How to Build a Stainless Steel Smoker
Smoking, one of the best ways to preserve meat, has a rich heritage that lives on today in backyard smokers throughout the United States. One of the best types of smokers is a stainless steel smoker, as it can be left outside, uncovered, with no irreparable damage. However, according to Mike Allen at PopularMechanics.com, prebuilt smokers are quite expensive to purchase. If you have a bit of welding experience, you can build your own smoker fairly easily. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hacksaw
- 1/8-inch stainless steel sheets
- Wire fed welder
- Welding safety equipment (apron, gloves, mask)
- Drill
- Medium hinge kit
- 12 3-inch long bolts
- Box end wrenches
- 2 wire baskets
Instructions
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1
Using the hacksaw, cut out four rectangular sections of stainless steel measuring 2 ft. by 4 ft. These are your sides. Also, cut out two 2 ft. by 2 ft. sections of stainless steel to form the bottom and top of the smoker.
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2
Load the wire into the gun of the welder, and plug the machine into an electrical outlet. When you pull the trigger on the welder, the wire should feed through and melt, giving you the "bead" you'll need to weld two pieces of metal together. Be sure to wear protective gear when using the welder.
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3
Weld each of the long sides of the rectangular pieces together to form an open-ended box. Use the welder to weld the square pieces of metal onto either end of the metal box. You should now have a 2 ft. by 4 ft. rectangular metal box.
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4
Drill a series of 16 holes in one of the square ends of the box. Drill in four evenly spaced rows of four. These holes act as the vents for your smoker and are located on its top. Use the hacksaw to cut a hole in the side of the smoker box to act as an access hole. Remember to save the the piece you cut out of the smoker to act as a door. Mount it using the supplied hardware in the hinge kit.
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5
Drill six holes around the perimeter of the smoker box, 6 inches from the bottom. Insert the six bolts into the holes and secure with the box end wrenches. Slide in one basket, and set it on top of the bolts. This acts as your charcoal basket.
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6
Repeat Step 5 12 inches above the first basket, and insert the other six bolts and the second basket. This serves as your meat tray. Add as many trays as you want in 12-inch intervals.
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7
Use the smoker by loading charcoal into the bottom basket and lighting it. Place meat on the upper trays, and allow it to cook slowly in the smoker until it's thoroughly cured.
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Tips & Warnings
You can also add a thermometer by drilling a hole in the side of the smoker and inserting a meat thermometer. This allows you to monitor the smoker's inside temperature and gives you a better indicator on how well the meat is cooking.
