- 1). Drill four 1-inch holes evenly spaced along the circumference of the barrel at approximately 3 inches up from the bottom of the barrel.
- 2). Load the barrel with as much wood as you can and set it on fire. Keep the fire blazing long enough to burn off any remaining inner lining or contaminants that may be in the barrel.
- 3). Prepare the charcoal basket by rolling the expanded metal sheet into a cylinder 18 inches tall with the short ends of the sheet overlapping, giving the cylinder a diameter of 14 1/2 inches. Secure the sheet in this form by placing one 1-inch bolt 3 inches from each end of the cylinder, within the overlapped portion. Place the two remaining 1-inch bolts around the circumference of the cylinder, equidistant to the initial bolt 3 inches from the bottom of the cylinder. Rest the charcoal grate upon the 1-inch bolt ring toward the bottom of the cylinder, ensuring the grate is level and secure.
- 4). Install the thermometer by drilling a 1/4-inch hole into the side of the barrel just above the level of the grill grate bolts, inserting the thermometer from the outside of the barrel and securing it in place with a nut. Positioning the thermometer here will ensure accurate temperature readings.
- 5). Drill a hole in the barrel approximately 2 feet from the bottom, using the 1/2-inch drill bit. Drill two additional holes at the same level around the circumference of the barrel, equidistant from the first. Install a 2 1/2-inch bolt into each hole and secure into place with a nut on each. Rest the grill grate upon the 2 1/2-inch bolt ring, checking that it is level and secure.
- 6). Install the pull handle to the center of the barrel lid, securing it into place with the screws and nuts. Holding the lid in place with the newly attached handle, drill eight 1/2-inch holes into the lid of the barrel for ventilation.
- 7). Position a magnet over each of the 1-inch holes at the bottom of the barrel, adjusting the amount of holes covered will control air intake and in turn, the burn rate and temperature of the smoker.
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