1	The Bada Bing Smoker The Birth of a Smoker
2	The Parts The parts begin as 3/16ths” steel. The smoker tube is rolled to the desired diameter. The Bada Bing was going to be an 8’ by 30” smoker. The warmer box pieces are then welded together as are the pieces for the charcoal grill and the fire box.
3	Building the Trailer The trailer is built to accommodate size of the ordered smoker. It is completely fabricated on site with the exception of the axles. Bada Bing started as a 5’ wide by 15’ long bed. The finished trailer is about 18’ long.
4	The Reverse Flow Design Ed’s design is technically a reverse flow unit. A plate is welded along the length of the tube and is connected to the fire box by a 4” opening at the back of the tube. The heated air travels forward under the plate where a 4” opening allows the flow to come back across the upper cooking chamber and exit the stove pipe at the back of the tube. The small opening below the stove pipe allows heated air to enter the warmer box.
5	The Benefits of Reverse Flow One of the main benefits of the reverse flow design is eliminating the need to turn the meat over during cooking. The steel base plate provides radiant cooking below the meat and convection cooking over the meat. The drippings from the cooking meat evaporate when they fall to the heated plate. There is a drain tube at the front of the tube for excess drippings and for cleaning.
6	Pre-assembly The last piece to be welded onto the fire box is the propane wood igniter. The entire unit is assembled and the smoker is tack welded to the trailer for final alignment of all the parts.
7	The Crew Ed’s main crew are two guys who really know their stuff. John is “Mr. Steel” and a true perfectionist. He had lots of tips for me on how to properly use the cooker. Larry, “Mr. Smiles,” is the all-around guy who helps with any job that is needed.
8	Ed Ortone, the Boss Ed is the driving force behind “Cookers & Grills.” A New York Italian who “loves to build things,” he describes his creations as a “labor of love.” And one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet.
9	The “Lunch” Some prospective buyers stopped by to taste some of Ed’s cooking. He smoked 4 racks of ribs, 3 chickens and 2 corn beef and a partridge in a pear tree. Everyone went nuts over the food. I asked Ed for his recipes for the rubs and sauces he developed. He said he would give them to me but then he would have to kill me!
10	The Painting process- step 1 The next step is to separate the smoker from the trailer for painting. The tack welds are cut, the smoker is lifted off the trailer which is then pulled out from under the smoker.
11	The Painting process- step 2 Ed then sprays on a primer coat and then follows that with a high grade urethane paint. We decided on “Viper Red” for the trailer because, according to Ed, “it really looks sharp!”
12	The Painting process- step 3 Ed then applies a coat of high temperature paint to the smoker and warmer/fire box. Larry bolts on the fenders and John preps the cradles for welding.
13	The Final Assembly-1 The trailer is slid under the smoker and aligned exactly in position. John makes the final welds joining the smoker to the trailer.
14	The Final Assembly-2 Ed adds some of the final touches such as the hog on the warmer box and charcoal grill. Ed then installs the wiring for the running lights.
15	Ready to Roll Finally, the time comes to head back to California with the new Bada Bing Smoker. Only 2,861 more miles to drive!
16	Special Thanks I cannot thank Ed and his wife Mary and his crew, John and Larry, for creating a functional work of art for my retirement hobby of bringing true smoked BBQ to California. Thanks also to his guard rooster for keeping an eye on all of us. Dick Panzica Bada Bing BBQ Penn Valley, CA December, 2005