# smoker box for the OldSmokey



## captjack50 (Aug 8, 2014)

smoker box for the OldSmokey

since i got started in cooking SousVide i have started to cold smoke my meat before i put it into the bag and into the SousVide bath.
the easist setup i had was to put my AMNPS - A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker tray in the emmiter pan of my CharBroil RED gas grill.
I knew that my setup wasn't very "cold" smoking and i was worried about bacteria growth with the chamber temps in the low 100s.













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






i decided to do a temperature test to see what the true temps were, and if ice would help hold the temps down in the smoking chamber.
using my Maverick ET-732 dual probe thermometer, i stuck the food probe into a potato
and i added a bag of ice cubes to help hold down the cabinet temp
i like to burn both ends of my AMNPSmoker tray at the same time to increase the smoke
but it also increases the temperature













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






this is my outdoor thermometer that i use for the ambient temp













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this is the 2 hour test in the CB RED
even with the bag of ice (which still hadn't completely melted at 2hrs)
the cabinet temp got up to 129° with the AMNPSmoker in the same cabinet
which bothered me with a 2 hour cold smoke













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I starting looking at other message boards for ideas for an external smoker box.
the one that caught my eye was using a metal mailbox and running metal duct pipe to the side of a smoker box.
I love to cook on my OldSmokey more than any other cooker i have.
I decided to build a smoker box for the OS
I use aluminum pans in a bunch of different ways cooking in the OS so i got the idea to use two metal pans face to face (just like the OldSmokey ;)
and clip it together with bulldog clips.
the 22"OldSmokey comes with two vents in the bottom and two in the lid (the smaller units only have one top & bottom)
when you buy a 22"OS the two bottom vents are both controlled with one long damper that pivots over both holes.
i wanted to be able to adjust the two bottom vents separately, so when I was first putting it together i put two of the shorter top vent dampers on the bottom.
the vent holes are around 1.5/8" in diameter. i wanted to use one of the bottom vent holes without modifying the bottom of the OS,
so i had to work with the 1.5/8" hole
the flange pipes are for a "P" trap on a sink drain $3 each
the aluminum flex pipe is for a carburetor pre-heater $7 at the auto parts store
the aluminum pans are $1 each at the grocery store ;)
and hose clamps
i poked intake holes around the bottom of the bottom pan with an icepic/awl
and used a box cutter to carefully cut out the hole in the lid for the bottom flange pipe













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__ captjack50
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now for a cold smoke temperature test
the way i have been using my AMNPSmoker tray is to load the trough about 3/4 full with pellets
then i sprinkle small hickory chips on the pellets
i use the aluminum balls to keep the load tight in the trough
what you see in the pic is about a 2 hour burn
this was the first time i had one of the troughs go out, not burn
i'm pretty good at torching the ends at the beginning until they flame on their own
then let the flame go out on it's own and the trough is lit
i'll do another test to see if both troughs burn
i may add more intake holes in the bottom pan? after the next test
i added some ceramic tiles under the tray to protect the aluminum pan from the propane torch when i light the tray













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






even though it was only one trough burning it made one heck of a smoke bomb in the OldSmokey

this makes an incredible smoker













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






what was incredible was how the exterior temp of both the OldSmokey &the smoker box stayed even with the ambient temperature.













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__ captjack50
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i added an aluminum pan of ice cubes in the bottom. they were only half melted at 2 hours













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






notice on the test how low the ice cubes kept the temp in the cabinet, 8° below the ambient temp
and at 2 hours the cabinet temp in the OldSmokey was 38° below the cabinet temp in the CB RED
and the potato ended up 18° below the potato from the CB RED













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 8, 2014






what is GREAT about this setup is, i can add smoke to any cook in the OldSmokey
single sided indirect cooks in the 200°s
double sided indirect roasting for birds in the 300°s
direct over the coals at 8"
screaming grilling on the GrillGrates at 4½"













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## kc5tpy (Aug 11, 2014)

Hello.  Folks dismiss this cheap and nasty smoker.  I am from Tx., now live in England.  The first time I used one ( many years ago ) I thought "this piece of cheap cr** can't work and won't last".  WAS I WRONG!!  GREAT ideas for mods to that great little smoker.  I bought and shipped the 18" over here about 10 years ago and it is still going strong.  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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## captjack50 (Aug 11, 2014)

KC5TPY said:


> Hello.  Folks dismiss this cheap and nasty smoker.  I am from Tx., now live in England.  The first time I used one ( many years ago ) I thought "this piece of cheap cr** can't work and won't last".  WAS I WRONG!!  GREAT ideas for mods to that great little smoker.  I bought and shipped the 18" over here about 10 years ago and it is still going strong.  Keep Smokin!
> 
> Danny


*KC5TPY *- I'm from Houston, home of the OldSmokey. it is originally the Burkhead manufacturing company on the north side of downtown.

in the 70s the Jamison family from the Memorial area of Houston bought out the Burkheads, and still own it.

it is in the same building it has been manufactured in since 1923.

http://www.oldsmokey.com/blogs/stories/10545973-the-history-of-old-smokey-products-company

just last month we had the 2nd OldSmokey Throwdown in Galveston. it is the most fun bbq cookoff i have ever been to

just 3 catagories- wings, country style pork ribs, & anything wrapped in bacon ;)

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=10223.0

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=10256.0

http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=10390.0













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__ captjack50
__ Aug 11, 2014






_*CaptJack - Houston*_


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## kc5tpy (Aug 11, 2014)

Hello.  That little cheap and nasty smoker is the REAL DEAL!!!!  I'd put it up against anything on the market.  Has a few quirks and you need to "play" with it but you can smoke what ever you chose on that sucker.  It has worked for almost 85 years so why change it??  Folks in "God's country" know how to build smokers!  Keep Smokin!

Danny


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