.. but I like smoking with Mesquite... Sure wish I lived back in TX at times..

Matter a fact, as we speak right now, I've got three racks of ribs and a small piece of pork loin on the smoker smoking with Mesquite pieces...

 

[farminghandyman]

Are you sure you want to use some thing like that for food production,

(my son was scraping some a few years ago, and he was hauling off some of that type of stuff, there was a few times they would reject that for the contamination in the tanks and once even got turned away for radiation being emitted, by the tank contents residues).

 

[simi-steading]

Once I cut it open I'll build a huge fire in it and let it burn off.. It should be just fine.. as far as radiation? eh.. who knows... I do know someone with a few Geiger counters though..

 

[michael ark]

I'll will be watching.:buds:Here is some inspiration.http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/110588/the-one-ton-monster

 

[simi-steading]

Boy is that a heck of an inspiration... If I could come up with that much plate steel for $100 like that guy did, I'd be all over my own design too... I really like that..

Not sure when I'm going to be able to get a tank though, but I'm told it's not a problem once some things get ironed out about the site they are working at... At the moment there's about 20 of these sitting, and more will be brought in to scrap..

Once I do get one and get stared, I'll be sure to post about it.. I sure don't see it happening before next year thought, even if I got the tank tonight. Too much to get off my list first, and I really need to get a workshop building built... Then I need to think about the outdoor kitchen I want to build this smoker as a part of...