Homemade Smoker

Ok so to fulfill the requests for the tutorial on the homemade smoker...(I tried to get Jeremy to actually write this one, but he said that he was "like the guy in Julie and Julia, and he never wrote on the blog". poop-head is what I called him.)  So anyway, he explained it to me how he made it, and I will attempt to explain it here.

What you will need (Home depot has everything on this list)
A metal trash can
2 grilling grates (that fit inside the trash can)
grill thermostat
small hinge
12 nuts/bolts, 2 inches long
Smoker box and smoking wood chips

ok so first, drill 3 holes in the lid of the trash can.  one for the thermostat, and two on each side for air to flow in and smoke to exit.  Like this...

Secure the thermostat in with the little wing that comes with it.

The other holes are kind of hard to see, but there is one on either side of the handle (in the first picture above,) out more towards the edge of the lid.  Next, drill 4 holes on the side of the trash can( about halfway down), in a square pattern around the circumference of the trash can.  Insert the bolts into the holes, and secure with the nuts.  Halfway between the holes you just drilled, and the top of the trash can, drill 4 more holes, in the same pattern so that they are all lined up.  Then put the nuts/bolts in those as well.  These are the places that will hold the grill grates. Sounds confusing, but here is the picture of how it is suppose to look...

 They are to hold the grill grates in different positions...the lower shelf for things that need more heat, and the top level for things that need less heat.  For an access door at the bottom of the can, cut a small door using either a jigsaw or cutting shears.  Install the hinge on the top of the door using the remaining nuts/bolts.  Jeremy put duck tape around the edges of the door so that they would not be sharp, but it pretty much has almost all burnt off now : (

So now you put one of the grill grates at the very bottom of the smoker, to put the charcoal on.

and the other goes on whichever of the top spots, depending on what you are smoking.

Now for the smoking process, put charcoal down at the bottom on top of the grill grate.  Light the charcoal and let it heat up (30-45mins).  once heated, put the smoker box filled with smoking wood chips on top of the charcoal. Then put whatever you are cooking on the top grill grate and let it get smoked!  I suggest to look up temperature and cooking times for whatever it is you are cooking that way you know how hot to get it and such.  And thats about it! 

 

we went bike riding tonight...during the sunset!  It was so pretty : )