Smoker for the poor student...

[GrumpyBear]

there are various diy smokers out there, i'm thinking of trying this one at the end of this year:
http://homepage.mac.com/dubmann/PhotoAlbum1.html
of the ones i've seen this seems the least likely to, y'know, burn down my house... the guy says $60 but i think i could make this for less then 20, the only thing i wonder about is i'm pretty sure smokers (like, the kind you actually buy all in one peice...) ussually have vents.
Whattaya think good idea, bad idea, d'you have a better idea? help me out folks...

[POTAWIE]

Looks similar to the trashcan or cardboard box cold smoker. I'd definitely make a vent somehow on the top.

[cheezydemon]

Recent smoker design trends I have put a vent low, so that more smoke hangs around.It is cheapest to use materials you already have.

I made a great smoker out of 2 large terra cotta pots.

[GrumpyBear]

i can't think of a great way to put a vent low on a terra cotta pot, but i can get a pot that size for about six bucks at this great co-op nearby, i'm convinced if i hit the garage sales i will eventually come across a hotplate, and i already have a round grill in my camping stuff. I would spring for that temperature gauge thingy (wanna keep it low and slow...) but i wonder would a meat thermometer work?

[cheezydemon]

Absolutely. And F*** the hot plate mate. Just use a little charcoal and wood chips!

Seriously. If you bury the bottom pot it will take a ton of heat, and you don't need much to smoke.

You are right about the vent.

I put mine on 2 bricks to let air in.

It is easy to put a temp guage and handles on. Just drill holes.

[chilehunter]

GB - I dont know how you'd burn down a house with a grill outside, unless you're really careless.
I dont know if you already have a grill or not, but if you're gonna spend $20-$25 on that makeshift smoker, then whats a extra $20 ? & you'll be able to smoke more meat at a time & grill with it. these are cheap & work great except for really cold temps then you'd want the gas option with it (but those cost more)

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100043270


if you're really worried about fire then check this model out, a little more money but still not much & they say you can still grill with it ?

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100029710#specs

[AlabamaJack]

A friend of mines father made a smoker he used for Mullet down in south Florida back years ago out of a refrigerator. This is a very crude drawing of it. There was an adjustable vent on top of the old fridge and a separate fire box ducted to the bottom of the fridge. I thought this was ingenious. All was made from scrap/junk he had around the house.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4940/refrigeratorsmokerfx2.th.jpg (http://img172.imageshack.us/my.php?image=refrigeratorsmokerfx2.jpg)

[LUCKYDOG]

Looks like the one from Alton Brown on the Food Network -- Did a good job for him!

[cheezydemon]

That's what I thought of lucky! The cold smoker episode.

[LUCKYDOG]

DING Cheezy

[cheezydemon]

That is worth watching. Alton's innovations will probably at least give you a better idea of how to do yours, even if you don't use the "old fridge" method!

[GrumpyBear]

well i'm in canada, and home depot doesn't carry that one here, but my comparable option is this little guy:
http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=947427&Ntt=947427&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=113003&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber
and thats not even in store, just online so shipping is extra.
my general feeling about that whole 'whats another 20 bucks' thought process is that it really only works for people with, like, jobs... i'm not kidding when i say the cost of that little grill would be more than i spend on growing the peppers altogether.
i'll see if i can download that show, sounds like it could be helpful (i do have several months to figure this out...)

[Hot Canuck]

Where in Canada? I have a smaller smoker you could have N/C, as I'm replacing it with an Outlaw Griller.

I know the odds are slim that you are near Newmarket, Ontario...but just in case...

[chilehunter]

GB - I didnt know if you had a job or not, sorry. maybe do some extra sweet talking to your parents for some extra cash :lol:
the one you linked to from home depot I wouldnt buy, but thats just me.

those bullet shaped grill/smokers (that I linked to) are nice. I did the same thing that hot canuk is doing. I gave away my older one since I bought a 7 in 1 bullet grill/smoker w/gas option (just wished I bought the SS model instead) they're big enough to smoke a decent size turkey in them, heck 2 if you want :lol:

you can buy those cheap bullet shaped grill/smokers pretty much anywhere, like gander mountain, fleet farm,walmart or some other places. I only linked to home depot because for a quick search thats the only place I found that showed them online to show you what style I'm talking about, & they're around that price where ever you buy them.

[GrumpyBear]

hc: i'm close-ish to newmarket (depends what you consider close...) I'm in peterborough (i go to trent...) and reading week is totally coming up!

ch: ya, i wouldn't have bought that grill either (another reason to make my own...) i just wanted to show you what my cheapest retail option was. Generally i like student life but when i finally do get a job i'm sure i'll never look back, the no-money thing really gets annoying sometimes.

[LUCKYDOG]

Bullet frills are nice but not cheap.... You can even buy something larger than a smoky joe from chargrill that is much larger. I started with that honestly and cost me 30$US I became real familiar with drip pans and indirect cooking. I was able to do Butts, Briskets and 3 racks of baby backs on it. I did put a little button thermometer closer to grill level but you'll get a good feel for it

[Canuk Pepperhead]

I was looking at one at wallymart that was gas but feom all the reading I have been doing I found a nice one at lowes..Problem is they still havnt built a lowes yet the next city over..Mind toy I found the equivalent at Home depo I think ill pick up this spring

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=944075&Ntt=944075&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber of course the side box is extra and it looks like the price has gone up since I looked last

[okie joe]

Has or anyone got a set up like this? hopefully I got this link right I am not the best on computer skills. Lol


http://www.academy.com/index.php?page=content&target=products/outdoors/grills/charcoal_grills&start=8&selectedSKU=0262-40521-5051

[POTAWIE]

Julian has a setup using a soldering iron and a cardboard box on the chileman's site

http://www.thechileman.org/journal/2007.php

[POTAWIE]

I was looking at one at wallymart that was gas but feom all the reading I have been doing I found a nice one at lowes..Problem is they still havnt built a lowes yet the next city over..Mind toy I found the equivalent at Home depo I think ill pick up this spring

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=944075&Ntt=944075&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber of course the side box is extra and it looks like the price has gone up since I looked last

They have a cheaper version at home hardware or Canadian tire. Probably not as good but works good for me

[Canuk Pepperhead]

They do have a smoker/grill at wal-mart for 78.00.the same grill at Canadian tire is 100.00 more..lol go figure

[Canuk Pepperhead]

Well to further on that Home Hardware is about 70.00 more..Not to go off topic too much it shows how these monster sized retail chains are slowly killing off canadian chains..They just cant compete in price range.I dont like shopping at wal-mart but id be stupid not to save 70-100 dollars on an item...

[cheezydemon]

It is a shame Canuck, but I'll save it for another thread!

I want to say again that I now smoke in my gas grill. With the gas off ans smouldering coals on one side, meat on the other it works just fine!

[Canuk Pepperhead]

For now im going to try that again...I didnt have enough to smoke with last time...

[POTAWIE]

Well to further on that Home Hardware is about 70.00 more..Not to go off topic too much it shows how these monster sized retail chains are slowly killing off canadian chains..They just cant compete in price range.I dont like shopping at wal-mart but id be stupid not to save 70-100 dollars on an item...

There may be some differences. The one I see at Canadian Tire looks to be better than the one I bought a few years back at homehardware. I think its a different type of paint or steel. The paint is now peeling off in mine.
Also we don't have smokers or even wood chips at my nearest Walmart.

[Canuk Pepperhead]

no????they sell them well advertised on the internet anyways..You would probably have to order them

[Canuk Pepperhead]

Potawie..Do you cover your smoker/grill when not in use?

[POTAWIE]

I have a cover but don't use it much but its generally kept out of the rain. No rust or problems yet, just paint flaking.

[Canuk Pepperhead]

every bbq ive owned Ive re-painted a few times... to me it comes with the game..on the other hand my dad keeps his bbq in his garadge and its still like new(mind you he barely uses it)as where I use mine almost every day..Storage and elements especially with the climates we have,have to do with paint coming off the bbq/smokers we own..I just spend 6 bucks on a can of high heat black pressure wash the bbq and shoot
This year im tremcladding the frame too..(I have done in the past on other bbqs)no use in buying a new propane bbq if im getting a bbq/smoker I just put in a cast element this year.I had a cover it would help but only to a point..so why bother..Painting the bbq is like spring cleaning around here lol

[chilehunter]

like I said before, I bought a 7 in 1 smoker/grill just normal painted steel not stainless steel. I have noticed that my cheap steel bullet smoker/grill did rust & paint chip in short time BUT also the pans started to rust alot more & I'm finding this to be true to my 7 in 1 I bought about 5+ years ago the insides are rusting more than the outside.

I think I might found the reason why, but remember its kinda hearsay but not by much either by looking at some other information. well I'm doing some searching about outdoor wood burning furnaces & I'm hearing ashes are corrosive to steel, which would explain why my bowls are rusting away inside. plus outdoor wood burning furnaces have some special kind of stainless steel inside or bricks at the bottom inside.

now I really wished I spent the little extra money to buy a stainless steel 7 in 1 model vs the normal steel model :(
I think when I buy my next smoker/grill it WILL be a stainless steel model so I dont need to worry about it rusting away or ever needing to buy another one.

[Canuk Pepperhead]

my trick ive alys used for the grill is I never clean it till the next time I bbq..the oils keep it lubercated and will never rust..I see alot of peeps wrap their grills in tin foil...big no no..fastest way to rot a grill..they never get oil and well put 2+2 together
my side pot is stainless so im lucky I guess but the frame isnt...I got tonnes of undersurface rust I have to deal with and the bbq is 4-5 years old...time for the sander and tremclad

[chilehunter]

I really dont know right now about the reason or facts about grills rusting away or to keep them longer, I just dont know. but I dont do anything to my grills except taking a wire brush to the rack & thats more like 50/50 if I do or dont :lol:

I'm kinda kicking myself for not spending the extra money for stainless steel, thinking I'd save some money but am I really saving money if I need to buy another one down the road ? I know the one I have will last some more years but if I had a stainless I wouldnt even need to worry about it or even buy another almost ever again!

I guess you could say if you're gonna do it, do it right! spend the extra money for a stainless steel model IF you can afford it.

[LUCKYDOG]

I was looking at one at wallymart that was gas but feom all the reading I have been doing I found a nice one at lowes..Problem is they still havnt built a lowes yet the next city over..Mind toy I found the equivalent at Home depo I think ill pick up this spring

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=944075&Ntt=944075&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber of course the side box is extra and it looks like the price has gone up since I looked last

I have the Char-Griller like that very similar you'll love it but I dont think that price includes the side fire box just make sure you get that!

Okie -- I like that one alot! I like the two "zones" on it

[okie joe]

http://www.academy.com/index.php?pag...262-40521-5051 Thanks for the comment I think it would be great especially all in one joe

[cheezydemon]

Oiling the grates of a grill with spent frying oil does wonders. Lube it before use and after you scrub it and it won't rust or stick.