Home-made smokers

[ve4gdf]

Anybody still make their own smoker's? I've got an old steel barrell that's just crying to be re-built into something usefull and a smoker it shall be. Any tips?

[saskman]

first off what was in the barrel?

[ve4gdf]

It originally had a commercial cleaner in it. It's been rinsed, pressure washed, had a substantial hardwood fire in it, pressure washed again and has been airing out for aproximately 15 years. Had planned on building a smoker years ago, but life managed to intervene time and time again. Well, now's the time.

[CMMahy]

I built one out of an old camping BBQ and some sheet metal. Not the prettiest, but it'll fit 3, 1 1/2lb whitefish and smokes them pretty evenly, and it cost me less than $35 to make.

[Bellybuster]

really depends on how you wanna go. Gas, charcoal, electric.
   Electric by far is the easiest and definately the easiest to regulate temps. Charcoal or wood is the more traditional.
   I've used a garbage can smoker before and they really do work good. I now have a charcoal smoker and really like it but it is alot more work ensuring temps stay in the right range.
   Here's a great simple electric setup
http://cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html

[NHRenegade]

Check out the book "Meat Smoking and Smokehouse Design" if you are really serious, it is a great book.  Or you can look at it online...

http://books.google.com/books?id=Nx8ukvTRSvsC&pg=PA193&dq=building+a+smoker#PPP1,M1

[ve4gdf]

Thanks for the info guys.

[er-e-is]

Try www.thesmokering.com for lots of good ideas.

[rob-s]

Anybody still make their own smoker's? I've got an old steel barrell that's just crying to be re-built into something usefull and a smoker it shall be. Any tips?

google  -    ugly drum     .    its the cats meow, great homemade smoker

[james]

I found it easier just to buy a big cheif smoker for what little we do.

[Adam Bomb]

Will be making one this summer. I have a large vaccum canister thats S.S. that im going to convert into a smoker. Should work awesome when i smoke all the salmon. The commercially available smokers just dont have a big enough capacity.

[GREEN-BACK-HUNTER]

Anybody still make their own smoker's? I've got an old steel barrell that's just crying to be re-built into something usefull and a smoker it shall be. Any tips?

  hi there
i made my smoker out of a 2 droor metal file cabnet 
works good

[oscar411]

my smoker is made from a single door pepsi cooler.  Works great

[Rebelss]

I gutted out an older small refrigerator...vent in the top, put the pan of wood chips in the bottom, hang the meat/fish from the old racks...worked great.

[Wiener]

Be careful using old refrigerators.

The metal racks can contaminate your food.

This is easily solved by putting them over a camp fire, and letting all the cladding burn off, then giving them a good scrubbing with a wire brush.

Or you could buy campfire racks that are the right size and switch 'em.


Hope this helps,

Wiener

[chummer16]

I cut a 200 gal oil tank in half.  Installed racks, hinges, handles, and a grate for the wood.  I use it every weekend all summer at our camp.  It works great but is hard to keep the temp down.  I use it more as a wood cooker than smoker.  I found if I get it real hot and cook dinner on it then through a pork butt on it over night all closed up it comes out great.  It is fun to play with and I get extra credit for cooking dinner.

[Rebelss]

Be careful using old refrigerators.

The metal racks can contaminate your food.

This is easily solved by putting them over a camp fire, and letting all the cladding burn off, then giving them a good scrubbing with a wire brush.

Or you could buy campfire racks that are the right size and switch 'em.


Hope this helps,

Wiener

Good point. Didn't mention I had used racks from an oven...stainless steel.