Dad's old smoker

[Iluv2hunt]

This old smoker was built by my dad and our old neighbor (who are both long gone). It's been up at my hunt camp for years now. I never use it up there as when I am there I am so busy with other projects or huntin/fishin I just don't have time to fool with it.

Figured I would bring it home as I have some projects in mind for it. I want to do some very low temp smokes in it for like cheeses, salmon, etc now that winter time is approaching.. I also want to be able to hang stuff inside of it as opposed to laying stuff on a rack. its got a very sturdy steel frame inside so I can jerry rig some rods to go across horizontally to hang meat off of. Smoked sausage sound good?

Gonna pressure wash it inside/out here soon and it needs some minor sheet metal repair at the bottom. The original fire box is a pile of rust in the bottom. However, i guess dad had built a new one and set it inside, and it looks like it never had a fire in it

Gonna experiment building a fire in the firebox...and also building a fire in either my BGE or my offset smoker, and venting over to it with a dryer hose or stove pipe hose. Interesting to see what kind of temps I can maintain with either

I had been looking at plans on the net for a small smokehouse..this will take the place of that idea


Open view (full of spider webs and all...)


Closed view

[nachogrande]

nice project. I'm sure the nostalga effect will make anything that comes out of there taste better. I think the firebox will be the most important. being able to pinch off 02 and regulate the fire, smoke and heat entering the meat chamber will be key. something off to the side of the chamber I'm thinking with meat chamber thermometers visable from the outside. and a fire that won't burn a ton of wood or have to be stoked every 3-4 hours. having the meat higher than the fire will be more efficient to move the smoke thru the chimneys with flue dampers to help regulate heat/smoke. real northern yankees from Vt, N.H. and Maine knew alot about good wood stoves. in my day yotel stoves were highly sought after. wish I knew sooner I just gave away at least another cord of oak. If you need some I have some good sized branches that need to come down right over the driveway, ez-pz.

[Bossman]

Nothing like "Dad's old smoker"... This old smoker started when I brought home this box and told my dad that I thought it would make a good cooker. Little did I know this was going to be the start of a cook house. After a summer of working we finally finished it. Although it might look a little different it does a fine job of smoking anything that you might want.

[nachogrande]

yeah Bossman, that's about exactly what I was thinking about. my Bro's old inlaws raised hogs and chickens in W.V. and had a working walk in smokehouse for app 40 years. held at least a dozen hams at any given time. some they claimed had been in there for years. not sure where smoking ends and curing begins for something like that, but it was the best ham,turkey,sausage I've ever had. but they had 10 kids to cut wood and keep the fire going. cool bell in that first pic Allen, where'd it come from?

[Iluv2hunt]

Well I pressure washed it and all the racks. Did a minor sheet metal repair and loaded it up with some lump and a piece of oak. Got it fires up waiting on it to hit 225° and 2 racks of wild hog ribs are going on for its maiden voyage

[Bossman]

Good stuff keep us posted 2hunt

[Iluv2hunt]

Definitely a learning curve for me. I have used an offset smoker for 15 years, and a Big green egg for the last year+. I've got a good grasp on what I need to do... Now I need COLD weather to do some cheese

Right after firing it up



Up to temp after putting ribs in

[9dawgs]

Very cool. I built a smoker my first year I was stationed up in Oregon. I wanted to smoke a turkey for Thanksgiving but couldn't afford to buy one so I drug home a landing gear create from the base. I stood it up on one end, put some corregated aluminum on it for a roof at a slight angle so the water would run off (rains a lot in Oregon), put some hinges on the lid for a door, bought and installed a cheap thermometer, put the rack from the oven in there on some 1x2 slats I screwed to the sides, and put a single burner hotplate in the bottom along with a few holes drilled with a hole saw around the base and the top. I soaked some alder in water and put them on a hot cast iron skillet to start the process. About 10hrs later we had an awesome smoked turkey for Thanksgiving. I had to leave it there when I transferred though...

Make sure you show us some pictures of your finished ribs Allen

[Iluv2hunt]

Well I am spoiled using my BGE, because they use such little fuel. Literally you use like 2# of lump and a block of wood of choice the size of your fist and they run for 14 hours.

This I have used a 1/2 bag of lump and about 5 pieces of oak. I got my digi thermometer set up to watch the ambient temp inside. I can see the smoker from my recliner and have the remote to the thermometer clipped on my laptop, and watching NFL redzone (rough life, I know)... It definitely needs a good fire to keep the temp up. I've struggled with keeping it at 225 with a small fire. Definitely have to build a bigger fire next time...
or
Put my turkey fryer inside on the bottom for heat, and vent my egg to it for smoke. I could do that easily with a dryer hose and it would cost much less in the long run

[Skunk Ape]

Those type of smokers work good with an electric hot pate and sawdust. My next progect is gonna be a block smoker/ cooker/bbq grill. Something I can hang sausage and smoke,or cook chickens and pork.

[Iluv2hunt]

A little tough, but not bad. Typical for an old boar hog. Flavor and smoke are dead on!

[9dawgs]

Very nice Allen. I think your Dad would be happy to see you using the old smoker. :>)

[Iluv2hunt]

I need to find me about a dozen mullet to go in there

[9dawgs]

oh yeah, now you're talkin'. That or some spanish mackrel or even some oysters would be good.

[Iluv2hunt]

Wish I could eat oysters. I used to eat a pile of them in my younger days till I developed a very deadly allergy to them