Thinking About a Smoker Build. Looking for Ideas

[seansfire]

I was thinking about putting one together as i have been using a Big Chief electric one and i am looking for a bigger one so i thought why not build it. Thinking about twice the size of what i have now and i was thinking about using a hot plate or electric skillet from goodwill to burn the chips for the smoke and heat.

I have learned thru experience there is alot of knowledge on this site so i thought i would throw the idea out there and see what ya think.

[Blacklab]

Try this site. There's a million years of experience 

www.smokingmeatsforum.com

[Kc_Kracker]

Elec skillets do not get hit enough to burn chips or create the needed heat.

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

I'd search this site for some real awesome builds lately. There's some awesome info step by step.

[seansfire]

if the electric skillet wouldnt work how about a hot plate with a pan on it for chips or maybe rig 2 of the burners for a big chief smoker in it ? or ?

i have never used anything else so i am way open to new things. i have heard people use propane as well ?

[stevemiller]

A halogen light would be hot enough its a matter of insulation,and how long it would take lol.you can buy the element like the one you have in your chief at any appliance store just get one with twice the wattage and a plug connector so you can hook it to a cord.keep it up off the bottom of your smoker build and there you go.

[NRA4LIFE]

After 10 years of messing around with electric elements, I've gone to propane now.  I tried the small, cheap 1000W hot plates and they produce plenty enough heat but they don't burn the chips to produce smoke.  I had pretty good luck with the 1000W model from the Sausage Maker but I have burned 2 of those up, the latest after only 3 or 4 smoker sessions.  I now have a small single burner propane element that works far superior to anything electric that I tried.  And it is very controllable.

[Fishstiq]

I was thinking about putting one together as i have been using a Big Chief electric one and i am looking for a bigger one so i thought why not build it. Thinking about twice the size of what i have now and i was thinking about using a hot plate or electric skillet from goodwill to burn the chips for the smoke and heat.

I have learned thru experience there is alot of knowledge on this site so i thought i would throw the idea out there and see what ya think.

What I have learned about building a smoker......


First and foremost, decide why you want one.  Be honest about it, you'll be happier in the long run!  Will you be smoking salmon a couple times a year, or do you smoke everything you eat?  Will you be smoking huge batches at a time only, or will you want to smoke a game hen by itself for dinner?  There are lots of questions to ask, and the answers will dictate your build.  For example...

If you plan to smoke a lot, then having a smoker (smoke house) that is either stationary (and all-weather) is going to help you do that since you won't have to take out and put away your smoker every time you use it.  If you plan to do salmon a couple times a year, you may not see the benefits in a dedicated space for a stationary smoker, and you might do well to explore more portable options.

If you are planning to do larger batches of stuff, and as you say your big chief simply doesn't have the capacity, then portability and temperature become considerations.  Bigger smokers can be difficult to move, and the larger space can require more energy (more burners, more elements, or more charcoal) to keep at your desired temperature.

You will also want to consider what you plan to smoke.  Smoking salmon in a big chief works well, since they don't usually get warmer than about 160 degrees or so.  OTOH, smoking things like pulled pork, brisket, chicken, turkey, ham, et cetera usually requires a higher temperature for both practicality and safety reasons.  Hitting the desired 230ish degree mark, and maintaining it, becomes very important and makes it obvious to see the advantages of propane or charcoal.  Cold smoking is another temperature consideration if you want to smoke things like cheeses.

IMHO, if you smoke enough that you are actually considering a smoker build, then you are going to end up with more than one smoker  , and that's a good thing!  I'm up to 3 that see regular use now, and I am planning a 4th.  They can be extravagant or simple, easy or complex, big and small and any combination of all those.  Like I said, the best advice I can give anyone in your shoes is to really think about what you want it for and let that be your guide.... until you need another one to cover what the first 2 don't do as well as you would like, and so on and so on....

 

[MacAttack]

I found this a while ago... I haven't built one but this looks pretty awesome.

http://www.theathomewelder.com/2010/01/04/diy-drum-smoker/

[Alchase]

You can use a one element electric burner and a cast iron 6" skillet for the chips, found at almost all retail stores. I bought mine at Fred's.
I started using it in a Big Chief to have more temp control then the standard heating element in the Big Chief.
Worked great. Then I migrated it to an old refrigerator turned smoker, worked great for 10+ years.

Now I use a Bradley Digital smoker, I just set it and go sit on the couch and wait till the digital meat thermometer remote, tells me its done, LOL

[Alchase]

PS: To cold smoke with your Big Chief, cut a hole and attach a  4" dryer vent hose, gated attach point, to your Big Chief. Then use a 4' section of metal dryer hose between your big Chief and a 2' x 2' box (ply wood will do) that your burner can sit in.