# Using aluminum in smoker??



## expat smoker

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I'm in the process of building my first real dedicated smoke box and have been looking around for what's easily available here in Thailand and I do see a lot of aluminum dish racks for quite cheap. They come in various sizes and are stackable.  If there are no issues with using aluminum, then I will stack a couple of the racks together, then place sheet metal [aluminum?] to close the box in.  If there are any issues with using the aluminum for racks/grates, then maybe I could place a steel grate over the aluminum.

I hope to use it for both hot and cold smoke and keep the temps less than 250f.

Comments appreciated..........


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## dward51

Don't see why aluminum would be an issue. People have been using aluminum pots at much higher heats than a smoker would produce for years.  Also a lot of people use aluminum angle stock to hang their sausages from when smoking or put food in disposable aluminum pans to cook it at oven temps.

Just stay away from galvanized metal as it can off gas some nasty stuff when heated enough.


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## i aim to smoke

The only thing I can think of why you don't want to use Aluminum is that it is a "LIGHT" i.e. low mass metal. The heavier the metal the longer and better it holds in the heat. Therefore, if you want a low and low cooker without having to add fuel every 5 minutes you go with steel. =)

I hope this helps,

Aric


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## tomolu5

I have read some articles that warn people with MS to stay away from aluminum in any eating or drinking capacity. If that is of no concern to you(hopefully it isn't), then I would think the heat retention would be the only downside. It is a very common practice to wrap ribs in the stuff for a couple hours.

Many thanks Jeff

Tom


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## michael ark

Their was a story out their at one time. That linked it with alztimers. But their is so much out their its hard to know who's study to trust .


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## dward51

And on the other hand how many people foil their ribs and shoulders for part of the cook and think nothing of it?  That's also aluminum. 

I think the issue with aluminum and cooking relates more to prolonged high heat exposure to acid products such as tomato based pasta sauces.  The temps we are dealing with are no where near what a pan in contact with a gas or electric stove burner is looking at.  I really doubt aluminum poses any issue at all in the way we would be using it.


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## daveomak

expat, morning.... If you are using wood to heat and fire the smoker, aluminum won't take the heat from a fire.....  I built a refer smoker for a friend... he had a skillet on a heating element... the chunks caught on fire and melted the aluminum angle iron I used for shelf brackets... burned up all the food too... the fat dripping on the chunks really got the temps up in the smoker....  Just something to think about...  

Dave


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