# smoker ideas



## 05_sprcrw (Aug 18, 2009)

I picked up a commercial food warmer and converted it into a smoker, I can hang all for legs of a deer in it at once if I want to. It works out really well for me.


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## Joel C (Nov 23, 2005)

Charlie Tango said:


> I have a brinkman smoker and like it, its just hard to hang sausage in with it being round. I am looking for some ideas for a metal cabinet or something that would not take up alot of room (like an old fridge) when not in use. I have seen a four drawer file cabinet on you tube that was a good idea, any others?


I would suggest an old fridge...temp consistancy is crucial to a good smoke. Anyone can take an old metal (insert cabinet type here) and insert smoke and it will suffice though you will spend most of your time babysitting.


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## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

Joel C said:


> I would suggest an old fridge...temp consistancy is crucial to a good smoke. Anyone can take an old metal (insert cabinet type here) and insert smoke and it will suffice though you will spend most of your time babysitting.


Good idea Joel. I once used an old upright freezer to build a quail egg incubator. Worked like a charm.


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## Charlie Tango (Feb 2, 2008)

a fridge would work great, but I don't have a whole lot of room to keep it. I smoke sausage 4 or 5 times a year, the rest of the time it would be in the way.


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## In-Hoc (Aug 20, 2005)

Use an old College size fridge. It doesn't take up a lot of space and give you the temp consistancey that you will need.


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## Junebug13 (Mar 5, 2009)

*Drum Smoker*

A 55 gal metal drum works great its the same concept as the BDS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Bg34eC6ckI


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## bigbuckdn (Sep 19, 2007)

use the old fridge just throw a tarp on it my stays outside its years old no problem with weather getting it


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## southernbowhunt (Sep 20, 2007)

Any idea about where to get a 55 gal metal drum?


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## Junebug13 (Mar 5, 2009)

Buddy you will have to search to find one cheap. The cheapest I have found on line is at the attached on the web link, I dont know how much shipping would be. http://www.bascousa.com/plastic-drums-stainless-steel-drums-barrels-and-ibcs-bulk-containers-63.html


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## In-Hoc (Aug 20, 2005)

I have a local guy that sells Metal drums for $10. If you only live in Northeast Ohio (Stark Co. )


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## Noobist (Jun 5, 2009)

used to use a metal drum for a cold-smoker. worked fine.

i always wanted to try this though; you know those cheap aluminium garden sheds? if i could get one of those, and an old pot belly stove, and a whole lot of pipe, i wanna run the pipe off the ;potbelly like a chimney, and then plunge it into a trench in the ground. then i would have it coming up in a staright vertical line in the centre of the shed to about one foot lower than the height of the shed ceiling. i'd then drill a bunch of small holes about an inch off the ground around the base of the shed, and seal the door up real good. the smoke would have to condense itself against the ceiling, and pack down before it cuold escape through the small holes at the bottom. ought to make for economic cold-smoking lol.


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## safe cracker (Sep 28, 2009)

*smoker*

the best one i have seen was an old outhouse.....the guy been smoking in it for years now..:bounce::nod:


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## Nightshade400 (Nov 20, 2009)

UDS works great, you can build them as a double stack front open as well.
If you can find a supplier they make a snap ring can that will fit a 55 gallon drum inside it with some room around it. Build some short legs on the 55 at the bottom. Cut out a hole for a vent tube to go into it from the bottom then attach a 15 gallon drum as a fire box and use the inlet as a feed (hard to explain but simple idea) then attach an outlet and a pair of baffles at the bottom of the 55 where the heat and smoke come in. Use Weber style grates as needed and a thermometer to monitor temps. Between the liner and the 55 gallon drum fill it with sand as an insulator (cheap if not free and very effective).

Remember to control all your temperature at the firebox and not at the outlet, a lot of people make this mistake and it drives a person mad trying to get it right that way.

A good place to look at designs and builds is www.thesmokering.com Lots of good info over there.


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## gearhead1951 (Sep 4, 2009)

Google www.instructables.com and do a search there for smoker plans !

They got some real winners !


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## DrumdudeLarry (Mar 22, 2008)

I have a friend that uses an old pickup truck tool box. Works pretty good.


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## jb12string (Sep 20, 2009)

Caught a little clip on the food network where Alton Brown was using somekind of mil-surp box as a smoker didn't see enough to find out what the box was originally from. I know he has made a smoker out of big terra cotta flower pots in the past too. How hot does a smoker get? Could you just make a box out of plywood and insulate it?


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## Nightshade400 (Nov 20, 2009)

jb12string said:


> Caught a little clip on the food network where Alton Brown was using somekind of mil-surp box as a smoker didn't see enough to find out what the box was originally from. I know he has made a smoker out of big terra cotta flower pots in the past too. How hot does a smoker get? Could you just make a box out of plywood and insulate it?


Depends on if you are cold smoking or hot smoking. 

Cold smoking generally is in about the 160-180 range. 
Hot smoking maxes out at about 250 usually 225 is perfect though.


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## bigbuckdn (Sep 19, 2007)

Noobist said:


> used to use a metal drum for a cold-smoker. worked fine.
> 
> i always wanted to try this though; you know those cheap aluminium garden sheds? if i could get one of those, and an old pot belly stove, and a whole lot of pipe, i wanna run the pipe off the ;potbelly like a chimney, and then plunge it into a trench in the ground. then i would have it coming up in a staright vertical line in the centre of the shed to about one foot lower than the height of the shed ceiling. i'd then drill a bunch of small holes about an inch off the ground around the base of the shed, and seal the door up real good. the smoke would have to condense itself against the ceiling, and pack down before it cuold escape through the small holes at the bottom. ought to make for economic cold-smoking lol.


did it for a hot smoker once to hard to control temp but to cold smoke prob would be fine


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## Charlie Tango (Feb 2, 2008)

what are the trunks of heating and air supplys made of? I see the tin knockers putting together these trunks and hanging them in the ceilings of buildings. I could turn them on end put on a top and bottom and make a door in the side. If they are galvanized I don't know if they should be used. How about this?


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## boarfever (Jul 20, 2009)

I use a little chief, but would like to try an old oven. they're insulated, have racks. Seems like it would work good to me.


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## b2redneck (Mar 24, 2009)

doesnt exactly meet your "doesnt take up a lot of room" requirement, but its a proof of concept... here's what I did

bought a offset charcoal smoker off of craigslist; my bro in law gave me a propane turkey fryer; i mounted the burner in the side fire box; built some new grating and a box for the kindling. added some sheilding and ducts to disperse smoke in the main compartment; works friggin awesome. used some remnant granite to redo the front and side shelves. i've got 75 bucks in material....total

the regulator on the propane burner does a great job controlling the heat; just experiment a little; pork shoulders are cheap - beer not so much, but find the right combo and the whole neighborhood is gonna be your buddy.

muhahaha; i'm the dummy on the right in the picture btw; pics are from memorial day 2009


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## Ab_bow_hunter (May 16, 2008)

jb12string said:


> Could you just make a box out of plywood and insulate it?


every year we make our own sausage a cold smoked type and a hot smoked type. both are done in our plywood smoke house. it's just 4 whole sheets of plywood framed in with 2x4s and a roof on it. we run it at 300f using a tiger torch into a large heavy walled pipe and an old pie plate on top with the wood in it. to cold smoke we have a hot plate we put the pie plate of wood on the hot plate and close the door


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## Charlie Tango (Feb 2, 2008)

b2redneck said:


> doesnt exactly meet your "doesnt take up a lot of room" requirement, but its a proof of concept... here's what I did
> 
> bought a offset charcoal smoker off of craigslist; my bro in law gave me a propane turkey fryer; i mounted the burner in the side fire box; built some new grating and a box for the kindling. added some sheilding and ducts to disperse smoke in the main compartment; works friggin awesome. used some remnant granite to redo the front and side shelves. i've got 75 bucks in material....total
> 
> ...


Cool looking grill, the food looks even better!


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## b2redneck (Mar 24, 2009)

thanks charlie tango; if u dont mind a little elbow grease u can make some nice stuff for real cheap. the hardest part of the buildup was grinding off the old rust b4 hitting it with hitemp paint.


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## Gunner7800 (Jul 11, 2007)

*DIY Smoker*

Here is a link to a smoker on the Mathews webiste. It might be a little big, but if an old fridge would work, then this would probably be great. And easier to move around.

DIY SMOKER


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## Joel C (Nov 23, 2005)

Charlie Tango said:


> a fridge would work great, but I don't have a whole lot of room to keep it. I smoke sausage 4 or 5 times a year, the rest of the time it would be in the way.


Below is a link to the smoker I use...I bought mine prior to the window design and got it on closeout for $150. It takes the same amount of room as a mini-fridge and likely has the same amount of insulation. BBQ/Smoker purists may have their opinions of electric smokers but I can tell you this...you set the temp...add chips occasionally and you have plenty of time for the important things...:darkbeer: It's almost foolproof and works the same whether it's 100 degrees or 0 degrees. The only thing I use my BBQ for any more is to make pizzas on...which BTW is perfect!

http://www.masterbuilt.com/prod-smokers-digital.html


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## P DOG (Jan 22, 2007)

muhahaha; i'm the dummy on the right in the picture btw; pics are from memorial day 2009[/QUOTE]

Do you work at Wolf Hollow? I thought I seen you there the last time I was over there.


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## Huaco (Jul 7, 2006)

Here is a link you need to explore. 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/

Not to take yo away from AT or anything, but these guys REALLY know their stuff!


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## mjgonehunting (Mar 5, 2007)

I've seen several variations over the years,from old refridgerators to tin garbage can lockers to outhouses.
The simplest portable I've seen was just made of Plywood,about 30"x30"x6' tall,and hinged on 3 joints so it had 1 opened corner.The racks where simply bailing wire attached to poultry staples nailed into the walls,and the sausage was hung from the wires.The top was simply a piece of tin roofing,and heat/smoke was from an old electric frying pan set on the bottom and it's cord run under the opening side.
It was crude but worked well!
For holding in the heat they used old moving blankets draped over it,and opened the unhinged corner to control the temp.
Lots of beer was consumed in it's design and development stages,as well as during the smoking process!


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## Charlie Tango (Feb 2, 2008)

Huaco said:


> Here is a link you need to explore.
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/
> 
> Not to take yo away from AT or anything, but these guys REALLY know their stuff!


wow, what a site!


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## Babooze (Jan 5, 2008)

Heres how we do it in Hawaii, Cheap and easy!

http://hawaiisportsman.forumotion.c...f1/smokehouse-designs-t51.htm?highlight=smoke


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## b2redneck (Mar 24, 2009)

P DOG said:


> muhahaha; i'm the dummy on the right in the picture btw; pics are from memorial day 2009
> Do you work at Wolf Hollow? I thought I seen you there the last time I was over there.



Yup; I work at Wolf Hollow Archery


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## changboy (Jun 27, 2008)

*smoker*

I use a large water heater tank interior is ceramic lined, solar water heater companies will give them away. easy to convert, use a 7 1/2 metal cutting blade on an old skill saw and cut the top off, then cut a fire door on the bottom and reattach with a hinge. I then use a weber grill on the bottom for the fire and one on the top to hang meat strips (top grill is supported by two rods (rebar) fitted by drilling horizontal pilot holes near the top.


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