07-17-2010, 11:19 AM
"Is it bad to love a smoker!?!?!"
[cool][#0000ff]Better to have loved and smoked than to never have smoked at all. (Sorry)[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Over the years I have seen and built smokers from just about anything with a bit of space inside that will hold meat, fish or poultry and something that will burn wood chips. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Old ovens and refrigerators make good smokers, since they have insulation and racks. You just have to make some holes for oxygen at the bottom and ventilation at the top.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have also seen creditable smokers made from metal garbage cans (new or newly cleaned). You need to create the necessary holes in the bottom and lid...and add metal racks for the stuff you smoke...and a small door at the bottom to insert a hot plate and pan for the chips. But they work fine.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since a properly heated and ventilated smoker never puts out more than 200 degrees of internal heat, you can even used a wood box. Find some metal racks (steel...not plastic coated) and build a wooden enclosed frame around them. Best to have a front opening door and removeable racks...for easier loading and shifting during smoking. Again, a plain old electric hot plate with adjustable heat control will serve as a heat source. A metal pie plate or small fry pan will hold your wood chips. Don't use cheap aluminum ones. They will burn through on the hot plate.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Oh yeah, it really is okay to love your smoker. But "mixed marriages" usually don't work out well.[/#0000ff]
[signature]
[cool][#0000ff]Better to have loved and smoked than to never have smoked at all. (Sorry)[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Over the years I have seen and built smokers from just about anything with a bit of space inside that will hold meat, fish or poultry and something that will burn wood chips. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Old ovens and refrigerators make good smokers, since they have insulation and racks. You just have to make some holes for oxygen at the bottom and ventilation at the top.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have also seen creditable smokers made from metal garbage cans (new or newly cleaned). You need to create the necessary holes in the bottom and lid...and add metal racks for the stuff you smoke...and a small door at the bottom to insert a hot plate and pan for the chips. But they work fine.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Since a properly heated and ventilated smoker never puts out more than 200 degrees of internal heat, you can even used a wood box. Find some metal racks (steel...not plastic coated) and build a wooden enclosed frame around them. Best to have a front opening door and removeable racks...for easier loading and shifting during smoking. Again, a plain old electric hot plate with adjustable heat control will serve as a heat source. A metal pie plate or small fry pan will hold your wood chips. Don't use cheap aluminum ones. They will burn through on the hot plate.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]Oh yeah, it really is okay to love your smoker. But "mixed marriages" usually don't work out well.[/#0000ff]
[signature]