How to Build a Charcoal Smoker
Smoking and grilling are two different things. Cooking meat over a hot fire for a short period of time is called grilling; most people grill steaks, for example. Smoking, on the other hand, is the process of cooking meat in an enclosed, smoky area at low temperatures over a long period of time. The low temperatures and long time frame tenderize the connective tissue in the meat and make it deliciously juicy. You can build a charcoal smoker from materials easily scavenged and obtained at home stores. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Work gloves
- Clear safety glasses
- 55-gallon metal drum
- Rag
- Cordless drill and drill bits
- 10 bricks
- Wood for a fire
- Charcoal starter
- Matches
- 3 carriage bolts (3/8 inch, 3 inches long) with nuts and washers.
- BBQ thermometer
- Cooking grate
- Fire grate
- Charcoal
- 3 magnets (1 inch)
Instructions
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1
Put on the work gloves and clear safety glasses. Take the lid off of the drum. Clean the inside of the drum with a rag and soap and water. Allow to dry.
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2
Drill three ¾ inch holes with the cordless drill equidistant around the base of the steel drum. These holes will act as air vents to provide air to the charcoal while it burns during the smoking process.
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3
Place the drum on top of three or four bricks. Fill the bottom half of the drum with loosely spaced pieces of wood; spray charcoal starter on the wood. Light the wood with a match and allow it to burn to eliminate any unwanted contaminants inside of the drum that were not removed during the cleaning process. Allow the drum to cool for at least three hours, or overnight if possible.
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4
Drill three equidistant 3/8 inch holes around the drum 16 inches below the top of the drum. Place a washer on a carriage bolt and place the carriage bolt in one of the drilled holes from the outside of the drum to the inside. Place another washer on the carriage bolt on the inside of the drum. Place a nut on the bolt and screw tight. The carriage bolt will extend 2 ½ inches into the inside of the drum. Do this for the other two carriage bolts.
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5
Drill an additional ¼ inch hole halfway down the side of the drum. Insert the barbecue thermometer in this hole.
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6
Place six bricks inside the drum (form three piles of two bricks each). Each two-brick pile should be sitting on the bottom and touching the edge of the drum, forming a triangle. Place the fire grate on top of these bricks.
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7
Place charcoal on the fire grate; use charcoal starter to light the charcoal. Allow the charcoal to burn until the charcoal has gray ash around the edges. Place the drum top on the drum. Adjust the magnets over the air holes at the bottom of the drum so the temperature stays at approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
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8
Open the top of the drum. Place the cooking grate on the carriage bolts. Place meat on the cooking grate when the temperature has remained at 190 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit for at least five minutes. Place the top on the drum and maintain a temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit by adjusting the magnets to regulate airflow and adding charcoal when the charcoal embers are burning low. Smoke the meat according to recipe directions.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear work gloves to protect your hands when opening the top of the smoker during the cooking process.
Look for 55-gallon drums at car washes and auto parts stores.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Grillfleisch image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
