Lets Build a Smoker

[hog warden]

There was another thread started over the weekend about a different SS, and I seem to recall that smoke took 12 to 14 hours? This being the case, there would be something to be said for an electric heat source that is "set it and forget it" simple. If you have the ability and equipment to wire one up, that would not be a bad way to go.

I'd stuff my sausages in the morning. Hang them to dry for the 4 to 5 hours. Smoke for 4 hours plus, and by that time, it's close to 6 to 8 PM.....or target to finish the smoking part around your bedtime......with close to 8 hours remaining. Go to bed and see how it turned out in the morning. I don't think I'd trust this gas unit or a wood burner with that, but I might an electric. Nothing is really happening but a slow temperature creep. I do mean slow!

BTW, forgot to mention, I weighed the gas tank before and after and I used 2# of propane. At 75 cents a pound, that came to $1.50 for my fuel cost, not counting the cost of the smoking chips.

 

[hog warden]

New development in the drum smoker concept. On the summer sausage I did to test this thing, half of it was cold smoked for about 6 to 8 hours the day before, then simply cooked. The cold smoked version turned out to be a better product than the stuff I smoked and cooked together. I'll try it again to confirm, but if this pans out, this smoking sausage thing just got a whole lot easier.

Cold smoke one day. Cook the next. Not having to do both together is butt easy simple.

 

[deerjackie]

why not put burner inside barrel? i built one with side burner off a gas grill and left the vent screen just outside the barrel for fresh air.you are correct about the flame going out. vent for 5 min and relight. thanks. trying to get my sausage from being dry. forgot the fat. lol.all else fine,took 12 hrs at 175 f to get 156 internal. dj in TN