Can I work with this?

[smokingnewbie]

I've only smoked meat in ready-make smokers, and even that not too many times.  

I just moved into a new house with a build in grill. See the picture below.  It's an Argentinian style grill designed for asado (beef ribs).  The grate lifts and lowers by a pulley system with a handle on the side.  

 I don't know if there is some hack to transform the grill into a smoker, or whether you recommend starting from scratch.  

If you think it can be "salvaged" into a smoker, I'd love to hear how you would set up the smoke as well.

Some details:  it has a chimney, all the sides are brick, and the front is open.  I could probably cut a piece of metal to close up the front...  thanks in advance for the input.

 

[smokingnewbie]

Grill 1.jpg

• smokingnewbie
• Apr 13, 2013

This is a picture of the grill in question.

 

[more ice]

That thing is awesome. All this smoking food stuff started on an open pit so yes you can use that, Just gona be difficult to control temp. Hay like anything it will have a learning curve. That set up is better for a grill as it was built for that. But that thing has alot of potential just wish i could see it in person. Tell me more.

Does it have  air access under the rack or some sort of air dampiner  if you did put a door on it? then hell ya it can be a smoker

 

[bhawkins]

I believe it could be done. Personally I would put a steel insert into the bottom opening with a drawer for the fire to go in. At that point you could use diffuser plates with holes to allow smoke up to the cook chamber and give more convection heat instead of direct heat. Not sure how you do the top doors. The easiest I see right off would be to hinge that from the bottom, simply because of the arched top. Since you would be smoking there would be little to no need for opening that during a cook, so using thermo probes to moniter  temps you should be good. Also the drawer would allow for fire tending without losing heat up top. Once that puppy warms up to temp you could open the drawer and stoke the fire and not lose a degree. Just so you know, I have a cousin that has a brick pit with fire drawer, and the doors to the cook chamber are made from gauge sheet metal wrapped around a piece of plywood. Since your only talking 250* or so in the cook chamber the wood is fine. Would also be lighter if you do hinge from the bottom. Keep us posted on what you do. That thing is a work of art as is.