Welcome aboard, glad to have you. If you'll put your general location in the header you might be surprised how many of the IFI gang live within visiting distance. Have a picture of this thing? I've found a double barrel retort to be virtually smoke free once it's warmed up. You ARE using the pyrolization gasses from the inner barrel to provide the heat. Yes? The 55 gl. drum needs to have a closable end with a draw and a stack. The inner or "retort" barrel has a sealable end with ONE 2" floor flange in the end, very near the barrel side, 1 ea. 2" 90* street elbow in the floor flange and one 2" x 2-3" nipple. The end of this nipple stops directly in front of the air draft of the 55 gl. drum. You packed the 33 gl barrel with wood, cut to length and split. clamped the lid on the barrel and inserted in the 55gl drum. The barrel rests on a couple 3-4 flat bars to keep it from laying flat on the drum's bottom but nothing fancy. Don't make me tell you the plumbing in the barrel is at the bottom! Now just pack small wood around the barrel in the drum, close the drum lid and light it up. As soon as the wood begins to pyrolize it will release flammable gasses which will exit the 33gl. barrel directly in front of the combustion air intake (draft or draw) and will burn. The pyrolization gasses will provide ALL the heat necessary to make your charcoal and when the flame turns completely transparent close the draft, and plug the stack so NO oxy can get in till it's cooled off. This is the self sustaining indirect method and about as efficient as a home made retort gets. Frosty The Lucky.