# How To Fab a Charcoal Basket For Your SnP



## solar (Feb 18, 2009)

I had posted this same thread a few months ago but it got lost in the crash, so I'll try to repost it from memory, which can be a little sketchy 
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






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First thing I did was fab a template out of cardboard and fit it in the fire box. I roughly measured the inside diam and figured I'd add 3" for the sides, and ended up with something like this.



Then tape up the sides and see how well it fits, you can use the mounting brackets in the firebox that were for the grill racks.





After you find a good fitting template, carefully take it apart and lay it on your sheet of expanded metal.



Then trace out your pattern and use whatever you have that can make clean cuts. I used a 4" die grinder with a diamond blade that worked very well. Don't forget the ear and eye protection!!





Then if you're lucky enough to have access to a Press Brake, bend the sides up on your lines. If you're like the rest of us you'll have to use some muscle and a bit of backyard engineering. I used a couple pieces of plywood and a gloved hand to bend the sides.



You'll have to work at it a while because Â¾" expanded metal is really tough to bend, if you don't bend it right on your "line" you'll end up with a bowl instead of a basket.

Once you get the sides bent, use "L" brackets and nuts, bolts and washers to fasten the sides, Once the sides are secure I flipped the basket upside down and tweaked the bottom by lightly pushing on it with my foot. Then test fit.



Should look similar to this when you're done.




*IMPORTANT WORD TO THE WISE!!*  Make sure you run a couple batches of charcoal through your basket to burn off the machine oils and such before you add any food to your smoker.  It'll smell the first 30 minutes or so then go away.


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## dionysus (Feb 18, 2009)

Excellent post ..... POINTS !!!!


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## seenred (Feb 18, 2009)

Thanks for the post, solar.  Good info.  Points for you


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## azrocker (Feb 19, 2009)

Points!


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## smoking gun (Feb 19, 2009)

Thanks Solar. Mine is a little different and my SnP is a little different as well. I'll take some pics and add them to this post.


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## rivet (Feb 19, 2009)

That was great!


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## solar (Feb 19, 2009)

How is yours different?  Is your SnP a newer one?  I think mine was built in the late 90's.


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## flagriller (Feb 19, 2009)

Wow, thanks for the info.


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## grothe (Feb 19, 2009)

Glad ya reposted this.....Nice job Brian!!!


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## smoking gun (Feb 20, 2009)

Yeah mine is the newer one. Looks like the top firebox door is larger on yours. I had to make my basket a little smaller because the door is smaller. Still no pics. I'll get some tomorrow. I'm smoking a butt and a loin.


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## smoking gun (Mar 6, 2009)

Ok I finally remembered this thread. lol I have a brake so I bent mine in the brake then folded "ears" to let the whole thing hang from the lip in the FB. Tack welded the corners.



Also took some 16 ga. flat steel and folded up a chip/chunk box.



FB with basket and box before the burn in.



Working great so far. :)


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## eaglewing (Dec 23, 2009)

Pretty freaking cool there Smoking gun...

I like that...


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## realtorterry (Dec 23, 2009)

Still new at smoking so maybe this sounds dumb but, whats the basket for? Does it hold the charcoal? I just lay mine on top on the supplied grate & the ashes fall through. Is the basket better?


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## rickw (Dec 23, 2009)

The basket helps in keeping the charcoal contained.


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## bizones (Mar 29, 2010)

Gonna build one!


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## dangarion (May 15, 2010)

I'm wondering if I could use one of those stainless steal grill pans for this  You know one of the ones with holes in it.

Sort of like one of these....

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Gr...atalogId=10053


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## ngasmokehead (May 16, 2010)

You sure can...that's the one I used. Think I got the idea from someone on here. it slides right in, or if you prefer, you can get whatever length bolts and put them in the corners securing with hex nuts.


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## pakak (Jun 9, 2010)

sorry but i have a stupid question.

does the finish basket (top of the basket) need to be level with the bottom of heat intake to the smoker?


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## smoking gun (Jul 14, 2010)

It doesn't have to be level with the intake but thats the way mine turned out. It's actually a bit below and the chunk box kinda fills the gap.


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## duffman (Jul 16, 2010)

Dumb beginner question here. Why do you have a separate basket for the wood? I have been throwing mine right on my coals.


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## eman (Jul 16, 2010)

Duff,

 That is actually a charcoal basket or a wood basket if you use wood in your sfb.

  Using the basket gets the coals up off the bottom of your fire box and closer to the intake . It allso gets them up out of the ashes . Also you can grab the basket every now and then and give it a shake so that the ashes fall down.  This all pomotes a cleaner more steady burn.


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## duffman (Jul 16, 2010)

I was actually looking at Smoking Guns's chip/chunk box he had in his pics.


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## eman (Jul 16, 2010)

Oops,

 I missed that pic ,

 If you use a seperate chip box .It keeps them from flaring up  You can move the box around so that the chips / chunks get enough heat to smoke but not so much that they just burn up.


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## duffman (Jul 19, 2010)

I tried using a metal wok and setting it on the grilling grates this weekend. I couldn't seem to keep the temperature hot enough after the first hour. I was wondering if the basket just wasn't big enough to hold enough charcoal or is setting it on the grilling grates was to high abouve the vent. When I took the basket and the grill grates out and built a fire on the provided charcoal grate it seemed to heat back up pretty fast but since I was almost done with the smoke I didn't see how long it lasted. Any ideas?


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## alelover (Jul 20, 2010)

I just built one last weekend. I had these 2 pieces of perforated metal I've had for about 20 years. I used the grates for the bottom. Quick. Easy. Free.













	

		
			
		

		
	
 I finally found a use for it thanks to this forum.


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## smoking gun (Jul 21, 2010)

DUFFMAN said:


> Dumb beginner question here. Why do you have a separate basket for the wood? I have been throwing mine right on my coals.


 The chunk box keeps the wood from burning up so quickly. Large chunks will lay in there and smolder for a long time. The whole idea of the charcoal basket is to provide better airflow to the coals by raising them off the bottom of the firebox and keeping them contained in the basket. You get more air underneath and on all sides. You get a more even burn and better control of temps.


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## azkitch (Jul 31, 2010)

I don't have but a Dremel--which makes cutting X Metal very tedious. So I just took a piece of expanded metal 26" X 10 or 12", and bent 5" each end up, making more of a charcoal tray--no front or back. It is higher, and the #9 expanded metal is much more sturdy than the original/very old charcoal grates. Works very well, and hasn't weakened at all from the use. 'Course, I have a UDS, so the SnP rarely gets used anyway!

I had pics, but my original computer is down, and I haven't had the ransom to get it back.

Oh, wait--Flickr! I changed to photobucket, virtually no limit. 200 pics on flickr. Here's one of 'em...


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## will85w4 (Mar 28, 2011)

Hello all,

This is my first post on the forums here and I realize that this thread is almost a year old, but I thought I'd ask a question anyways.  I have the Char-Broil American Gourmet Smoker Deluxe and haven't made any modifications to it as of yet.  I have read this entire thread and haven't read anything about the original charcoal grates that come with the smoker brand new.  I have had my smoker for almost a month now and have used it quite a few times already.  Most recently I did 18lbs of ribs (8lbs baby backs, 10lbs spares).  My charcoal grate is looking very used already.  It bends in the middle and is discolored.  Also, this last time I used the smoker, I built my fire in the smoker box using the minion method and got it started.  When I needed to adjust the air intake, it was stuck.  The heat was too intense for it I guess and it seized up.  I managed to get it free only after I was done with the smoke and almost had to pry it apart from the door where you can add more chunks, charcoal, etc...I guess what I'm getting at is that I need to build a charcoal box!  Thank you for this thread and all that contributed to it!  More mods on the way, just trying to determine if I should sacrifice my "warming" rack for a exhaust extension down to grate level...

-Will W.


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## craigroller (Jun 14, 2012)

where did you get the expand metal and what gage is it.


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## tularejohn (Dec 9, 2012)

This is my version of the charcoal basket I made today for use in my new Brinkmann Trailmaster....













IMG_0404.JPG



__ tularejohn
__ Dec 9, 2012


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## whartless (May 16, 2013)

I'm new to the world of smokers. I have made a few mods tou smoker and am currently working on a charcoal basket. How far off the bottom should the basket it?


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## jirodriguez (May 16, 2013)

whartless said:


> I'm new to the world of smokers. I have made a few mods tou smoker and am currently working on a charcoal basket. How far off the bottom should the basket it?


At least 3-4 inches preferable closer to 5.


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## whartless (May 16, 2013)

Awesome thanks for your help!


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## danbono (Jun 5, 2013)

Hi All Where do you get the metal for the basket? Was in Home Depot didn't see any there? What kind of metal should I look for?
Thanks Dan


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## dirtsailor2003 (Jun 5, 2013)

DanBono said:


> Hi All Where do you get the metal for the basket? Was in Home Depot didn't see any there? What kind of metal should I look for?
> Thanks Dan


Our HD doesn't carry any expanded metal either. However right next door at Lowes they do. It's been a while since I bought it but i think it's a 12"x24" piece, maybe 18"x24".


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## danbono (Jun 6, 2013)

Hi Dirtsailor2003 Was at Lowe's today and saw 12x24 18ga  1/2 holes expanded metal. Would that work for a charcoal basket?
Thanks Dan


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## dan01225 (Jun 2, 2014)

I looked In our home depot and couldn't find expanded steel.  On the web site it says our Home Depot has it.  Where is it located in Home Depot ?  What is it near ?


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## dan01225 (Jun 2, 2014)

Oh Geeze.  I just looked at it again .  It says which aisle and bin.


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## danbono (Jun 3, 2014)

Hi Look where they have the angle iron..I printed out the web page with the expanded metal and took that to the store

.













DSC01755.JPG



__ danbono
__ Jun 17, 2013


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## hokiesmoke (Jul 3, 2014)

For those who still might be wondering where to pick up expanded metal, check your local metal shops.  I called one near my house, and they just happened to have a scrap piece that measures 24" x 28" (perfect for a charcoal box).  The guy let me have it for $10.


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## jdmuth (Jan 23, 2017)

Smoking gun said:


> Ok I finally remembered this thread. lol I have a brake so I bent mine in the brake then folded "ears" to let the whole thing hang from the lip in the FB. Tack welded the corners.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like that little smoke box idea.


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