Homemade Smoker

[jbaugher]

Does anyone have any ideas out there how to make an inexpensive smoker? I would like it to hold about 50# of meat. Thanks!

[Salmonsmoker]

jbaugher,

If you do a search on "home made Smokers" you will find several posts on that subject from last summer (in this forum.)

Basically, any container can be made into a smoker. The first one that I built (back in the early 70's) was a wooden box made to hold discarded oven shelves. The box sat on the ground and had a covered trench running from the center of the box to a fire-pit several feet away. With this design, the smoke was cooled by the time that it reached the smoker. When I wanted to smoke-cook I added charcoal inside the box. I also got that unit too hot one time and it burned down.

Anything from a hole in the ground, to a cardboard box, to a metal barrel will work.

However, after some 25 years of making smoked foods, I use a commercially designed smoker. It is made out of heavy gauge sheet steel, has a separate smoke generator, an adjustable air intake vent, an adjustable chimney cap, a built in thermometer, and can be fired by either electricity or charcoal. It will also hold a small pig or up to 4 full size Turkey's. We bought it at an end-of-the-year close out sale for $150. Small electric smokers (I have gone through 2 of these over the years) can be purchased for around $50.

The commercial design smokers are easier to use, easier to cleane and maintain, easier to store, easier to control the heat and smoke, and give consistant results.

However, after all of that, I do plan on building a permanent concrete-block smoker this summer. It will have all of the features mentioned above.

ss

[Salmonsmoker]

A quick and easy smoker.

Put 4 steaks in the gound appropriately placed to hold 2 oven racks on nails.

Place a small electric hot plate (I purchased one at a 2nd-hand store for $3.00. New at Meijers the sell for around $15.00) under the racks and put a small pan of wood chips on the hot plate. Cover the racks with a card board box just slightly larger than the racks. Just be sure to monitor the internal heat.

Good luck.

ss

[Salmonsmoker]

Just bringing this thread forward because it answers a question about smokers.

Salmonsmoker