Trash Can Smoker?

[chuk hell]

I got the idea from one of Alton Brown's ideas. So did this guy:

http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html


I'm thinking of making one of these specificly to smoke chiles, since I already have a Texas style smoker. The problem I've had trying to smoke my own chipotles is that they end up tasting as much like grease and meat as they do smoke....so I think they need their own smoker.

Now I read here:

http://www.barbecuen.com/faqsnew.htm

that because metal garbage cans have a coating of zinc that this is a bad idea. If heated to 400º the zinc becaomes toxic. 400º, BTW, is higher than you ever want for smoking but if using fire temps can and do spike. Someone else on another message board, who claims to have a background in assessment of human health risk from exposure to unregulated hazardous waste sites, said that any extra exposure to zinc would be minimal and not enough to worry about. People do take zinc as a supplement.

Thoughts?

[imaguitargod]

I say go for it. In fact, I just may go for it as well.

[bubbaschili]

seems like alton used the same concept but used a cpl of those huge ceramic potters that you get at the pottery barn...it seems to me that the trash can would be easier to work with?? dont know if the pots would hold heat mabey a little better??

[thehotpepper.com]

A few options, not sure how effective.

Buy non-galvanized can.
Sandblast the galvanized coating off.
Coat the can with heat safe black spray paint.

[imaguitargod]

A few options, not sure how effective.

Buy non-galvanized can.
Sandblast the galvanized coating off.
Coat the can with heat safe black spray paint.
And let's not forget...
Remove the trash before use.
Tell your roommates that they are not to put any more trash in the can... :rolleyes:

[bubbaschili]

leave the trash in dude...its called flavor

[imaguitargod]

leave the trash in dude...its called flavor
Ah yes, I have heard of the famous 3 month old diaper chipotle jalapeno.

[bubbaschili]

my favorite time to garbage can smoke is right after you clean out the fridge...all the stuff you have no idea what it is its just blue and hairy....mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[CM JB]

I got the idea from one of Alton Brown's ideas. So did this guy:

http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/elecsmoker.html


I'm thinking of making one of these specificly to smoke chiles, since I already have a Texas style smoker. The problem I've had trying to smoke my own chipotles is that they end up tasting as much like grease and meat as they do smoke....so I think they need their own smoker.

Now I read here:

http://www.barbecuen.com/faqsnew.htm

that because metal garbage cans have a coating of zinc that this is a bad idea. If heated to 400º the zinc becaomes toxic. 400º, BTW, is higher than you ever want for smoking but if using fire temps can and do spike. Someone else on another message board, who claims to have a background in assessment of human health risk from exposure to unregulated hazardous waste sites, said that any extra exposure to zinc would be minimal and not enough to worry about. People do take zinc as a supplement.

Thoughts?
Kewl that sounds great:onfire:

[P_Schneider]

The coolest, and most practical smoker I've seen was one made out of an old fridge. Plenty of rack space and ideal for chiles.

[sixstring75]

I wouldn't recommend it. At one point in time I was assigned to a project that involved automated cutting of galvinized steel with a plasma cutter. I've seen and smelled the yellow smoke. Bad stuff man, bad stuff. Even though in most applications you would not exceed 250 degrees.

I think smoking at 400 degrees is called baking.

[DEFCON Creator]

Some find the toxins nasty, we here in NJ find it a delicacy. It makes a great smoker for the 3-headed toads we find in the mercury-ridden swamps of the Meadowlands area. Not only does it taste like strontium-90, it has that retro taste of uranium-235 like grandpappy used to make.

[Cap'n Bones]

I hear that the folks in Jersey use treated lumber for their smokers. Luv that arsenic!!

[DEFCON Creator]

It's not the arsenic that give it that tang, it's the chromium. Best part is, it makes your teeth look like well-polished hubcaps.

[imaguitargod]

it has that retro taste of uranium-235 like grandpappy used to make.
I never liked the uranium 235, I prefer the taste of reactor grade Plutonium-238.

[darthcarl]

I never liked the uranium 235, I prefer the taste of reactor grade Plutonium-238.

I have good luck with the Uranium myself. maybe because it's local. I do like to have night BBQ with glow-in-the-dark smoked meats.

[DEFCON Creator]

I never liked the uranium 235, I prefer the taste of reactor grade Plutonium-238.

Too expensive.

[imaguitargod]

Too expensive.
Not if you go to Wal-Mart, they have a great "two-ton-for-one" deal going on.

[Dyce51]

if your gonna build this type os smoker...buy an un galvenized garbage can or a (NEW) plain steel barrel!! The zinc in the galvenizing is toxic. I have welded galvenized and zinc coat steel in the past....unique smoke....I paid for it for a day or 2 the headache was one of the worst I ever had....If you cannot find one plain then have a new garbage can bead blasted and paint it. just my 2 cents :)

[Dan@BLP Labels]

Here is the Alton Brown Ceramic Smoker - I am making one this spring!


http://homepage.mac.com/dubmann/PhotoAlbum1.html

[Sickmont]

if your gonna build this type os smoker...buy an un galvenized garbage can or a (NEW) plain steel barrel!! The zinc in the galvenizing is toxic. I have welded galvenized and zinc coat steel in the past....unique smoke....I paid for it for a day or 2 the headache was one of the worst I ever had....If you cannot find one plain then have a new garbage can bead blasted and paint it. just my 2 cents :)

Oh man, no sh*t...i can relate to that. I got my head twisted up bad welding terne plate(lead-coated galvanized steel) once. "Unique smoke" is a severe understatement.

[P_Schneider]

Here is the Alton Brown Ceramic Smoker - I am making one this spring!


http://homepage.mac.com/dubmann/PhotoAlbum1.html

That is a great idea! Leave it to Alton.

[bentalphanerd]

go over the can with an oxy torch first to burn off the dodgy stuff, you don't know what they mix with the zinc to make it stick.

[DevilDuck]

I don't know where they get the mesquite chips here in New Mexico, but the smoke has a nice green glow at night...

[imaguitargod]

I don't know where they get the mesquite chips here in New Mexico, but the smoke has a nice green glow at night...

Chernobyl.

[cyotefishing]

Here where I reside we have stacks of mesquite just like you would trees in the yard. 2 smokers(metal barrels) fixed horizontally and a pipe vertically. Typical Texas BBQ. SMOKE SMOKE SMOKE was the key word when I moved out here. Thats all fine and dandy for brisket that takes 10-14 hours to smoke. Having lived in the Carolinas, I darn sure missed my pork BBQ. Ol man finally broke down and got a "grill"...guess what? He still is a man! Round these parts thought a grill to be less than. Mesquite is OK...but can be somewhat overwhelming...miss hickory at times.

[shayneyasinski]

people !!!!!!!!!!!!!1
broken water heaters are all over the place and make a safe place to cook food your gonna eat.
old fridges are a bad idea .
a cold smoker sure but start heating up plastic that was made in the 60's and you are asking for a lump on your balls.
70 bucks at walmart buys you a smoker box .
keep the old fridge in the landfill...

s

[Canuk Pepperhead]

That flower pot idea is kinda neat.I might look into it for something to do...as for the refridgerator smoker..When I was thinking about doing it myself the fridge woulda been stripped clean then sterilazed(yes my spelling sucks lol)...If I owned my own place I would have done that but thats a story for another day....Where did fridges come into this conversation anyways??

[cheezydemon]

I made a ceramic smoker a couple of years ago and would still be using it if we hadn't moved.
It worked well. I used two huge terre cottas one on top of the other, fire in the bottom.
The bottom one eventually cracked. So I re-built it by burying the bottom one with a piece of downspout buried along side to carry air down to the hole in the bottom.
It worked fantastic.
It is worth drilling a couple of holes and putting a handle on the top one, a temp guage in the side, and some bolts to hold the grate or grates.