I'm in the process of drawing out plans for a smokehouse/pit-outdoor kitchen (a longtime dream of mine) as I type. I'll be curious to see what others post for this.
I suggest you guys go over to "The Smoke Ring" and ask for information. A number of those BBQers there have built their own BBQ smoke pits, have pictures, and can give you the details.
I did a upright smoker on the cheap 20-25 years ago. The lid from my Weber grill fit a 55 gal drum perfectly and the grills fit inside. I simply cut both ends from the barrel and welded three pieces of rebar extending down from the bottom about 6" for legs. I ran two pieces of all thread across the barrel about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom for the large water pan to sit on. The lower grill sets on the water pan. From that grill I measured up 1/2 of the way to the top and installed three small L brackets for the second grill to sit on. Three more L brackets on top for the top grill. Four barn door pulls were added horizonally about 1/2 way up for two men to lift the full smoker with gloves. A thermometer was cut in near the top.
The fire box is a 30 gal barrel cut off about 5" on the bung hole end with 3 rebar legs extending down about 4". I fitted a piece of perforated metal inside of the fire box with 4 small bolts extending down about 1 1/4" to hold the fire up a little from the bottom for the draft to be more even.
Simply build your charcoal/wood fire in the firebox. Fill your water pan and place your meat/poultry on any or all of the racks. When the fire is ready simply lift the barrel onto it. Replace the lid and head for the cooler and lawn chair.
Its a good thing this is a hunting forum, if it were a bbq forum I'd get thrown out for what I'm about to post....:)
My wife made me a 'smokehouse' for christmas two years ago. It basically looks like an outhouse, made out of some tongue and groove pine, about 3' square and 7 feet tall or so, slanted metal roof. Fire is a turkey fryer in the bottom, regulated propane to maintain temperature, and a big ol' cast iron skillet on it full of hardwood to burn/smoke. I hang a digital thermometer at my meat level, adjust the regulator to the desired temperature, double check temp with an analog thermometer mounted in the side. Racks are angle iron welded up in a square and then covered with expanded metal. I've cooked 100 lbs of pork shoulders and 30 lbs of brisket on this at once, and could go another 100 lbs easily at once. Results are good enough for all those that have eaten it, to the point of always asking when I'm going to do some more. Brother in law built his first, he's done a ton of summer sausage in his, uses a 110v hot plate to keep the lower temperature, and still uses the wood chunks in the cast iron skillet for the smoke. Again, purists hate it, but it sure works.
Here's a pic of two briskets and a rack of ribs I did Saturday.
Cheesy---Nothing wrong with your pit. If it works for you then that's all that matters. Ignore the purists. Half do not know what they're doing anyway. I've seen everything from what you have to half a car to an airplane and tanker cooker.
Told you the other day I liked it. Stay on it bub!
You want to see some wild pits have a look at Dave's stuff. A wild man passionate about bbq who builds just about everything from something. Give him a call and tell him what you want and he'll even tell you how to make it. Tell him I sent you. As I recall Stan or Darby bought one of his pits.
Cheesy, the only question I have is the use of pine for the walls......hate to see that pine smoke on meat. Never had a problem with that? Rough sawn oak I believe would be much better (not as cheap, but cheap), other than that I love the idea.
Cheesy, the only question I have is the use of pine for the walls......hate to see that pine smoke on meat.
Doesn't look like the walls get hot enough to produce smoke. What's wrong with a little pine resin flavor?
And I said pine, I'm just assuming that is what she used, looks like it anyways. And Pugs is right, it doesn't get hot enough for the walls to smoke. I try to maintain 225 degress at meat level. When the wood is burning/smoking in the cast iron down below, the smoke really gets to rolling, which is what has the walls smoked in. At least thats my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
Thanks byc, I just saw your comments from previous thread yesterday.
When I was a kid we used to strip old refrigerators of their insulation and plastic for smokers. It was easy to cook in the bottom or have an offset fire box for cold smoking fish. Heck they even came with wire racks and you couldn't beat the price. Nothing purdy about them but they work just fine.
Cheesy, the only question I have is the use of pine for the walls......hate to see that pine smoke on meat.
Doesn't look like the walls get hot enough to produce smoke. What's wrong with a little pine resin flavor?
And I said pine, I'm just assuming that is what she used, looks like it anyways. And Pugs is right, it doesn't get hot enough for the walls to smoke. I try to maintain 225 degress at meat level. When the wood is burning/smoking in the cast iron down below, the smoke really gets to rolling, which is what has the walls smoked in. At least thats my theory, and I'm sticking to it.
Thanks byc, I just saw your comments from previous thread yesterday.
It's pine....and when I see pine I think turpentine and pine sol.
All I'm saying is that the safer, better tasting wall material would certainly be oak.....or even hickory, maple, pecan, etc. Anything suitable for smoking meat would be more suitable than pine....I hope you never know why I bring the subject up.
I like your "pit" It sounds like it works quite well. That is all that actually matters. Could you post a photo of the entire thing?
Here is a .pdf of the entire plans my wife used to build it, take creative liberties wherever necessary. And as Stan has said, building out of oak would probably be wiser, heck, rough sawn oak would give it a good primitive look to it.
I suggest you guys go over to "The Smoke Ring" and ask for information. A number of those BBQers there have built their own BBQ smoke pits, have pictures, and can give you the details.
I like your smoker. Just make sure it is well away from your house, because with the smoke that is building up on and drying out that wood, that thing will go up like a roman candle should the burner go catywumpus.
That's a very very good point Lott. A couple of years ago the owner of the Dizzy Pig BBQ rub company had his VA home burn down from grease build-up on his cookers.
Cheesy's smoker looks great for a smoker on the cheaap. Congrats. I framed my deer stand with those cheap 2 1/2 x 3" landscape timbers and treated fencing boards. I'll probably not do a smoker, but just for conversation, any thoughts about tin sides for the smoker?
I always keep a small stack of 5/8 x 5 1/2" x 6' treated fencing from Home Depot around for outdoor projects. They also have the cedar fencing that is not treated. Any thoughts about that? I could quarter cut lap it. I know that it would have to be fire seasoned. Thanks.
Wow, I missed a lot in this thread I started. My internet has been down for a couple days and I actually forgot that I posted it. Thanks for the replies guys
I should be picking up my 55 gal drum for the pit, and 16 gal drum for the fire box, next week or tomorrow if I feel like it. I'll post some pics when I get it put together
"The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon"- Thomas Jefferson
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