Build your own smoker

[smokerjoker]

if any one is interested I can tell you how to build a direct heat smoker that works really well and is not expensive at all ....the only tools required is a drill and the only thing you need to purchase is racks and some screws and a cabinet door handle.

• buy a steel drum of food grade quality
• drill about 12 holes 3/4 inch dia. one inch above bottom of drum
• measure 24 inches down from top of drum and drill a 3/8 dia. hole drill four of them two on each side so that a steel rod can be place in through each set of holes . this is for your rack to sit on.
• in the lid on the drum find the center and and drill two holes to recieve the screws for the handle ...buy one at your local hardware store for a kitchen cabinet. Mount handle to lid remove one bung.
• build fire in bottom of drum place rack in drum and cover with lid.

[Michael in FtW]

LOL - you can also use a 30-gallon galvanized aluminum trash can.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

LOL - you can also use a 30-gallon galvanized aluminum trash can.

Or a cardboard box! Seems to work!

[Fisher's Mom]

Originally Posted by keltin

Or a cardboard box! Seems to work!

Cool links, keltin! They showed one made out of terra cotta pots on the second link. Maybe I'll try it.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by Fisher's Mom

Cool links, keltin! They showed one made out of terra cotta pots on the second link. Maybe I'll try it.

The terra cotta pot smoker looks great. One guy calls it the Big Brown Egg (play on the Big Green Egg). I like it.

Heck, I’ve got an idea and designs on making a small table-top smoker out of the biggest stock pot I can find at a thrift store, along with a cheap wire rack and an 8 dollar electric hot plate from Wal-Mart. It should work well….now all I have to do is find that uber-huge stock pot. Something on the order of 30 quarts or more.

[Fisher's Mom]

Originally Posted by keltin

Heck, I’ve got an idea and designs on making a small table-top smoker out of the biggest stock pot I can find at a thrift store, along with a cheap wire rack an 8 dollar electric hot plate from Wal-Mart. It should work well….now all I have to do is find that uber-huge stock pot. Something on the order of 30 quarts or more.

Don't you know you have to share on the playground? If you have a design, why aren't you posting this?????

[keltin]

Originally Posted by Fisher's Mom

Don't you know you have to share on the playground? If you have a design, why aren't you posting this?????

Well, everything is hand drawn right now, and while the theory is solid, I haven't tested it. But, if you like, I can get the plans in electronic format and post it or email it to you....but again - I've not tested this yet, so there may be some tweaks.....but I'm feeling pretty confident about it.

[Fisher's Mom]

OK, I guess I (oh....I mean we) can wait til you get done testing and tweaking. BTW I volunteer to test whatever meat you smoke in it.

[Katie H]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

LOL - you can also use a 30-gallon galvanized aluminum trash can.

If you can find one.

[Uncle Bob]

I'm wondering if galvanized material would have Zinc in it. I know that zinc chloride fumes would not be very tasty. Maybe dangerous. I don't know at what temperature this may or may not occur, but I wouldn't want to risk it.

Smokerjoker... Neat idea, but how would one re-fuel this cooker?? Other than the obvious, remove lid, remove meat, remove rack, add fuel, etc. etc. Then reverse the process.

[mitmondol]

Now, this is ALL wonderful!
BUT!
Anyone has a plan for a COLD smoker?!
That's what I really would like to have!

[keltin]

All of these electric ideas work as a cold smoker, just turn the heat/energy down! The cardboard box method is especially suited for this (with low electirc element) because of loss of heat.

[mitmondol]

Keltin, you think they would work for really cold, long ( I mean several days) smoking of sausages ?
That is what I'm after.
Not only smokey flavor, but preserving meat.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by mitmondol

Keltin, you think they would work for really cold, long ( I mean several days) smoking of sausages ?
That is what I'm after.
Not only smokey flavor, but preserving meat.

Yep, but I'd put them indoors in like a barn or something to protect from the elements (blowing wind, rain, etc). I read about a guy that cold smoked salmon for three days in a cardboard rig once, and really, it's no different than the old smoke houses of yester-year, just smaller. Just make sure you salt cure it right. Heck, you can make beef jerky with NO heat and a box fan in about 20 hours (or less)! Room temp!

[Uncle Bob]

Originally Posted by mitmondol

Now, this is ALL wonderful!
BUT!
Anyone has a plan for a COLD smoker?!
That's what I really would like to have!

What ever size/type/style "smoke house" you use, and for how long, the last 15 minutes or so bring the sausage up to 137*-140* to finish it off!

[justplainbill]

Originally Posted by Michael in FtW

LOL - you can also use a 30-gallon galvanized aluminum trash can.

Galvanized aluminum? What material are they galvanizing aluminum with?

[Michael in FtW]

You guys are tough on an old guy!

Galvanized was wrong ... the way the bottom of the trash can I used was rusted out ... it probably wasn't galvanized. But hey - that was about 35 years ago!

[beerco]

Originally Posted by keltin

All of these electric ideas work as a cold smoker, just turn the heat/energy down! The cardboard box method is especially suited for this (with low electirc element) because of loss of heat.

Not trying to start another smackdown but are you sure this would work? If you turn the temp down so that you're below 100o will the element still be hot enough to produce smoke with the wood chips?

I was under the impression that for cold smoking the smoke was cooled in some sort of heat exchanger (i.e. a long pipe in the air) before it enters the smoking chamber to keep the temps low.

Alton Brown did this once on his show.

[Constance]

My husband has been building a smoker using some kind of tank. All I can say is, just don't let it eat you, like it did my him. He ended up with seven staples in his head and the hide scraped off his forearm to the muscle.
My son-in-law suggested having "Man eater" painted on the side. Might be cool painted inside a shark.

[keltin]

Originally Posted by beerco

Not trying to start another smackdown but are you sure this would work? If you turn the temp down so that you're below 100o will the element still be hot enough to produce smoke with the wood chips?

I was under the impression that for cold smoking the smoke was cooled in some sort of heat exchanger (i.e. a long pipe in the air) before it enters the smoking chamber to keep the temps low.

Alton Brown did this once on his show.

Alton Brown, as far as I know, inspired the cardboard box smoker I posted. That's why I'd say it would work as a cold smoker. But I'm not a pundit of cold smoking. But yes, I'd imagine you would need to move the heat source outside the box and then channel the smoke into it to ensure low heat. Maybe Michael knows the answer?