Widely regarded as among the most influential pitmasters in the U.S., Aaron Franklin’s latest endeavor is producing the ultimate backyard smoker in his Austin-based welding shop, under the nameplate Franklin Barbecue Pits. The first in his forthcoming line of prosumer BBQ equipment is a big boy smoker. Weighing in at 550 pounds it boasts a grill surface that’s 19 by 36 inches, a double-walled firebox, a 5/16-inch-thick cook chamber big enough to fit three briskets, a removable smokestack, a water pan shelf, and the whole rig rolls on industrial 5-inch casters.