DIY BBQ Smoker Plans

[murdocki]

I don't know if this is even the place to post this but I will give it a shot. I have drawn up some plans to a BBQ smoker that I'm going to use to make jerky on along with other things. What I wonted to know is if any one wonted the plans after I have field tested the thing and work out the bugs. I'm planning on starting this project this weekend. So post something or seen me a PM.

It's looking like the smoke box is 5' to 6' long and the fire box is going to be 2 1/2'. The fire box and the smoke box are made of the same material which is looking to be 18" OD steel tubing.

[duckjohn]

i'd love to have a copy of those plans if you didnt mind.... i've been itchin to start a smoker my self. i also just got my arc welder back from my bro so i want to weld something.... thanks!!

also sent a pm

[hopkins11]

Yup - I've been wanting to build one for a while...

[Nabs]

Too bad the days of the totally metal fridge/freezer (freezer on the bottom) are gone, made a great smoker easy to build, ours had a thermostat to control the hotplate in the bottom to control the temp in the fridge (upper) and the fridge racks were great for smoking anything.

I am intersted in the plans, I may have to go on a search and recovery mission for an old fridge though, it was just so easy.

[GroundSwatter]

What type of smoker are you trying to build? A Texas style smoker, a vertical smoker, electric, wood?

There are a lot of great smoker designs already out there. I personally like Texas style smokers, and you can buy some relatively inexpensive ones. I think Char Griller makes a descent Texas Style smoker with side fire box for less than $200. With a few modifications they work fairly well. Its not as nice as the welded smokers out there, but works fairly well for the price.

If I lived somewhere I thought I was going to be long term, I would probably build a brick pit in my backyard, but that is just me.

[Papachessie]

I've got a Chargriller with the side box. What kind of modifications do you suggest? I havn't used it as a smoker yet. I used a Brinkman charcoal smoker for years. Made excellent goose jerky and smoked turkeys.

[murdocki]

I'm' looking at taking a piece of 11'x18" tubing and cutting of a 6' and a 2 1/2' pieces and laying them on there side and using the larger piece to make the mane smoke box and the smaller one lower in height but have it butted up to the larger piece and use it for the fire box. So in total the smoker is a little over 8'. I might even take the extra piece of tubing and turn it into a BBQ or a wood stove for the shop.

[HuntersDad]

I'm a fan of the vertical smoker. I made this one at the beginning of the summer and haven't looked back. It puts out the best Q I have ever had.



Just a couple of pics to get your mouth watering....




Good luck on the build!

[GroundSwatter]

I've got a Chargriller with the side box. What kind of modifications do you suggest? I havn't used it as a smoker yet. I used a Brinkman charcoal smoker for years. Made excellent goose jerky and smoked turkeys.

There are tons of mod's, but the best thing you can do is buy a digital thermometer. My stock thermometer was 30-40 degrees off in some instances, so if you don't modify another thing, do this. I bought a wireless thermometer so I can go inside the house, work on sides, and watch TV while my food is smoking.

Second best thing is take screws and plug up all the extra holes that let smoke and heat out.

A baffle in the main chamber is good for better temperature distribution, I basically used foil across the top of the fire box going into the chamber, but I think you could just take the charcoal tray in the main chamber and turn it upside down. This just more evenly distributes the heat in the chamber. Its also helpful to add some brick's to either the fire box or in the chamber so your heat doesn't fluctuate as wildly.

I've seen some people that took a dryer hose and extended the chimney down to grill level. This just lets the chamber fill up with more smoke. I haven't done this, but its something I've seen a lot of people do.

Just google Chargriller Mods and there are entire forums dedicated to modifying these grills.

[black olt]

if you want to build a smoker you need to look at lang smokers and put a plate off of the fire box this will help regulate your heat the one i built is 7 ft. long and 3 ft. wide and it will cook at 200 -225 for 16 hours with no problem

[murdocki]

Don't worry guys I have all of that covered.

[Rat Creek]

Now I know this qualifies as cheating and some will call me a communist, but I am hooked on my electric smoker. I am from Kansas City and we have some great BBQ, so I am not the kind of person easily fooled by any piece of meat with a smoke flavor.

I begrudgingly purchased an electric smoker at the insistence of a friend, and I will never go back to my old smoker with the wood box and large smoke area. In fact, I sold it for almost nothing.

Electric smokers are fool proof. Set the ideal temperature, add a couple handfuls of wood chips, and go do something else for eight hours. And it is great every time.

After tending a traditional smoker for untold hours to keep it just right, this seems too easy, but it is unbelievable.

[murdocki]

Hay guys the smoker is going good just know cutting up the material. I will be posting picks soon.

[murdocki]

Hay guys, I have the mane shell done. I'm getting ready to make the racks. The tube that I got was a little shorter that what I thought it was going to be, it came out to be a little over four feet for the mane smoke chamber and one and a half feet for the fire box. the goal with the smoker was not to have to spend any of my money, all of the materals that I used were donated to me ant the college, so I can't complain on the size of the material. I will be heading out the the shop to night to take some Picks and will try to post them tonight.

[murdocki]

This is it.

[jehler]

murdocki, think your going to have to be real careful not to put to much meat on at one time, I fear you'll collapse those legs if you get to much weight on the grill, next time you shuld use some hevier material........

[Papachessie]

Looks like he's gonna drive some pilings down into the ground and slide the legs over 'em to make sure it'll survive wind storms, tornados, hurricanes, glaciers, meteors, nuclear holocaust and so on and so forth.

[murdocki]

The plan was to make sure that no one could run off with it.

[greenheadfallon17]

The plan was to make sure that no one could run off with it.

plan accomplished

[stumpnc]

Can I have the recipe for the bacon wrapped peppers, I saw the picture and want to smoke some of those up!! Thanks.stump

[djg]

Huntersdad, I know it's 2 months since your reply, but hopefully you'll see this and respond. I like your vertical smoker and I have time on my hands so I though I might make one. Do you have any plans or description you would care to share? What are the black iron pipes an valves for? Air intake?

Thanks in advance

[ntx_duckster]

I think those were dove breasts wrapped in the bacon and peppers. Huntersdad, what was the duration when you smoked those?

[HuntersDad]

Huntersdad, I know it's 2 months since your reply, but hopefully you'll see this and respond. I like your vertical smoker and I have time on my hands so I though I might make one. Do you have any plans or description you would care to share? What are the black iron pipes an valves for? Air intake?

They are for the air intake. I just wanted to make mine a little fancier. Here are the plans I used to build mine. I obviously improvised quite a bit. I also had an old charcoal grill and the lid from that fit the barrel. If you can find an old 22.5" round charcoal grill, the lid will work. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

http://www.thepickledpig.com/forums/gen ... t-1-a.html

I think those were dove breasts wrapped in the bacon and peppers. Huntersdad, what was the duration when you smoked those?

No dove breasts. Those are Hillshire Farms Cheddar lil Smokies. They take 2 hours at about 225-250.

[dckchaser]

I'm a fan of the vertical smoker. I made this one at the beginning of the summer and haven't looked back. It puts out the best Q I have ever had.



Just a couple of pics to get your mouth watering....




Good luck on the build!

Man that last one looks phenomenal! I'm assuming there's a duck breast hidden somewhere in all that goodness. I'd love to get your recipe for that one. Thanks!

[HuntersDad]

No duck breasts either. Hillshire Farms Cheddar lil Smokies.

This is my recipe I just sent to stumpnc.

Most people call them ABT's (Atomic Buffalo Turds) but I just call them "Turds"

These are a huge hit, and I have been asked all summer, fall and winter to make these for all the parties I go to. I have made well over 1000 of them since July. Just a warning to you

This is to make 20 of them

20-fresh Jalapanos
1-8oz brick of cream cheese
1-pachage of Hillshire Farms Cheddar lil Smokies (Near the pre-packaged ham and turkey in the store)
1 or 2 packages of bacon (depends on how many come in the package)

I buy the cheapest of everything and they taste the same if you bought the best of everything.

Cut the peppers in half and de-seed them(you want them hollowed out). Keep the halves next to eachother, you'll have o put them back together. Put cream chesse on both sides of the pepper. Put in 1 cheddar lil smoky (for each whole pepper). Put the 2 pepper halves back together and wrap with bacon. Put tooth picks through the bacon to hold them together. Smoke them for 2 hours at around 250ish (give or take 20 degress) they come out the same everytime.

Disclamer--Becareful of grease fires. I almost burnt down my garage using my small Brinkmann vertical smoker because i didn't put a catch pan beneath them.

I've also substituted pulled pork for the lil smokies. They were delicious. I've also minced onions and put them in the cream cheese. Either way, they are fantastic with all the different layers of flavor.