Well I have decided to begin learning the art of smoking meat. I have zero experience. I do have a few friends that can show me the ropes but want to first make a smoker. Do you guys have suggestions? Any links/plans that you would recommend? I have a freezer with meat ready to smoke just need the smoker.
Homemade Smoker
- Thread starter mr_steve
- Start date
chuckyd313
New member
I seen one on here made with a 55 gallon drum. I dont remember who made it though.
chuckyd313
New member
I looked for the thread. I cant remeber who started it but i did find alot of delicious recipes.
I lucked out and found an Alto Sham cook and hold oven for dirt cheap and then added a home built smoke generator to it. It is like the Cadillac of smokers but I would think other ovens would be a great starting point of you wanted to go that route. Why did I go with the oven and generator?? easy painless temp control. Unless I was going to build something real large I would not use anything but electric for this reason. You can ruin a large batch of meat by going too hot and it will not take that long.
Kaitum
Well-known member
Below are some pictures of a smoker I made several years ago. I used a Brinkman gas smoker for years and it worked well, but when I moved to Alaska I wanted something with a much larger capacity so I could do a bunch of salmon at once. I use to have the plans for this one but can't find them at the moment, but it is fairly straight forward to build. I used T&G pine. The heat source pictured is not what I use, I ended up using the old heating element out of my Brinkman (still works great). This smoker will fit about 24 sockeye salmon fillets at once, I'm guessing most folks don't need one quite that big. Also works well for drying morel mushrooms 
Well I decided to go the Ugly Drum Smoker (UDS) route. Lot of information online and it seemed to have excellent results. Like a few of the guys said and electric heating element can be easier to control but this was easiest to make. Next I am buying a Traeger if I get real serious.
I started out by buying a drum from a local company for $25.
I then had two fires in it to burn out any possible residue inside but it was refurbished and looked very clean when I got it.
The barrel came with a removable top. I plan to eventually replace it with a 22.5 Weber kettle top.
Once it was burnt out I had a nice redneck looking barrel. Decided to leave it that way.
I then drilled a few holes for handles and grates to be attached. The grate is a top grate from a 22.5 inch weber grill. There are bolts for two grates. The one will be at the top for when I get the dome lid. Right now I can only use the one that is about 9" from the top.
Two essentials I added were a bottle opener and thermometer.
Since I live far away from the farm right now I decided to have a metal shop build the basket for the briquettes and wood. It was $125. Very well built but hate to pay for something I know I could build. The bottom is a 17" bottom grate from a 22.5 inch weber.
Here is the complete setup.
For my first smoke I decided to smoke ribs for the Seahwks and 49ers game. The day before I soaked the ribs in apple juice for 6 hours.
I then removed them and shook the excess liquid off. On the farthest plate I covered them in olive oil. From what I have read the thicker olive oil is better not the light or extra virgin kind. I then applied a rub I mixed up on fairly thick.
I bought 3 racks of ribs. One spare ribs and 2 loin backs or aka baby backs. I wrapped them and let that sit in the fridge overnight. The baby backs turned out way better not surprising.
The next day around 2:30pm I started preparing. I put a good base layer of briquettes in the basket. If you filled the basket you could last over 12 hours I would think. I then added apple wood chunks that I had soaked in water for an hour.
I started out by buying a drum from a local company for $25.
I then had two fires in it to burn out any possible residue inside but it was refurbished and looked very clean when I got it.
The barrel came with a removable top. I plan to eventually replace it with a 22.5 Weber kettle top.
Once it was burnt out I had a nice redneck looking barrel. Decided to leave it that way.
I then drilled a few holes for handles and grates to be attached. The grate is a top grate from a 22.5 inch weber grill. There are bolts for two grates. The one will be at the top for when I get the dome lid. Right now I can only use the one that is about 9" from the top.
Two essentials I added were a bottle opener and thermometer.
Since I live far away from the farm right now I decided to have a metal shop build the basket for the briquettes and wood. It was $125. Very well built but hate to pay for something I know I could build. The bottom is a 17" bottom grate from a 22.5 inch weber.
Here is the complete setup.
For my first smoke I decided to smoke ribs for the Seahwks and 49ers game. The day before I soaked the ribs in apple juice for 6 hours.
I then removed them and shook the excess liquid off. On the farthest plate I covered them in olive oil. From what I have read the thicker olive oil is better not the light or extra virgin kind. I then applied a rub I mixed up on fairly thick.
I bought 3 racks of ribs. One spare ribs and 2 loin backs or aka baby backs. I wrapped them and let that sit in the fridge overnight. The baby backs turned out way better not surprising.
The next day around 2:30pm I started preparing. I put a good base layer of briquettes in the basket. If you filled the basket you could last over 12 hours I would think. I then added apple wood chunks that I had soaked in water for an hour.
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Using the chimney starter, I ignited about 12 - 15 briqs. After the flame went out and they were covered in ash I placed them in the middle of the basket in an indent I had formed.
I placed the basket and closed the top.
I let the temp rise to about 250 and tried to keep it between 230 to 250 the entire time. In order to control the temp I drilled four 3/4" holes around the bottom. I used a magnet to control the amount of opening.
For the first two hours I let the ribs sit uncovered on the rack. I put one of my wife's coffee cups full of apple juice in there to help keep up the moisture. She doesn't want it back now she said. I also sprayed apple juice on them about every half hour.
After two hours we wrapped the ribs in foil and let them smoke for another 1.5 hours.
They turned out so moist and fell right off the bone while still holding together. The pictures don't do it justice. Boy am I stuffed tonight. I have a lot to learned and could have improved but a lot of information online made this happen so I thought I would share my experience.
I had a little beginner's luck I guess but it was a lot of fun and the wife was impressed. Next I might do a pork loin or a roast. Anybody smoke wild game? Suggestions?
I placed the basket and closed the top.
I let the temp rise to about 250 and tried to keep it between 230 to 250 the entire time. In order to control the temp I drilled four 3/4" holes around the bottom. I used a magnet to control the amount of opening.
For the first two hours I let the ribs sit uncovered on the rack. I put one of my wife's coffee cups full of apple juice in there to help keep up the moisture. She doesn't want it back now she said. I also sprayed apple juice on them about every half hour.
After two hours we wrapped the ribs in foil and let them smoke for another 1.5 hours.
They turned out so moist and fell right off the bone while still holding together. The pictures don't do it justice. Boy am I stuffed tonight. I have a lot to learned and could have improved but a lot of information online made this happen so I thought I would share my experience.
I had a little beginner's luck I guess but it was a lot of fun and the wife was impressed. Next I might do a pork loin or a roast. Anybody smoke wild game? Suggestions?
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CILhunter
New member
"Anybody smoke wild game? Suggestions?"
I have in the past smoked a venison rump roast. In order to keep it moist I covered it with home-made bacon, and smoked it to an IT of about 150*. The wife does not like meat with much red or pink in the middle, so 150 was the best I could do. The bacon fat kept it moist, though, so it was good. A little of my wife's bbq sauce and that was a tasty meal. I used hickory, as that was the same wood I had smoked the bacon with, but I have also had good results with apple.
I also use my smoker to start venison jerky. I marinate over night, then put about 45 - 60 minutes of apple wood smoke on it, before I finish in the "redneck dehydrator". Universally acclaimed by all, especially my nephews, when I pack it in their lunches for school, and all their friends in the 5th and 8th grades.
I have in the past smoked a venison rump roast. In order to keep it moist I covered it with home-made bacon, and smoked it to an IT of about 150*. The wife does not like meat with much red or pink in the middle, so 150 was the best I could do. The bacon fat kept it moist, though, so it was good. A little of my wife's bbq sauce and that was a tasty meal. I used hickory, as that was the same wood I had smoked the bacon with, but I have also had good results with apple.
I also use my smoker to start venison jerky. I marinate over night, then put about 45 - 60 minutes of apple wood smoke on it, before I finish in the "redneck dehydrator". Universally acclaimed by all, especially my nephews, when I pack it in their lunches for school, and all their friends in the 5th and 8th grades.
MTbowhunter84
Member
Those pictures got me starving!
emrah1028
New member
Excellent post. I'm in the same position as the OP, but I think I'm going the electric smoker route.
Emrah
Emrah
DRAFTSTUD
Well-known member
Dang it! Back east it's lunch time!!!! John
jvanderlinde
Member
I helped a friend of mine with a barrel smoker like that. We used a inducer motor threaded onto a 1'' rigid pipe. Its has a temp probe that plugs into a module. The module uses the probe as a thermostat and induces air into the smoker as needed. You can set the desired temp on the module. It just about works too good.
elkantlers
Well-known member
Looks great. If I lived closer, I would invite myself over for dinner.
