Anyone built their own Smoker?

[Killertraylor]

I'm running 2 big chiefs a few days a week now and I'd sure like a bigger smoker. I haven't been able to find any good ones locally that are larger - and I'd consider buying one if anyone knows where to find one. Unfortunately my wife won't go for the old metal refrigerator conversion. Has anyone built their own out of plywood? I'd like one about 4-5 feet tall and 3 feet wide - big enough to smoke a whole fillet if necessary. I'll put a hot plate in the bottom with a cast iron skillet for the chips. Anyone know where some good plans are on the net? I'm not that crafty with wood, but I built a really nice fillet table so I think I can build a smoker. Anyone have a big one they don't use and would like to sell or trade for a Buoy 10 fishing trip? As usual, thanks for your help.

Joe

[WaterDog]

Talk to bait o eggs. :rolleyes: He has a real nice “second” generation :wink: smoker he built. First one was good too but something about too much smoke, fire department, burned fences and trees or something got to it. :wink: graemlins/1zhelp.gif :grin:

[NEUTRON]

I wonder if Eggs will be famous for something
other than the "smoker"? When I saw the tittle of the thread, I was curious as to who would be the first to beat him up some more.

[Bait O' Eggs]

http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/blackeye/Eyecrazy.gif

[STRIKE ZONE]

4 sheets of T-1-11
2 sheets 1/2 inch ply wood
8 2x4x8's
4 4x4x8's
4 pier block's
1 latch
3 Large hinges
1 Old wood stove
5 to 10 feet of stove pipe
8 2x2x8's
3 rolls of wire mesh
Lots of nails / u shapeed tacks / lots and lots of
alder/cherry/apple fire wood
Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE
It looks like an out house but do a good job and match the colors of your house.
This project cost around $175.00 to $200.00
bucks but is well worht it.There's no batch to small or to big for this thing.You can also do turkey's / chicken / Ham's.

[Killertraylor]

Guess I missed the smoker story! I'll have to look for it in archives. When I posted this thread, I honestly was thinking "Roy probably has the nicest welded aluminum smoker around - maybe, just maybe, there's a chance he mass produces them for ifishers....."

Waterdog - are you saying I should get better insurance if I get the plans from Roy? :shocked: :shocked:

[Killertraylor]

Strike Zone - I thought at the end of your post you were going to say "cut all that wood up into small enough pieces to fit into the old wood stove....

The wife won't go for "outhouse" sized - and I've got several friends who drink too much and might pee in it...

I'm thinking more the size of a refrigerator, with the hotplate in the bottom type design.

BOE - do you have anything to suggest?

[Keta]

We built three (mine was prototype #2) out of stainless steel 6'x5'x3' commercial refrigerators with power louvers, fans, thermostats, hot plates and remote smoke generators. You can do the same with 1x2s and plywood and have a better smoker than the big chief. Old oven racks work great.

If your wife doesn't like the plywood box cover it with cedar shakes.

I don't like to cook my smoked fish so I had plenty of vent with a louver with an electric acuator that opened and closed with a thermostat and the hot plate came on and off as needed (85-90 degrees).

[WaterDog]

Maybe it should have been made of aluminum. You don’t need more insurance, just make sure you do one of two things:

1) don’t use to much flame or 2) keep it away from combustibles. (ie cedar fences, cedar trees, and the house) graemlins/idea.gif

We can laugh at it now since no one was hurt and everything has been fixed. I think his wife has sort of forgotten about it but that’s because there has been some other incidents since then. :hoboy: :wink: :tongue:

On a serious note, I do know a guy that built one out of hollow blocks (propane fired). I havent seen it but it makes some good smoked salmon.

[steelhead_fishn]

I'm going to attempt to build a smoker/grill combo into my deck using brick next summer, hopefully it works out. If anyone has any advice please pass it on:)

Jeff

[will_e_fish]

KillerT- I have made several out of wood fashioned like a food dehydrator using old oven racks or refer racks and crossing them with stainless wire mesh or smaller peices of fish will fall through. Continous hinge for the door ,a small fan and vents are good features. Following through with food dehyrator idea was to use a thermostat to shut off the burner elctricity when it got too hot so it might save your fence and trees.I have also used different elements or the burner as they seemed to burn out fast getting them used. Hot plates and electric broilers with long cords. As a precaution I wrapped the cord in a alumimum tape close to the burner. Set the burner on bricks and a steel plate as well. Learn to watch it closely to see how it smokes and burns chips. With all great ideas you will find, you may have to may modifications along the way as you find the need. It was a good one but the wood did not last forever and I need to make another one because I dont like the Brinkman I am now using. I can remember my dad saying about a smoker we built once" it doesnt have to be perfect you're not building a piano, but you can get some good eating smoked fish out of it"

[Keta]

Refer racks are plated with bad stuf :depressed: ! Oven racks are chrome.

[Gobbaworms]

Joe
Just thinking out loud here but the resins in fir and the glues in OSB might impart some off flavors. Maybe make a double wall; inside the smoker could be cedar fence boards and outside, whatever the wife wants.

I have lots of woodworking tools and experience to make things work. You buy, I make, maybe in trade for some trips?

At the very least, could help you design the one of your dreams.

[Myles]

here's a link to Amazon, a small, cheap book. They show 10 pages from it which might be half the book, but it looks simple and complete enough for just about anyone to build one.

One of the first things it says is not to use chrome or galvanised grills!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0882662953/qid=1029252127/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/103-7481472-9962213

myles

[Killertraylor]

Thanks Myles for the link. I'm going to go look at Roy's smoker. Sounds like he built one very similar to the one I need. He used galvanized mesh for the smoker racks - which might explain some of his posts.... :tongue:

Actually, I've heard of several people using galvanized - although I've also heard it's dangerous - but I think that was in the context of "don't breathe the fumes when you weld it". I always smoke my salmon skin side down and toss the skin, so maybe it won't matter. Roy said he does his jerky on metal spears. I'm thinking that stainless mesh trays would be really expensive. Gobbaworms - thanks for the offer. I might take you up on it if I can't figure out what I'm doing.

[Gus Orviston]

Killer- I have been thinking of you desire to do a whole fillet....and I like it for gift(s) etc...

graemlins/idea.gif If you built a way to hold the fillet vertically with the tail up, like a BBQ fish basket you could do 3 or 4 in a little chief, and more in the biggen.....Anybody know a reason why this wouldn't work, of course you still need the drip pan, and it is a whole lot less work than building a custom smoker. But then somethings are just fun to do graemlins/hearton.gif
Like practicing fighting fires at Roy's. :grin:

[Killertraylor]

C'mon Gus - you're taking all the fun out of me blowing some cash on something new! Actually, one of the reasons I want to quit using the big chiefs is because they don't get hot enough for me. I've got a 32 lb. Chinook in there right now with super thick chunks and I'll be lucky if it's done by midnight, even in the hot weather. I've even replaced my elements and it still takes forever. I'd like to be able to control the temp with a propane burner so I don't have to leave the smoker unattended for many hours at a time.

I think your idea is a good one though. I can't think of why it wouldn't work - they hang sausages in those things and they cook just fine. I was able to do some whole silver fillets on the regular racks last year and you're right - vaccuum packed they make great gifts. I just can't get a whole chinook or sturgeon fillet in there, and I'd also like more capacity for smoking 3 or 4 big chinook at a time.

[Gus Orviston]

Okay, okay, cut the sides out of your chiefs and tape them together (side by side) with silver metal tape. You could make a smoker that was 12 feet across!!! :grin:

sounds like we need you to document your plans when you finish your smoker... OR go ahead and use my idea if you want there is no patent pending, but there is one on my Salmon Fillet Milkshake maker :sick: