How to Build a Grill With a Smoker Out of a 55-Gallon Drum

A 55-gallon drum can be turned into a smoker for barbecuing.

Barbecuing is a favored activity for many people. Cooking outside on a summer day allows you to enjoy being outside, while allowing you to prepare food with that smoky, barbecue flavoring. If you cannot afford a grill, you can build one out of an old 55-gallon drum. Complete this project and you can host cookouts for your family and friends.

Things You'll Need

• String
• Tape measure
• Marker
• Drill
• 3/4-inch drill bit
• Screwdriver
• Wood
• Matches
• Garden hose
• 1/4-inch drill bit
• 4 bolts, 3 inches long with corresponding nuts
• Hammer
• 2 barbecue grates, 18 inches in diameter
• 4 washers
• 4 bolts, 6 inches long with corresponding washers and nuts
• 5-foot-long section of chain-link fencing
• Soldering gun

Instructions

1. Wrap a string around the perimeter of the drum and measure the circumference with a tape measure. Divide this number by three.

2. Mark the location of the ventilation holes along the bottom of the tank with a marker. Make three marks 3 inches above the bottom of the drum, spacing the marks based on the numbers you calculated in Step 1.

3. Drill the holes with a 3/4-inch drill bit.

4. Fill the drum with wood and set it on fire, burning all of the wood in the drum. This removes any contaminants inside the drum. Empty the ashes from the drum after it has cooled.

5. Rinse out the drum with a hose.

6. Divide the circumference by four to determine the spacing for support bolts for the grill. Mark the locations for the bolts 7 inches below the top of the drum.

7. Drill the holes with 1/4-inch drill bit.

8. Slide 3-inch-long bolts through the holes from the outside and secure them with nuts.

9. Hammer down sharp edges on the drum to prevent injuries.

10. Build the fire basket. This is the part of the smoker that holds the wood or charcoal used in the fire. Place a washer on an 18-inch barbecue grate near the edge. Slide a 6-inch bolt through the washer and secure it with a nut. This is one of the legs for the fire basket. Make three more legs using this method, positioning them in a square formation around the edges of the grate.

11. Wrap a piece of chain-link fencing or metal mesh 18 inches high into a ring and bolt or solder it together with the soldering gun.

12. Solder the ring to the top of the grate, using the soldering gun. The legs must be on the bottom of the grate.

13. Put the fire basket into the drum. Fill it with wood or charcoal, then light it on fire.

14. Place the grill on top of the bolts at the top of the tank.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use a drum that was used to hold toxic materials. Handling and burning these materials can expose to you toxins and cause health problems.

References

• Grilling Companion: How to Build a BBQ Smoker, an Ugly Drum
• How to Build a Grill Out of a 55-Gallon Drum