My Smoker Build

[Dan's EB]

So this is a build thread for the smoker I built. Unfortunately I forget to take pictures while I building so there aren't too many.
I scored a 60 gallon compressor at a garage sale that had a bad pump. At first I was planning on repairing it but after it sat on my back porch for 6 months I decided to build a smoker.
This is what I started with.


I cut the motor and pump off, drew out where I thought the doors should be and started cutting.



The tank was powder coated so I had to burn and grind that off to weld the door hinges on.



I got a pre cut 18" round piece of steel at the local steel supply to use as a diffuser between the fire and the grill. Cut a few wedges out of it to make it cone shaped.


Door latch


Dan

 

[madison069]

Is it complete yet? Looks like a good start!

 

[930dreamer]

Nice work on the smoker.

 

[great white tj]

Nice job..

 

[william.m.hamilton2]

Very cool! I have been contemplating a smoker build, but that is way down on my honeydew list.

 

[TauntDevil]

NICE! You are not far from me. Should have a bbq xD

 

[Dan's EB]

Like I mentioned in my first post I'm bad at taking pictures as I'm building.

The next step was to make 3 grill grates/shelves.
I took the 1/4"x18" circle I purchased and bent 1/2" solid rod around it's circumference to make a hoop then used grating on top to make the grills.

This pic I took this morning. A little crusty and rusty because it was the bottom grate the charcoal sat on.




After the grills were mounted and the smoke stack completed I took the smoker and had it sand blasted, mostly to get rid of rust and oils on the inside.
I then painted it with a sponge roller and a quart of high heat BBQ paint.



Dan

 

[Dan's EB]

I got the smoker all painted up and ready to cook something. The interior was sandblasted clean bare metal so I wiped it down with liberal coat of olive oil and started a fire to season it a bit.
I have smoked a bunch of different meats in this thing over tha past year or so and found that I'm not real good at tending to the fire. I'll get it going good and as the wood/charcoal burns out I add more and the temp spikes. I go get involved in mowing the lawn, working on the bronco, running errands or what ever and next thing I know the fire is almost out so I stoke it up again and it spikes. Keeping at a constant temp is difficult especially over a 12 to 14 hour smoke for a brisket.




Dan

 

[GDPossehl]

Wow, that's pretty impressive and a great size/footprint. Would a remote firebox mounted to the side of it with an adjustable vent help keeping the temps more consistent?

 

[Dan's EB]

Wow, that's pretty impressive and a great size/footprint. Would a remote firebox mounted to the side of it with an adjustable vent help keeping the temps more consistent?

Maybe so. I think this thing is really effecient since it's vertical. It takes about 15 charcoal briquets to get it to 250 degrees. An hour later it's starting to cool down so I add 8 more and it spikes to 325 or so then starts ramping down until add add more charcoal. It takes constant attention.

Dan

 

[3 Gun Shooter]

Don't use charcoal, I use post oak, you need to tend the fire ever 1/2 hour for 12-14 hours for brisket.

I prefer an offset smoker, make a separate fire box.

Get a copy of Aaron Franklin's new book, he explains a lot in it.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I got the smoker all painted up and ready to cook something.

Looks AWESOME !

Keeping at a constant temp is difficult especially over a 12 to 14 hour smoke for a brisket.

Do you have any way of sealing the door ?

Some people use Weber grills for smoking and there are a several different
commercially available and home brew temperature controlled, automatic bottom dampers. These models seems very popular PitmasterIQ. The cool thing about this, is you can use a LOT of charcoal to start with so you will not have to add more, except for wood chips.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Very nice job. I enjoyed just seeing that cutaway view of the compressor tank.

 

[neonnblack]

Maybe so. I think this thing is really effecient since it's vertical. It takes about 15 charcoal briquets to get it to 250 degrees. An hour later it's starting to cool down so I add 8 more and it spikes to 325 or so then starts ramping down until add add more charcoal. It takes constant attention.

Dan

I would suggest making a basket and loading it with charcoal. Light your 15 or so and pour it on top of the unlit charcoal. You're going to get a huge cook time and not have to worry about it as much.

As a side note, a very large portion of the BBQ'ing community (myself included) agree that 300 +/- 15 or 20 degrees is perfectly acceptable to cook at. 20 hour cooks are nonsense and wont provide better results.

A few racks of ribs at 325 which is roughly where my smoker sits takes about 4-5 hours depending. 30 pounds of pork **** took 8 or so and a decent size brisket is also around 8 or so maybe up to 10 sometimes.

 

[neonnblack]

Awesome smoker build by the way, looks great.

 

[MarkG]

hmmm.......I wonder if I could convert my mini-woodburning project to a smoker! Single-serving size!

 

[tiggi]

You can easily convert it to electric. That's how I built mine. I have PID controller that controls the temp so I can set it and forget it.

 

[Dan's EB]

You can easily convert it to electric. That's how I built mine. I have PID controller that controls the temp so I can set it and forget it.

Good idea, I like keeping it simple.
A few guys I work with have Traeger pellet feed smokers and are always raving about how great they are. I looked at one at a store and didn't like how thin the metal was or how they were constructed, they looked mass produced. But I did like the pellet feeder.
I found a complete pellet feed assembly with PID control on line so I bought it.
I cut a hole in the side of the smoker, flanged it with 1" angle iron and mounted the pellet feed assembly. The purists may not like it but it works for me.



Dan

 

[Marc Benjamin]

Some people use Weber grills for smoking and there are a several different
commercially available and home brew temperature controlled, automatic bottom dampers. These models seems very popular PitmasterIQ. The cool thing about this, is you can use a LOT of charcoal to start with so you will not have to add more, except for wood chips.

I'm one of those guys!

Thanks to my little IQ unit, I'm able to keep a chimney's worth at 225 for a at least 6 hours.

Heck I even have it set up for a rotisserie.

Dan,

What's the temperature variance between the top and bottom grates? About 30?

 

[Dan's EB]

What's the temperature variance between the top and bottom grates? About 30?

I'm not sure but I think it's closer that that. I'll get a pic next time I fire it up. I have thermometers at 3 different spots. The probe for the pellet feeder is just below the top grill.

 

[csp]

Another homemade PID electric user here. Mine was a water pressure tank.

I use pellets for smoke in one of AMaze-N-Products tube smokers. I get about eight hours of smoke out of a 12" tube.

 

[kjdhawkhill]

I'm not real good at tending to the fire. I'll get it going good and as the wood/charcoal burns out I add more and the temp spikes. I go get involved in mowing the lawn, working on the bronco, running errands or what ever and next thing I know the fire is almost out so I stoke it up again and it spikes. Keeping at a constant temp is difficult especially over a 12 to 14 hour smoke for a brisket.

Try getting yourself one of these, I've found it to be a very reliable reminder. I can see where a 14 hours smoke would get difficult, though, I usually am cooking ribs for no longer than 5 hours.