Smokers

[ATbuckhunter]

Who here has ever built a smoker before? Im thinking about building a small smoker (just big enough to smoke a couple deer hams and shoulders) to smoke a deer this year. Last year the landowner of the property I shot my buck on asked for one of the legs to smoke and when he gave me a few pieces to try I fell in love with it. I always loved smoked meat and my father always smoked a calf each year growing up, but for some reason we never thought about building one ourselves. The landowner is always smoking sausage each year, but I always felt it was too much to ask since he already is kind enough to let us hunt his land for so many years. One of the things I want to do is try and make it so I can take it down when I'm done smoking the meat. Im thinking of using bolts in some critical spots to break it up into 4 or 5 pieces. Maybe im crazy and im asking for too much, but anyone think its possible?

[stoneam2006]

Anything is possible with good design have you searched Google to see if anyone has build a portable smoker or something similar

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[turkeyfeathers]

My smoker of $50 was bought at Lowes. Years ago , sits in my driveway. I shovel around it. IF you don't feel like making one. I use it all the time.


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[ATbuckhunter]

4 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

My smoker of $50 was bought at Lowes. Years ago , sits in my driveway. I shovel around it. IF you don't feel like making one. I use it all the time.


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For 50 bucks I may just go that route. I prefer to build one, but if my design thoughts not practical Ill definitely go that route. 

[Bionic]

My dad built a smoker, it works incredibly.

it looks like an out house in a way, but is about 2'x 2'.  The fire box is on the bottom and it consists of stones concreted together sort of like an old house foundation, it has a wooden door that has inside heat shield so the wood does not catch fire, the door also has a ait flow adjustability.  He also has metal that sits over the fire with small perimeter gapping to allow the smoke to rise.  The top box where the meat hangs, is made out of wood, sort of board and batten.  It has metal rods to hand the meat from.  He also has the witeless temperature monitor that allows him to know what the inside of the smoker temp is, and meat temp I believe.

its his passion, he loves it.

Edited October 25, 2016 by Bionic

[ATbuckhunter]

13 minutes ago, Bionic said:

My dad built a smoker, it works incredibly.

it looks like an out house in a way, but is about 2'x 2'.  The fire box is on the bottom and it consists of stones concreted together sort of like an old house foundation, it has a wooden door that has inside heat shield so the wood does not catch fire, the door also has a ait flow adjustability.  He also has metal that sits over the fire with small perimeter gapping to allow the smoke to rise.  The top box where the meat hangs, is made out of wood, sort of board and batten.  It has metal rods to hand the meat from.  He also has the witeless temperature monitor that allows him to know what the inside of the smoker temp is, and meat temp I believe.

its his passion, he loves it.

That's pretty much what I was thinking of making. The only difference is i want to use bolts to hold the 4 walls together so I can take it apart when i'm done. What did he use as a heat shield? 

[Bionic]

I should have mentioned that the smoker I described is more for bulk smoking, when he makes snack sticks, smoked sausage, smoked hams, pork bellies...

My dad will use a regular metal drum style smoker if hes smoking ribs for dinner though, or meals like that.

[Bionic]

If you have the time to tinker, and build one, I would, the smile on my dad's face everytime I see him use it, is priceless.

[Bionic]

7 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

That's pretty much what I was thinking of making. The only difference is i want to use bolts to hold the 4 walls together so I can take it apart when i'm done. What did he use as a heat shield? 

Its like road sign metal, NOT galvanized, but I guess like 1/8" thick steel plate as heat shield.  

 

Bolting/unbolting could work.  They also sell that fire proof rope(like pellet stove doors have as a seal) if you find the seems leak too much smoke.  

[ATbuckhunter]

6 minutes ago, Bionic said:

I should have mentioned that the smoker I described is more for bulk smoking, when he makes snack sticks, smoked sausage, smoked hams, pork bellies...

My dad will use a regular metal drum style smoker if hes smoking ribs for dinner though, or meals like that.

I would be smoking in bulk usually, like a whole leg of a deer or even 4 legs it its possible to fit it in there. They would be broken down into separate cuts. The plan is to build it when I have time to have it ready for next season or if im lucky to get another deer this year, it'll be for that deer.

[Bionic]

That sounds perfect!

[ATbuckhunter]

4 minutes ago, Bionic said:

Its like road sign metal, NOT galvanized, but I guess like 1/8" thick steel plate as heat shield.  

 

Bolting/unbolting could work.  They also sell that fire proof rope(like pellet stove doors have as a seal) if you find the seems leak too much smoke.  

I was planing on putting some type of weather stripping around it to keep as much of the smoke in the smoker as possible. Thanks for the advise about a heat shield...never thought about that. 

[Bionic]

I will have him send me a pic or two tomorrow of his setup.  Might give you some ideas.

 

The heat shield was a lesson learned to be honest, the door caught fire during the early stages, lol.  After that he lined the door in steel, and its been trouble free, works unbelievably well.

[Zem18]

If you go the 55 gallon metal drum route, be sure it is a food grade drum. You want to be sure it held food before and not some chemical that will affect your food after it heats up. Food for thought. Be sure to create a thread in the DIY section to show your progress if you do make one.

[stoneam2006]

I second the DIY thread.

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[Bionic]

Zem18 made a good point....

when I said metal drum style for smoking a meal for that night, I meant it is the store bought barbecue style smoker, that is drum shaped.

[Zem18]

Here's a link too for FG (food grade) drums

http://repurposedmaterialsinc.com/55-gallon-barrels/

[ATbuckhunter]

Appreciate all the info guys! Id love to see a pic of your fathers smoker if you get a pic.