Built an Off-Set Cooker w/pics

[Bobby Urban]

 
 
 
Now I need to build a trailer to haul it and shoot a hog to cook inside it!!  24x56 Pipe with a 24" offset fire box.  I also made a real tasty BBQ sause thanks to some tips from Al Dente(Thank you)

Looking forward to Getting her home and cooking in it.  I will keep you all posted!

Bob Urban

[Al Dente]

Way to go BOB!!!!!!!!  That's an awesome looking piece of machinery ya got there.  I'm picking my jaw up, I'm floored.  Great job!!!!!

[bretto]

Looks really good!! Do You have a counterbalance on the door? I like the flat top on the fire box it holds a skillet for frying breakfast while Your putting the hog on to smoke!!

[Bobby Urban]

I thought about a counter balance but it is not necessary - just a stout door.  I have been woking on it in my free time for a month or so and have pretty much made it all from scrap laying around my friends shop.  I will keep posting picks when I finally get some pork on the racks.  I have wanted a pig cooker for a long time and did a little research on it and this is what I camee up with.  Racks slide out, it hase tuning plates to adjust the temp and some blacksmith work on the handles and firebox tools.  I am pleased with how it turned out and think I will make another just for fun.

 
 

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Looking forward to the pics of a Hog cooking.      

[Al Dente]

For the next one, you can think about having a removable top to the firebox.  You can have a grill insert underneath it to take advantage of the coals for a quick steak, burger, ot crisp up some chicken skin after a smoke.  Great job again!!!!

[JEFF B]

thats way cool      

[el oso]

great smoker! are the handles off of an old bed frame or deck furniture or something?

[Bobby Urban]

The center part of the handles are prefabed - my friend Nels, who owns the shop is a true Jesse James type.  He is an ironworker by trade but always has a custom street rod or mtorcycle build going on and builds custom iron everything from furniture to wrought Iron fence.  In the shop there are hundreds of little doo dads of different shapes and sizes that he either built or bought for some project or another.  The wrap on the outside edge of the handles is smashed angle after it sat in the forge for a bit then pounded on. Saturday I am hoping to get a good start on the trailer.  I have all the parts and an axle - Just need to fab it, lay it out and get to welding.  My goal is to have it home by the end of March.  I am really fortunate to have such a good friend that lets me use his shop whenever I want.  The whole rig has been pretty much made up out of scrap parts and drops from other projects.  If it turns out 1/2 as good as it seems to be I will probably sell it and make another one just because the fun is in the creating.

[Horney Toad]

Thats a dandy Bobby, good work.

[Bowman0202]

Wow !!!! Is that fine or what?

[Skinner]

Nice looking rig Bobby!

Al's comment on having a door on top of the firebox with a "grilling" grate is great as well.  Our Klose has that option on the firebox.

Skinner

[Al Dente]

How do you like the Klose.  There are so many out there to choose from now, my head spins.  I was so set on getting a Lang, but then I thought about Stump's, Klose, now there's Peoria Custom, Cookshack, Backwood's Smokers, Tucker, etc...

I'm tired of maintaining 4 fires from 4 different small smokers.

[Skinner]

Al

The temp holds good in the Klose. This unit is made of 3/8" plate. Real easy to control heat with all the dampers. Once we are cooking and have all our dampers set, we usually have to re-fire once every hour - hour and half. (Don't have to make any further adjustments, your fire will only burn so fast. Craftsmanship of the firebox is darn close to an airtight wood stove on the Klose)

We usually mix both lump and bricks together. I use wood for cooking but the other 2 guys I am in partnership with on this rig, are not big wood guys. They just prefer to use just charcoal. They find that wood give it too much of a smoke taste. - Personal preference I guess.

My wifes boss had this unit custom made a couple of years ago from Klose. He cooks competition as a hobby. This was his first purchase and it was mounted on 8" casters. It weighs the better part of 900 lbs and was a real pain to move around. Since then he has bought 2 other units off Klose, a trailer unit off someone in PA (60 X 30" cook surface) and a rib cooker with a flip rack (not sure who made that unit).

He offered the unit to us at a good price and that's why we bought it. We then mounted it on the trialer ourselves to make it more portable. We do the odd function but try not too. We made it mostly just for a reason to get together and drink some beer. I was also looking at the Lang before this unit came along.

 

Skinner

[Skinner]

Bob - again nice job on your smoker!

If you are looking to build another project "for fun", check this out.  We have our big Klose above, but I wanted something to play with while I was working around the yard or playing in my shop.  Firing up the Klose to smoke a roast or chicken for just my wife and myself is a bit of a waste.

So I started looking up back yard / deck smokers and they all usually have about a 30" long cooking surface and varying widths.  Then I came across this little unit and had to have it.  I brought it up from Texas and it is just what I was looking for.

It is made completely with 1/4" material, weighs around 300 lbs and it is made out of 16" dia. pipe.  The cooking surface is 26" long and the fire box is 16" long.  It has a stand it sits on and I made a little dolly with wheels so I can roll it around my garage or out on my deck.

The "nifty" factor that this smoker has is that it has a 2" receiver on the back of it.  I can install it on the back of my jeep or truck and take it tailgating or visiting.  I have dragged this unit from my house in Ontario, Canada to NASCAR races in Florida (Daytona 500), Bristol, TN (2X) and when I go visit friends at their cottages, houses, ect.

Skinner.

 

 

 

 

[Bobby Urban]

That is one cool little rig!  Not sure what the next project will be(got to get this one completed first) But I already can see where a smaller unit for dinner for two would be nice.  

Thanks for the encouragement and the picks of your Klose - if I had the money I think Klose would be on the top of my list of "I gotta have's"

If anyone is interested in this on more than just a passing level check out the forum "The Smoke Ring"

That is where I got most of my ideas.

Bob Urban

[Skinner]

Al - Sent you an e-mail in regards to a company out of PA that makes some good units.

Here's a pic of the guy we bought the Klose off of (on right) with one of his PA made cookers.

 

Skinner.

[Al Dente]

It's funny, we all seem to look alike!!!  Thanks Skinner, I got the e-mail, but we're currently out of the house during a roof razing/renovation and my server is not compatible with the father's, so I can get e-mail, but cannot send it.

[Skinner]

Originally posted by Al Dente:
It's funny, we all seem to look alike!!!

LOL.  I always say that my Mom raised fat kids, not stupid kids.

He really likes them PA units and has just recently become a dealer for them.  I haven't really looked them over that well yet.  Just may be another option to look at that is closer to you.  I know he does have a nice "flip grill" that I have used that works really slick from them as well.

Skinner