ot: Insulating material for inside of a smoker/bbq pit?

i_r_machinist · Mar 26, 2018

Started a new project this weekend. I have a 250 gallon propane tank that I'm going to make into a smoker/bbq pit. I filled it full of water and cut a window into it on Saterday. I'm going to put a tail section on it so that it looks like a big bomb. I'm going to build a trailer so that I can stand the thing vertical and have the smoke come out the tail. Is there a material that I can insulate the id with to keep from burning the paint off without killing everyone that eats out of the thing? The walls are 1/4" thick.
Any ideas?
i_r_

swatkins · Mar 26, 2018

No need to paint the inside or insulate it.. It will have a coating of meat fat and smoke soon enough..

When that gets too thick burn it out or scrape and clean it...

Paint the outside with hi temp Bbq or engine paint or form a covering out of metal so that there is an air space between the tank and outer cover.

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Larry Dickman · Mar 26, 2018

Asbestos?

J Gilles · Mar 26, 2018

swatkins said:
No need to paint the inside or insulate it.. It will have a coating of meat fat and smoke soon enough..

When that gets too thick burn it out or scrape and clean it...

Paint the outside with hi temp Bbq or engine paint or form a covering out of metal so that there is an air space between the tank and outer cover.

Swatkins has the right idea here. I built one last summer out of a 325 gallon tank and used the high temp paint. It is holding up well, but it is kept under an overhang. It takes while to get up to temp, but it will hold pretty steady. I feel like the biggest thing to focus on is keeping the gaps as small as possible and tuning the insides to make the most of the hot air.

Comatose · Mar 26, 2018

If you really do need to insulate it calcium silicate looks pretty harmless.

Effects of the inhalation of dusts from calcium silicate insulation materials in laboratory rats. - PubMed - NCBI

gmoushon · Mar 26, 2018

Depends on how involved you want to get.

I built one with a double side-wall that has rock wool insulation between the layers of steel. Takes a small amount of fire to heat it and it holds the heat very well. You can lay your hand on the outside when its at temp.

gm

Bob-J-H · Mar 26, 2018

You can always used fire clay. Bob

MichaelP · Mar 26, 2018

Shuttle insulation tiles are pretty good.

Rob F. · Mar 26, 2018

A buddy of did a pizza oven kit and it came with kaowool or similar to cover the "igloo" with. It does an amazing job of holding in the heat. gmoushon idea or rockwool is probably just as good. Use less wood and keep most of the heat inside. It would need to be contained though, eithe in between two layers of metal or you could line the inside with it and then fireclay over that, like relining a forge or kiln.

Steven-Canada · Mar 26, 2018

MichaelP said:
Shuttle insulation tiles are pretty good.

Apparently not.

gbent · Mar 26, 2018

Shuttle tiles are very good insulation. The problem is they are fragile.

bhigdog · Mar 26, 2018

Paint the exterior with flat black hi temp stove paint. Works very well and lasts a long time. Besides that on a smoking bomb the look would be titties and beer....Bob

metalmagpie · Mar 26, 2018

Umm - heat rises, right? How are you going to get the smoke coming out the bottom?

adama · Mar 27, 2018

gbent said:
Shuttle tiles are very good insulation. The problem is they are fragile.

Yeah well just don't throw the sponge at them when you wash the thing and you should be fine.

jmead · Mar 27, 2018

i_r_machinist said:
Started a new project this weekend. I have a 250 gallon propane tank that I'm going to make into a smoker/bbq pit. I filled it full of water and cut a window into it on Saterday. I'm going to put a tail section on it so that it looks like a big bomb. I'm going to build a trailer so that I can stand the thing vertical and have the smoke come out the tail. Is there a material that I can insulate the id with to keep from burning the paint off without killing everyone that eats out of the thing? The walls are 1/4" thick.
Any ideas?
i_r_

Does the propane stink burn off in the first fire?

DDoug · Mar 27, 2018

metalmagpie said:
Umm - heat rises, right? How are you going to get the smoke coming out the bottom?

There are several top loading wood and coal stoves out there.

Steven-Canada · Mar 27, 2018

jmead said:
Does the propane stink burn off in the first fire?

Bleach will kill the odorant

kenton · Mar 27, 2018

metalmagpie said:
Umm - heat rises, right? How are you going to get the smoke coming out the bottom?

In my mind the tail section is up as if it was dropped from a plane, so the smoke would be rising. I might have misunderstood though.

i_r_machinist · Mar 28, 2018

The tank hasn't had fuel it it for 30 years that I know of. No odor, but I will have a big mesquite fire in it to purge it. I've done it before. I'm going to build a trailer that I can stand it vertical like it was dropped, with the smoke comming out the tail. I'll build an insulated fire box for the nose. I wanted it insulated because I'm a fan of ww2 bomber nose art and was thinking about putting some on it. Just didn't want it to burn off. Already started the SolidWorks files.
Yeah, I've got too much time on my hands
have fun
i_r_

DDoug · Mar 28, 2018

i_r_machinist said:
The tank hasn't had fuel it it for 30 years that I know of. No odor, but I will have a big mesquite fire in it to purge it. I've done it before. I'm going to build a trailer that I can stand it vertical like it was dropped, with the smoke comming out the tail. I'll build an insulated fire box for the nose. I wanted it insulated because I'm a fan of ww2 bomber nose art and was thinking about putting some on it. Just didn't want it to burn off. Already started the SolidWorks files.
Yeah, I've got too much time on my hands
have fun
i_r_
View attachment 224362

Gonna label it "Fat Man" ?
Fat Man - Wikipedia

Or maybe "Fat Bastard"
Fat Bastard (character) - Wikipedia

ot: Insulating material for inside of a smoker/bbq pit?

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