Ok I can admit it.. I have smoker envy!! That is a beast of a pit , Sir..!! Love the huge burn box love the huge stack and collector and love the grates.!! This would fit so perfectly on my deck!!! Haha. Dude.. that is a super nice rig you got there!!!
Great video and killer smoker! Try pulling your fire back closer to the firebox door and it may help that high temp issue you’re having. Keep the videos coming!
Awesome brah!!!..I've been working on my own 250 gallon smoker and have times asked myself if it was an overkill....but after watching your vid you have definitely encouraged me to continue with my build!!...keep smoking and keep making vids bro 👍
If you don't use the top grates often, I suggest removing them, cleaning them thoroughly, oiling them and storing them. Keep them close in case you need them for something unplanned, but this will preserve them somewhat in case one starts to warp or rust.
It is perfectly okay to spray your cooker with any vegetable oils in a spray bottle all over and run a fire up to 300 degrees or better just to keep your smoker well oiled and seasoned. Once rust sets in your grates ?? It’s way no bueno. Wire brush it prior your dummy cook
Thanks for the tip! My grates never rust. I treat it like a cast iron skillet. The outside of the smoker however, I don't care too much if it rusts. Easily fixable when I want them off.
I build. I'm not building a smoker for the backyard. It's not "My" backyard. If you know what I mean. I just might have unwanted company. I like the set up though! Perfect.
I think so. I can tell the difference in the smoke flavor on my brisket with the 250 vs OC Pecos. Less smoke flavor on the 250 probably because how much greater and efficient the draft is compared to the Pecos, so fire burns cleaner. But you can also play around with your smoker/fire if you want more/less smoke. Thanks for taking the time!
I don't use the log rack setup any longer. I did however talked about it on this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0lnqsBR9rrU.html at minute 5:35
That thing is a beaut! It was cool to watch the biscuit test in tandem with you walking around the smoker and temping it. Great to see you upload again, brother 🙏
Fiks that big phil smoker is the truth brother! Such a highly functional work of art. And I can tell you love the craft of bbq. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your pictures and your time with us! PEACE!!
Fiksue, I have a 250gallon smooker very similar to yours but it's uninsulated and i am burning a lot of wood,I am thinking about wrapping outside with insulation, any ideas ?
Hey brother. Awesome contents you have. Question, where do you place your smoker in order to prevent it from rusting? I used to put a cover on my smoker after it cools off from my cooks, but after awhile it becomes a hassle to do it every single time . Thanks.
It's just outside in the backyard. Used to cover it too, but you're right it becomes too much of a hassle to do. Rust is inevitable on metal. All you can do is scrub it and put oil to periodically remove them.
So close to 1k subs! Always a great watch, great job fik! Our 288 is almost done being built by Harper, you definitely convinced me that a 250 is the perfect size. -Justified BBQ/Nick
Loved the video. Love seeing how different people run their offsets. Do you think elevating the fire makes the top grate unusable, and the proximity of the fire to the bottom grates makes the 1st third of the bottom grate too hot also? Just asking of course, not criticism. If you ran the fire closer to the firebox door and cooked on the bottom if the firebox, do u think that would help lower the top grate temp and give you more usable grate space?
I didn't use the coal rack in the beginning, just the bottom of the barrel. Pretty much the same results as far as the temps on the top grates and bottom near the firebox. The main difference with this setup is it prevents the ashes from being pulled into the cook chamber by the draft. I hate it when it gets on my protein lol. Don't get me wrong, those hot spots that burned the biscuits are still usable for searing. Great even. Just not on what I cook the most, which is brisket. Thanks for stopping by!
I'm a welder ,damn bro nice unit no question who ever did that . But there is nothing u can do about oxygen moisture and time that equates to rust invest in a hole lot of wd40 or any good oil spray
You can do 225° for the bottom rack temp next to the fire. Which will put your top rack at 275°. Then rotate briskets every hour or two. Bottom front next to the fire moves to the top rack farthest back and away from the fire. And the top back moves to the bottom front closest to the fire (swap). Then, top front next to the fire moves to the bottom back farthest away from the fire. And bottom back moves to top front closest to the fire (swap). Next movement..... Bottom front next to fire moves to 2nd from back on the top. And 2nd from back on the top moves to bottom front next to fire (swap). Then the top front closest to the fire gets swapped with the 2nd from the back bottom farthest from the fire. Finally the bottom front next to fire moves to 3rd from back on the top. And 3rd from back on the top moves to bottom front next to fire (swap). Then the top front closest to the fire gets swapped with the 3rd from the back bottom farthest from the fire.
That's a lot movement haha. I try not have anything on top of my brisket when I'm cooking because any drippings falling down will mess with my bark formation. I also rotate my briskets only after wrapping for the same reason. Thanks for dropping in!
@@fikscue when I build them they are raw I heat them up and then with a 2 gallon pump sprayer hose them down when they around 450degrees and it immediately hits the smoke point and turns to a cast iron like seasoning and each time from there on I cook on mine (about 1 time a week) I save all my drippings(I have drains in mine that drain the drippings into metal bucket. I will wipe it down with a rag of the drippings while things are cooking to build up the seasonings further and after a couple times of doing that they take the seasoning and won’t rush for longer periods of time between seasonings
@@draco2202 That's awesome! Thanks for the tip. I sometimes use tallow since I make a lot of them, but find that regular canola oil sprays work just as good and less messy.
Awesome pit bro. Just a question. Why are the temp gauges on the seams and not fixed to the middle of the doors?i see some do doors and others fix them on the cooking chamber seams. Is there a difference here for better results?
I think it’s the pit builder’s preference. Although by putting them on doors it has a chance of being slammed and can mess with the calibration. I like it not being on doors so it can still measure the internal pit temp when doors are open. Thanks for watching Neelan!
great video brother, love it. Got a 250 comin in August and cant wait to take my game to a new level. Right now I use a vertical and horizontal pellet smoker for my pop up and catering.
@@lawrencegarcia1370 Thank you! If you're asking why I didn't go for a 288 it's because it wasn't widely offered by builders as the 250 gallons. Who built your 288?
Pro tip: Drill a hole, or two, at the bottom of the smoking chamber and hang a bucket for the grease to drain in. Get more cooks out of it in between maintenance.
Thank you! This 250 has a 1" drain with a ball valve near the stack side. I always keep it open and have some kind of container underneath to catch all the drippings. What you see on the bottom of the chamber is the remaining and only a tiny fraction of what drained out.
This is awesome. Thank you for all the tips and info on this smoker. I went to see Phil last week and he told me about your smoker. I’m in the hunt for mine next year. Also my wife loves the song in the background. What is the name of the song. Thanks again and continue to make dope Vids. Much success to you.
Love the insulated firebox. Definitely worth it. Retains heat longer and saves on wood consumption. As for smoke flavor, I'd say firebox insulation plays a very minimal (if any) roll on it. The way your smoker draws would be the big factor on that one. Thanks for taking the time, Marcello!
Haha looks can be deceiving. These wheels are super strong and sturdy. Yes, not easy to move the smoker around due to its weight, but I don't need it to be.
Great update , I've always wondered why they never build the lower rack to pull out ? Seems you would be able to utilize the upper racks and lower easier.
There's some builders that do pullout bottom racks, like Backline Smokers. You can, however, render the middle part between doors unusable and lose cooking space there.
Howdy sir,it's been awhile. Your 250 is looking great. I received my Lonestargrillz large Insulated Vertical Smoker last spring and love it. Wasn't able to do catering like I wanted last year but this year is already looking great. Anyway, back to the question of the day. Is a 250 to large for a backyarder cook? I feel that is a definite yes. Let me explain my thinking. My IVS can cook depending on the size of the briskets between 12 and 16 briskets at one time. Wonderful for catering even some restaurants but entirely ridiculous for a home cook. I understand how much easier it to use vs the Pecos. I have one myself. However a person can get a really nice quality Smoker from say Lonestargrillz, Yoder,etc that is big enough to still do a couple of briskets and a pork shoulder and throw in some racks of ribs for far less then you spent on that wonderful 250. Definitely less then my IVS. You and I have gone up a level or two since the Pecos. It's not for family and friends. It's what we need to take care of our customers. That all said I'm considering building a 250 or a 500 gal Smoker this winter because as wonderful that my IVS is,I believe by midway through summer I will be running into a capacity problem again and I want to stay ahead of the problem. So good luck and stay safe. Have a great day 🌤 👍🔥😃
Hi Victor, good to hear from you! I guess I forgot to mention about the pricing aspect of the 250. They are about double than what it was just a year ago. I definitely would be looking into other alternatives like a Lonestar if I were looking for a pit right now. I'm sure Lonestar have increased their prices too, but these custom pit builders are in such a high demand that they can charge exorbitant prices. Pricing aside, I feel that this 250 is not too big for the backyard because it's fuel efficient enough for doing small cooks but have that extra capacity if you are cooking for a big party. Now I've seen people with a 500 or even a 1000 gallon on their backyards, but I'm not sure what they're using them for. 250 is where I draw the line haha. Hey, did you ever get an instagram account? If you do, hit me up there @fikscue. Easier to connect. 🍻
Do you get good smoke flavor? Heard one guy say they draft so well that you don't really get good smoke flavor. Your thoughts? Also, when you're doing your catering do you get it ready the night before and reheat?
I think I was the one who mentioned not getting as much smoke flavor on this 250 compared to my Pecos haha. There are ways to impart more smoke on your meat, such as playing with your dampers and choosing a different wood type. But yeah, I do get a great smoke flavor on the 250. I take a great draft over more smoke flavor any day. As a comparison, my Pecos would get more smoke but the meat doesn't cook as well because of the draft situation. No reheat for catering. Brisket comes off long rest as we're cooking other proteins and sides. We pack everything fresh and hot.
@@fikscue I really have not clue. It's an old oil drum 36 diameter x 5ft long. These calculators online are confusing, but its bigger than my 125 gallon fish tank. LOL. I'm thinking 150-200. What I have been doing is looking at everyone's smokers online and adding features that I like to mine, lol. I have another channel I'll post the video too when it's done.
I want a 250 for my backyard to be able to cook all my meats plus sides like mac and cheese, beans, etc all in the same cooker, thank you fr posting this.
Love the smoker...you wanna add a reflector plate where your firebox hole comes through...it will block some of that heat on that end and keep that end from running so hot and it'll burn within 2 -4 degrees difference all the way across bottom and top
Thank you! I tried that and didn't like the results. The plate only pushed the hotspot more inward toward the stack lessening the even temps area on the bottom grate. As for the top grates, they're always going to be hotter no matter what since heat rises up, and I'm ok with that. I can always use the hot spots to my advantage.
You have an amazing offset smoker! I love The Rustic look that you have in my offset smoker I just did the basic high heat proof black color. May I share a secret that I felt that works with cleanup I aligned aluminum foil pans in the bottom so it can get all the grease fat from the cook. Plus the closer to the Firebox you can add water to the pans and it will add moisture and you won't have to Spritz this much. Try it out I'm sure you will find out the benefits of that let me know
Thanks James! How big is your offset? When mine is filled with briskets it's about 30 inches wide, so foil pans might just be too small. As far as the water pans, I put it there for brisket cooks. They do add moisture to the chamber. Appreciate you spending the time man
@@fikscue of course mine is not as long and as wide as yours mine almost 4 ft in length and about 24in in diameter at the widest but I'm sure you can find a very large Square aluminum foil pan they sell here at my local Dollar Tree store. The reason why use those out because they can be disposable and just lay them out and let them pictures Falls they can because most of the dripping is going to be near the center anyway. But I will this summer have somebody to weld a baffle plate inside the smoker Saudi initial heat from the fire box won't be so intensive
@@fikscue I'm not in the catering business like you but my Offset Smoker is over 10 years old and as you know doing each year you learn something different about your smoker and what you would have done to it or what you would do. I think I want to get an upgrade and get me or have me built-in reverse flow smoker so I can add warmer boxes to it I think that'll be my next step I wish I could send pictures on here so I can show you my smoker and what I mean about the aluminum pan drip pans
Something thats odd with the grids. Why isnt there a U shaped profile for the topgrids, to have safe slideouts with no risk of tipping over? Why isnt the first floor grids extendable? Then you would be able to reach everything. A designflaw.
The top racks have latches in the back bottom of it that holds the rails and prevents tipping when pulled out. As for the bottom racks, it's not a pullout like the top in order to maximize the space.
@@fikscue ok..that solved my top rack question 👍 But still..the lower racks would not be physical smaller if they had a pull out function. Its also the place that really needs a pullout, due to the width and top racks positioning.
@@hunkenpunken Having a bottom pullout rack means it has to be built higher than it is now to accommodate the tracks, which translates to even shorter top clearance.
@@hunkenpunken You’ll give up an inch to have bottom sliding racks along with the in between space you’ll be giving up by having 2 doors. Most folks don’t load bottom & top racks but here & there due to the temp difference & rotation requirements. Most of these bigger pits only run drop in main grates 👍
Thank you Joshua! I used to put a blocking log but not anymore. I found that the point on my brisket closest to the log heats up quicker. Tried moving the logs around but never really liked the results. I think I'm better off without it. I always use a water pan whenever I'm cooking brisket. I have a perfect spot to rest my water pan just above the end of the firebox inside the chamber on top of the exchange. I don't use water pan when cooking other proteins.
@@joshuaweber1172 Probably not. They're where they're supposed to be. Now I hardly use the Tel-Trus only because I'd rather rely on the digital thermometers so I can be inside preparing other things, but I look at them once in a while just for comparison sake.
I've had this size smoker for almost 30 years. You do not scrape off the soot. It is flavoring After a good year of use. Maybe 25 -30 cooks of broakets and ribs, you can burn off the grease. Othrsise every 2 years. But do not scrape it. If you want to season outside to keep away rust, use oil used cooking oil. It will cover well and is free