Got access to a sandblaster? Hit it with a pass and follow-up with some high-heat spray paint.
I do actually. A portable one at that.
Pump it full of steam before using anything that can produce a spark. I'm assuming it's already depressurized and the valve is unscrewed. I used a clothing steamer and let it fill for a while before I took an angle grinder and welder to an old gasoline transfer tank.
The end caps have already been cut off, that's how I got it.
So it's a tube now, and not an enclosed tank with small valve opening?
Correct. About 24 inch diameter, 6ft long.
I studied petrol engineering, that does not, by any means, make me an expert. Propane tanks typically have a type of plastic based liner that is fused to the metal. I am not very sure how easy it is to remove that, as it has to be physically removed. Maybe after removing as much as you can, burn the hell out of the tank with several rounds of wood chips, or maybe coal. Something that gets it hot AF. I really don't know the chemical composition of the types of plastics that are used. It may not be necessary to remove the liner at all.
As for left over petroleum, degreasers are all you need. Dawn dish soap and oven degreaser work fine.
I know that tanks can be repurposed as a smoker or grill, I just have never looked much into it.
There doesn't appear to be a liner inside. I'll be sure to use some oven cleaner and a pressure washer before I cook anything in it. Thank you.
Buy an egg genius or something like that for the smoker once your done. Itll turn your can into a smart smoking rig, which is way way worth it. Without it, you have to watch your smoker like a hawk or youll end up with dry, raw, or ruined meat. I can give you some bullet points ive figured out over the last 5 years of smoking with one if you or anyone is having issues or sees some room for improvement.
It's an airflow control? I had never heard of it until now. I'm always looking for tips, I've been smoking for a while now, but I still have to say, "we're having pizza for dinner" every now and then.
Thats exactly what it is, it pumps air in to the coals based on the temp reading from a thermometer you clip inside pit.
Since you're using a propane tank, get a big roasting pan and rack, grind or cut down the edges so it will fit in the tank. Keep the bottom of that pan full of water because a propane tank is going to give you direct heat, even if your at 205 degrees the bottom will dry out even if you put in a ceramic heat dissipater. If you just put meat over coals, the bottom half of your meat is going to be dry every time no matter how low your temp is on a long cook.
The only way youre going to get smoke out of propane tank smoker without burning the meat is to use a very small amount of charcoal mixed with whatever wood you want for the first 8 hours of your smoke. That small amount of fuel is going to have to burn hotter to keep the pit at temperature giving you smoke. If you fill up your tank with fuel, its going to get 205-250 without actually creating much smoke at all. It took me forever to figure this out. My meat was coming out really really good, but I couldnt get much bark or a red smoke ring until I discovered that by accident.
Setting the meat out at room temp for 3 or 4 hours before you cook is critical, it evens out the temperature of the meat and makes a huge difference at the end.
A dry brine the night before is good too, but I dont think it makes as big a difference as a lot of people say, I do it if I have time and there is room in the fridge because it makes the raw meat look awesome.
And finally most online recommendations for what temp to pull the meat are about 10 degrees too high, Ive seen a noticeable difference pulling meat at a lower temp wrapping in foil, then a couple towels, then in a cooler for at least 2 hours. That last two hours evens the temperature of the meat out without drying it out at the point where most people lose all their moisture. Compared to 195 on a brisket and a 30 minute rest is just a lot dryer, plus once you get over 190 the temp of the meat starts going up really really fast, so if you lose focus towards the end you can really screw it up. This is really only for bigger cuts like pork shoulder/belly or brisket.
Good luck man, a lot of people dont take this shit seriously but I feel like cooking meat perfectly honors the animal, they died for this shit you owe them a good cook.
Pretty good information, thanks man. I will definitely keep this in mind next time I cook.
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