Concrete block hog cooker....

So in my last post I mentioned that I was jonsin to roast a whole hog.  This hasn't changed a bit.  I have done quite a bit of additional research, I have come up with my own design for a cooker....and here it is:

So the whole thing is made of stacked concrete blocks with a plate of steel in the middle and then a sheet of expanded steel for the grate supported by additional rebar.  The whole thing is topped with a piece of hardwood ply with a hinge which is then layered with insulation and boxed off.

This design uses a popular smoker aspect called reverse flow.  In this design, the smoke and heat are forced through the entire length of the smoker under a steel plate before being retuned through the cooking area and vented back by the fire box.  If I do say so myself, this is the king of all backyard  hog cookers. 

This design will allow for amazing heat control and balnced heat throughout the entire length of the cooker.  Once brought up to 225 degrees, it would take very little to keep it at that temperature....I am very excited.  I could easily cook a 100 lb hog in this with precision control with easy access to the pig and the heat source.

Unfortunately, I am finding it difficult to find the materials at cheaper prices than I would like.  Cinder blocks seem to be easy to come by, but the expnaded metal and steel sheet are not so much.  I will continue exploring this and update you folks as I go along....if for some reason you have this stuf laying around....uhhhmm....lemme know. 

It's still shitty temps here in the NE, but I am having vivid dreams of warm weather and hickory smoke in the air.... 

Already in BBQ mode

So I am already in heightened BBQ mode.  Getting to go down to Florida for the holidays and seeing BBQ joints everywhere started it all.  Then I was so wonderfully surprised with a cooking class in New ORleans of all places.  When I returned on the day beore Christmas Eve, I miiediately felt the need to wip up something with a roux base.  I decided to make mini crawfish pies as an experiment to use as an additional appetizer for this years BBQ.  They came out great, and although I over buttered the pyloo dough (can you even do that?), I loved them. 

I have also began looking at super sized custom smokers.  This is a big change form the gas fired GOSM that I use, but I feel like it's the next level of competency that I need to conquer.  While looking at different smoker builds (because they really do come in all sizes), I also founs something called a cajun microwave. 

The cajun microwave is basically a wood box that is used to cook a whole pig.  Between me and my very talented brother, I caould definitely build one of these.  Therefore, it is only logical to have the desire to cook a whole pig (like 80 lbs) this year.

SO I write this in the desire that you will all see that I am totally crazy, but good food will follow.  I would post more pics about what is in my mind right now, but I am exhauseted after a long holiday season.  More to come in the next week.