Smoking On the Cheap

I saw that episode of Good Eats. When you were talking about your early smoker, I wondered if that was what you were talking about?
Very ingenious!

I made one of these babies 20-25 years ago, actually used it for sometime but upgraded cardboard to plywood. Used "fresh" picked wood. Didn't have any thermoeters just winged it. I know a guy here locally that still uses a plywood model, but uses a small propane flame.

It would sure suck if it rained while you were smoking.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd G.:
[qb] It would sure suck if it rained while you were smoking. [/qb]

Who was it that sang "It never rains in California.. " Beachboys or something like that? Must be S.Cal cuz it sure rains up here...

I think we should call you "Boxcar Weewilly"!
Peggy

quote:

Originally posted by 2greyhounds:
[qb] I think we should call you "Boxcar Weewilly"!
Peggy [/qb]

You wouldn't be the first.. I'm kinda built like one..

I still use one like this to do my venison trail bologna. The cookshack simply retains too much moisture for my liking. Mine is made of a two drawer file cabinet. I cut a steel plate for the door and removed the drawers. I heat it with a propane hot plate. Gander mountain sells one very similar to my file cabinet for $125. Wish they had these back then I spent more than that building mine!! We also take off the smoke stack and use the cabinet as a smoke generator for cold smoking cheese and bacon in a seperate smoke box made of a well pressure tank. MMM bacon, cheese ,and venison bologna. I need a drewel cup!!

Yah... but, on the cheap.. there isn't anything like an OLD OLD.. pre-plastic frig.. Heck, maybe even the plastic ones will work.. Isn't the Brinkman smoker that uses hockey pucks made of plastic?

Boxcar

The commercial smoker of choice here in Cedar Key for smoking fish is plywood with expanded metal shelves nailed to wood frames and a metal roof. Oh! Yes, barn door hinges and a nail latch on the door. They smoke up to 40 mullet or other fish of choice at a time. At the bottom of the smoker is a metal three sided protector for the split wood log fire. Red Bay is the wood of choice. They smoke about 6 hours per load. They DO NOT put these smokers next to the house, for they do go up in flames sometimes - fish and all.

smokemullet

smokemullet,
my great uncle had some kind of shack like that he smoked his hams in. He made those country hams. The building looked like a falling down old outhouse, but larger. Who knows it might have been the outhouse at one time! The ham was so salty, and the memory of seeing where it came from kept me from enjoying eating it. His dogs didn't even seem interested in it. It also looked like it might have caught fire a few times.
LOL
Peggy