A smoker is a great—and I mean a GREAT—metal working project. It's the project that keeps on giving and is something that I have always wanted to make for myself. I've made several for other people, but never one for myself. We simply don't have the room for one on our deck. I learned from someone I built one for that you need to keep them away from wind if you want consistent results. But putting them too close to your house can smell up everything inside if you are not careful. Not that I mind the smell of course; if they made a BBQ fragrance for men (and it were socially acceptable), I'd lather myself in it. Pretty sure mesquite would draw the ladies in.
Most of the smokers I have made over the years have had a version of a circular chip drawer you fill with pellets. You pull out the half-pipe shaped drawer, fill it with pellets, then twist it upside down to drop the pellets on to a burner plate. One exception was for a guy who took his BBQ way too seriously for my tastes (and I LOVE BBQ). His was a complicated drawer for larger chips that he insisted on cutting/making himself. He drove around the USA and Canada and competed in North American competitions. He even had his own trailer. If BBQ were a religion, this guy was its God. Bats*!t crazy, but a genius at BBQ.
All the ones I've made were either large transmission pipe sections plasma cut to size, or slip rolled sheet metal. My slip roll is tougher than most PA/Busy Bee types and can do 16 gauge, but sadly only 3' long. That thickness still isn't really acceptable for "competition" BBQ, but much better quality than consumer models. More recently square (vertical) smokers are all the rage, such as Bradleys...which are kind of the Model T of modern smokers. They work great, are semi-affordable, and readily available. Best of all for your average guy, they are electronically controlled and hands-off. You insert wood smoker Bisquettes, which are basically small hockey pucks of flavoured wood, and the machine feeds them in electronically to smoke. The unit then drops off the spent ones when a new Bisquette is required. I love the principle. You can also get automated pellet feeder models, which may be more flexible in that the pellets from different manufacturers can be used I suspect. They are similar in principle to a power chip feeder on a mill that uses an auger. The Bradleys, I think, are the easiest to use, but you're locked into their proprietary Bisquettes of course (think Epson printer and their stupid ink cartridges).
What I discovered today is that Bradley makes an add-on smoke generator you can either scratch build a smoker around, or add to an existing BBQ grill/DIY cooker. The Amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.ca/Bradley-Smoke...radley+Smoker+Generator&qid=1593147014&sr=8-2 The review section's only real criticism is that it needs a gasket/seal around the flange, which is simple to DIY.
If you are looking for a great metal working project at a beginner (or slightly above) level, this is a consideration. You can buy the electric heater elements and temperature controllers (best option), or if you prefer a more hands on approach—gas burners. By adding a Bluetooth wireless temperature probe (get one that has more than one probe so you can measure ambient temperature in the smoker as well), you can monitor on your smartphone as well.
BTW, if you are interested in DIY smokers don't ever, EVER, use an old file cabinet from a garage sale to make one. I know this was popularized on many junkyard and up-cycle renovation shows and looks super clever for TV. But the vast majority of those file cabinets have lead based paints on them. Lead leaches really well at around 250 degrees—the ideal temperature most cookbooks recommend smoking at.
Not sure why I am on this topic so late at night, except that my neighbour is slow smoking a brisket as I write this. The smell is intoxicating and I'm feeling hard done by because he never, ever shares. Having said this, he's been tipping beers all afternoon so I am pretty certain I could Navy Seal my way into his back yard and liberate said brisket.
Here's a vid on how a Bradley Smoker works...
Most of the smokers I have made over the years have had a version of a circular chip drawer you fill with pellets. You pull out the half-pipe shaped drawer, fill it with pellets, then twist it upside down to drop the pellets on to a burner plate. One exception was for a guy who took his BBQ way too seriously for my tastes (and I LOVE BBQ). His was a complicated drawer for larger chips that he insisted on cutting/making himself. He drove around the USA and Canada and competed in North American competitions. He even had his own trailer. If BBQ were a religion, this guy was its God. Bats*!t crazy, but a genius at BBQ.
All the ones I've made were either large transmission pipe sections plasma cut to size, or slip rolled sheet metal. My slip roll is tougher than most PA/Busy Bee types and can do 16 gauge, but sadly only 3' long. That thickness still isn't really acceptable for "competition" BBQ, but much better quality than consumer models. More recently square (vertical) smokers are all the rage, such as Bradleys...which are kind of the Model T of modern smokers. They work great, are semi-affordable, and readily available. Best of all for your average guy, they are electronically controlled and hands-off. You insert wood smoker Bisquettes, which are basically small hockey pucks of flavoured wood, and the machine feeds them in electronically to smoke. The unit then drops off the spent ones when a new Bisquette is required. I love the principle. You can also get automated pellet feeder models, which may be more flexible in that the pellets from different manufacturers can be used I suspect. They are similar in principle to a power chip feeder on a mill that uses an auger. The Bradleys, I think, are the easiest to use, but you're locked into their proprietary Bisquettes of course (think Epson printer and their stupid ink cartridges).
What I discovered today is that Bradley makes an add-on smoke generator you can either scratch build a smoker around, or add to an existing BBQ grill/DIY cooker. The Amazon link is here: https://www.amazon.ca/Bradley-Smoke...radley+Smoker+Generator&qid=1593147014&sr=8-2 The review section's only real criticism is that it needs a gasket/seal around the flange, which is simple to DIY.
If you are looking for a great metal working project at a beginner (or slightly above) level, this is a consideration. You can buy the electric heater elements and temperature controllers (best option), or if you prefer a more hands on approach—gas burners. By adding a Bluetooth wireless temperature probe (get one that has more than one probe so you can measure ambient temperature in the smoker as well), you can monitor on your smartphone as well.
BTW, if you are interested in DIY smokers don't ever, EVER, use an old file cabinet from a garage sale to make one. I know this was popularized on many junkyard and up-cycle renovation shows and looks super clever for TV. But the vast majority of those file cabinets have lead based paints on them. Lead leaches really well at around 250 degrees—the ideal temperature most cookbooks recommend smoking at.
Not sure why I am on this topic so late at night, except that my neighbour is slow smoking a brisket as I write this. The smell is intoxicating and I'm feeling hard done by because he never, ever shares. Having said this, he's been tipping beers all afternoon so I am pretty certain I could Navy Seal my way into his back yard and liberate said brisket.
Here's a vid on how a Bradley Smoker works...
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