Barbecue Roaster Built Out Of 250-Gal

Barbecue Roaster Built Out Of 250-Gal DAIRY EQUIPMENT & IDEAS Dairy Equipment & Ideas 18-5-38 Stainless steel bulk milk tanks make nifty corrosion-proof barbecue pits, says machine and welding shop operator Bud Etzler, Motley, Minn.. who modified a discarded 250-gal. bulk milk cooler and mounted it on a set of wheels. Etzler first disassembled the cooler and took out all the refrigeration equipment. Then he put the tank back in the outside housing, leaving all the insulation around the tank in place. He cut two holes in one end of the tank where he inserted a pair of trays made out of 12-ga. metal to hold charcoal. The long trays, which extend the length of the tank, slip in and out easily for adding more charcoal. He made cooking grates inside the tank using stainless steel expanded metal held in place by stainless steel angle iron. He installed a formica table top on the front end of the tank and built a catwalk around the tank for easy access. The cooker mounts on a trailer he built using the rear axle off a front-wheel drive Buick car. He built a frame out of 3-in. channel iron. He added a 9-in. piece between the wheels to space them out far enough so the tank would fit between the wheels, which he took off a Pontiac Grand Am. Etzler has cooked as many as ten 20-lb. turkeys using only two bags of charcoal, due to the energy-saving qualities of the insulated cooker. Total cost to build the portable unit was about $750. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bud Etzler, Motley, Minn. 56462 (ph 218 688-6612).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.