grills/smokers

[horseshoebbq8848]

I know this is way off topic, but I thought I would give this a try, and if some one wants to poof it I will understand.I am building a new and smaller smoker/grill I will be using a small tank from a bouler,it is 18? wide and 36?tall, I would like to know how big my fire box should be. MANY THANKS, HAVE A GREAT DAY

 

[Fullers Farmalls]

A guy I know made one similar size. His fire box is made from 16 inch pipe he welded onto an industrial water storage tank. It's about 12 inches long. Heats the smoke up just fine. He laid a grate in the bottom.of the smoke box to put charcoal on I'd he is doing direct grilling.

 

[GreenAcre]

Regardless of the size of the smoker, I like the firebox to be long enough to put in regular length firewood. Otherwise I have to saw special length pieces instead of just getting some off the pile. But where I am we burn hardwood in the fireplaces and have stacks of it sitting around....

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

A quick google search turned up this BBQ pit calculator website:

http://www.feldoncentral.com/bbqcalculator.html

 

[JMOR]

You will be much, much happier with the "reverse" flow arrangement illustrated in the link! Also, if the cook area 'tank' is thin metal or thick will alter the firebox size needed, as the thinner it is, the faster/more the heat loss. I have experience with both thick & thin.