By Joel Marc Korczynski
 | Start with a metal NON-GALVINIZED trash can. The largest one with a lid that you can find. |
| If you start with a galvanized can, just burn the h--- out of it empty before your first meal. |
| You need (8) 8 inch NON-GALVINIZED tubes just a few inches shorter that the inside height of the trash can. Four tubes are for your charcoal tubes and Two tubes are for your potato tubes. |
| First, around the bottom side of the trash can about 4 inches up the side punch or drill 4 rows of 1/4 inch holes all the way around the can. This allows air flow for combustion. |
| Take all 8 of the tubes and cut slits lengthwise of each tube at one end 2 1/2 inches. Then bend those strips over the open end of the tube to close the end of the tube. |
| Drill one hole through the strips in the center of the tube 1/8 inch in diameter and rivet the slits together. Again, this closes one end of each tube. (If you come up with another way o close the one end of the tube great) |
| Similar to the can, at the closed end of each tube, about 4 inches up the side punch or drill 4 rows of 1/4 inch holes all the way around each tube. Once this is done, all six tubes have one open end and one closed end with holes all the way around the bottom side of the closed end. |
| Take your can and attach 4 of the tubes you made with the closed end down into the can. Position them so they are 90 degrees apart form each other. Attach them to the side of the can with a bolt and a wing nut, (a drill is needed again) position the wing nut on the outside of the can so they can be easily removed. |
| Position the tubes so that they are a few inches from the top and bottom of the trash can's side. At this point, your can is vented and you have 4 removable charcoal tubes in place inside the can. |
| Take the last 4 tubes (for the potatoes) and attach each one in the can using the same method and arrange them in between the other 4 tubes. Now you have 8 tubes all attached to the inside of the can. 4 are for charcoal and 4 are for potatoes. |
| Make a sturdy tripod to hang your turkey from. You also need a NON-GALVINIZED rod to attach to the tripod and hold the turkey. You will need to fix it for length making sure that the bottom of the rod is no lower that the air holes in the charcoal tubes. |
| It is possible to do 2 turkeys or hams at once. |
| Take your can lid and slit it from the rim to the center to allow closing the can with the rod holding the turkey in place. We made a flap with a hinge (to keep the heat in the can) to cover the silt in the lid once it was in place. |
| Now the fun part, you need to start a pile of charcoal. Once they are lit well, put 8 pieces of LIT charcoal in each 4 of the tubes, no more, no less. Looking at the can as if it were a compass, the lit charcoal goes in the North, South, East and West tubes. |
| Then fill those tubes with unlit charcoal to the top. Fill the tubes in the North East, South East, South West and North West positions with good size potatoes. |
| Put a foil drip pan in the bottom of the can to keep your can clean. Hang you ham(s) or turkey(s) on your tripod in the can put on the lid and in 2-3 hours you will have a fantastic meal. It works even in the snow, I have done it. |
I CANNOT take credit for this idea. I saw this at Scoutmastership Fundamentals in the York Adams Area Council. The credit goes to one of those gentlemen. I have been told by a few that this can't work, I know better. The same people also told me you can't cook a pizza in a cardboard box either. We do that several times a year, they just don't know what there missing. If I missed something or you need clarification on something, just email me. I will be glad to help.
Joel Marc Korczynski Scoutmaster, Troop 28 Red Lion Pennsylvania Brotherhood Member Order Of The Arrow, I used to be an Owl, A good ole Owl too, NE IV 141
Ralph V. Balfoort writes: Three tubes work just fine; had a turkey done in just 2-1/2 hours a couple of weeks ago in a 3-tube can. Just note that briquettes work better than real charcoal as they burn cooler and more consistently; they just produce a lot more ash.
