- Dec 3, 2019
- 10
- 8
I rescued a 50 year old boiler vessel from the clutches of nature recently. It measures 4 ft in diameter and is about 6 1/2 feet long. Have started a smoker build project with it. It is 1/4 " side walls with thicker top and bottom riveted onto it. So far, I have just cut the front access door out with my plasma cutter. I figure I can install 6 removable racks (48 inches in diameter) with 8 inches of space between them. I would like to be able to do hot and cold smoking with this unit. I already have an old homebuilt barrel woodstove to set up some distance away and plumb the cold smoke into the unit, via flexible aluminum pipe (that should work???) and I am just deciding on the hot smoke part of the design.
I am leaning towards propane heat, to be able to control the temperature more easily. Then a wood chip box over that and a heat deflector / diffuser on top of that all. Then a pot of water on top of the heat deflector / diffuser. I was going to make the heat deflector in a way that it also serves as a drip tray to make cleanup easier. I live in northern Canada so need to be able to use store bought wood chips for smoke, as we only have spruce, pine and alder up here.
I have ZERO experience with smokers and smoker builds, aside from eating alot of it at "D.B.'s Rustic Iron BBQ" in Terlingua, Texas each winter during holidays! haha
So, any and all advice will be greatly appreciated and considered. Such as, how long of a stack should I put on the smoker and what diameter? Should it be centered in the middle of the unit? Propane burner options?
Thanks!
CLINT
I am leaning towards propane heat, to be able to control the temperature more easily. Then a wood chip box over that and a heat deflector / diffuser on top of that all. Then a pot of water on top of the heat deflector / diffuser. I was going to make the heat deflector in a way that it also serves as a drip tray to make cleanup easier. I live in northern Canada so need to be able to use store bought wood chips for smoke, as we only have spruce, pine and alder up here.
I have ZERO experience with smokers and smoker builds, aside from eating alot of it at "D.B.'s Rustic Iron BBQ" in Terlingua, Texas each winter during holidays! haha
So, any and all advice will be greatly appreciated and considered. Such as, how long of a stack should I put on the smoker and what diameter? Should it be centered in the middle of the unit? Propane burner options?
Thanks!
CLINT