As long as you don't get the beans above the frank, you should be okay.
My step dad used to have a ham and beans kegger a couple times a year when I was a kid. We had a cast iron pot that was probably 20 gallons and a tripod with a winch he would build a fire under and cook them all day long. I like them now more than I did back then but most of my kids are not yet fans.
It sounds like your step Dad may have been a big Blazing Saddles fan...?