how do you make a smoker out of basic supplies?

Question

hi, i recently got a bunch of salmon and just want to smoke a bunch of it, i have access to a wood heater and im sure can do something with that

Answer 1

i just modified a couple wood burning stoves ,the plate steel type like the ones used as fireplace inserts. what i did was this i welded them together one on top of the other then i reached in the back of the bottom one and cut a hole using a torch. then i welded a plate over the stove pipe hole of the one on top.i then cut a small 3 inch hole in the front and welded a 3 inch dia pipe 3 ft tall there for a smoke stack. that way the smoke wont go straight up it has to linger in the top stove. i also welded angle iron on the sides so i could place old oven racks in there at different hights for different sized cuts. in the bottom stove i welded angle iron from the left to the right about 6 inches from the top for the old ash box on the top stove. i use it for the wet wood chips, and just burn wood under it. you can use hickory,apple,mesquite,cherry,alder and oak for smoking. dont use any soft woods at all it will taste terrible. also the smaller pipe at the top acts as a choke to keep the stove from making flames but open enough to keep it going.

in a pinch before i made that i used an old charcoal grill just lit the wood let it burn for awile then closed all the dampers and the lid

Answer 2

If you want to smoke it to preserve it for long term, you will need to buy the special smoking rub/preserving rub. If you just want to smoke it to eat now, there's a couple of really easy ways if you don't want to buy or build a smoker. There is a nice restaurant near our home that fixes it on cedar planks. You can also use alder. Both can be bought at Bass Pro Shop in the camping dept. by the food prep stuff, (if you have one near you - we do) and I've heard you can get them at a lumber yard, but if you do that. make sure you get untreated ones, or it will poison the food. Take the wood and soak it for 30 minutes in water - just sit something on it to weight it down and keep it submerged. Then put whatever you want to cook on it (pork chops and steaks are also good), and put it on your grill, & cook it like you normally would. I've heard of it being done on the grill outdoors (like a propane or charcoal grill), and in the oven, too. Something else I've seen is a foil packet with some sort of wood chips in it that you put the food in, close up, and cook in the oven on a cookie sheet. Before my husband got a smoker for Father's Day (must be a guy thing - like he really needed anything that big to smoke a few ribs or a brisket or turkey once or twice a year), he'd just use his regular old charcoal grill by soaking some wood chips he bought at Wal-Mart (hickory, usually) in water for an hour or so, then putting in a small aluminum pan with some water in it. He sat that on the edge of the coals, and let it smoke and smolder. My dad does the same thing on his propane grill. So there's 3 easy, inexpensive ways to do it, and I hope one works for you. You just can't beat smoked salmon. Enjoy!

Answer 3

People make all kinds of smoker some are ........ well Different! Ha!
You could take the wood heater and set a metal box with a rack in it on top of the Vent Hole then put a short stack pipe on top of the box with a Damper to control your heat and smoke and you be "Smoking"!!! Just off set the top pipe from the bottom hole so your smoke has to move through the box and not just straight up.

Answer 4

Check out Alton Brown and his show Good Eats on www.foodtv.com. I remember watching a show where he made a smoker out of a cardboard box.