Whats the best way to build a smoker.?!
I fancied having a go.
But I ain't got a smoker.
I can fabricate metal.
Answers: I saw a recipe for whole smoked turkey (Texas style)
I fancied having a go.
But I ain't got a smoker.
I can fabricate metal.
OK, what you need to do is build a box that can fit a rack such as one out of your oven in it. You will obviously need a door, and then a controllable vent in the top. (one that you can control the flow of heat out of)
Inside the box put supports for the rack.
In the side of the box near the bottom make a hole large enough to pass a power cord through. Take and place a hot plate in the bottom center of the box, and put a cast iron skillet on it.
Soak the smoking chips in water until they are saturated, Drain them and place them in the cast iron skillet. Turn on the hot plate to med heat and let the smoker heat up. On the oven rack its a good idea to have a thermometer.
Once the chips start to smoke, put the turkey on the rack and open the vent in the top of the box. At this point, you need to work on adjusting the top vent, and the heating element to maintain your temp. You can take a test run without any food in the smoker to find the right settings. If you place a small pan of hot water in the smoker while you smoke the meat, It will help keep the meat moist.
The above answer is good. An easy way is to find a junked refrigerator or freezer , ones with steel rack shelves are best. Remove the compressor and coils. You can put a cheap electric burner in the bottom and burn the wood in a cheap pot. Make holes in the top and build a damper for smoke to escape.
Go with Dave C.
I made one with a external smoke box and left in the refrigeration components so I can easily make my own lox, and smoked cheeses at temperatures below 40 degrees. I also built one from a gutted out fridge and it works awesome! I just use a heat plate from a smokey joe smoker and it works great. I have one 1/2" hole in the bottom and one in the top for airflow and oxygen to allow the chips to burn and give off all the smoke that they can. You can also smoke a turkey in a 22" weber charcoal grill with a hot plate in the very bottom and remove the charcoal grate. The cord will fit through a bottom air hole if you put on a new plug or disconnect the wires from the hot plate, push the cord through then reconnect the wires. Just put the turkey on the cooking grate in a roasting pan and smoke away!