Hi all, total noob to all things bbq/smoking other than eating the results. My only experience so far is primarily in sitting around drinking beer with my brother in law while he's smoking in his horiz offset smoker. Been sort of wanting to start doing it myself, I found the BPS drum kit and I think I'm in love. It combines my love of cooking and eating meat, preferably with fire, and my love of DIY projects, all while taking into account my complete lack of engineering skills but a near-superhuman ability to successfully follow written instructions and assemble flat-pack furniture.
So anyway, enough self deprecation. I found a place in the Dallas area where (hopefully) I can get a used barrel for $17. Has anyone used Texas Barrel Supply before? Good? Bad? I've got an email out to them trying to confirm price and availability, haven't heard back yet. Anywhere else around here I should be looking?
Assuming I get the barrel, my understanding from poking around on these forums for the last few days is that sandblasting inside/outside the barrel is sufficient instead of the "high temperature pre-burn" recommended on the website. Is that correct? I'm in a residential neighborhood, unfortunately no access to any sort of unincorporated/unregulated land (yet!). I'm not sure the local constabulary would look too kindly on me starting and maintaining a large, uncovered barrel fire. Pretty sure we're under a burn ban anyway, hooray for extended drought conditions!
So if sandblasting alone is indeed sufficient, can anyone recommend somewhere in the northern Dallas area (preferably Collin county, Allen/McKinney/Frisco/etc) that can sandblast it for me? I've called a couple places, sent out some emails, filled out some request forms, so far the lowest quote is $50, which seems a bit higher than what others have mentioned. Combined with the kit, barrel, maybe some casters or a drum dolly, high temp paint, and whatever other random accessories I can come up with, that's climbing up dangerously close to "screw it, I'll just buy a Weber and be done with it" territory.
Thanks in advance for any help.
So anyway, enough self deprecation. I found a place in the Dallas area where (hopefully) I can get a used barrel for $17. Has anyone used Texas Barrel Supply before? Good? Bad? I've got an email out to them trying to confirm price and availability, haven't heard back yet. Anywhere else around here I should be looking?
Assuming I get the barrel, my understanding from poking around on these forums for the last few days is that sandblasting inside/outside the barrel is sufficient instead of the "high temperature pre-burn" recommended on the website. Is that correct? I'm in a residential neighborhood, unfortunately no access to any sort of unincorporated/unregulated land (yet!). I'm not sure the local constabulary would look too kindly on me starting and maintaining a large, uncovered barrel fire. Pretty sure we're under a burn ban anyway, hooray for extended drought conditions!
So if sandblasting alone is indeed sufficient, can anyone recommend somewhere in the northern Dallas area (preferably Collin county, Allen/McKinney/Frisco/etc) that can sandblast it for me? I've called a couple places, sent out some emails, filled out some request forms, so far the lowest quote is $50, which seems a bit higher than what others have mentioned. Combined with the kit, barrel, maybe some casters or a drum dolly, high temp paint, and whatever other random accessories I can come up with, that's climbing up dangerously close to "screw it, I'll just buy a Weber and be done with it" territory.
Thanks in advance for any help.