Smoker build

[Destroyer]

I still have my smoker I built from an old refrigerator. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. Friend long ago gave me an old, old Frigidaire refrigerator. (The kind with a porcelain interior and a locking latch on the handle). Gutted it, put an adjustable vent hole on the top, made several rack shelves and a couple bars for hanging fish. I fill an old cast iron fry pan with wood chips soaked in water overnight (I like Hickory and Apple best) and put it on top of an electric hot plate on the bottom of the refrig, put my fish or whatnot on the respective shelves, close the door, plug it in. About 12 hours later I have some truly fine smoked fish, turkey, ham, or whatever. The steam from the water actually cooks the food, and after all the water is gone the chips smolder and add a wonderful smoked flavor to it. Like I said, it's nothing fancy, but it works and it's good eats...

[phatdaddy]

i'm with you D, this is an old salad bar out of the local papermill, i do the same thing with the hot plate & fry pan

[THEFERMANATOR]

Yesterday ended up being a bust for getting work done by the time I got home from getting steel and running errands, BUT I had a pretty good afternoon today. Got most of the firebox plate cut out, cut the opening in the drum for the smoke to go through, welded the top plate onto the drum for the smoke chamber, got 3 sides of the firebox welded on, 1 support leg welded on, and the legs are cut waiting for trimming and welding. Still alot of work left, but it's starting to take shape.

The 3 sides of the firebox welded on


Smoke chamber, reverse flow baffle, and the side of the smoke box


Smoker opening


Don't criticize my welds to much

[THEFERMANATOR]

Was just going over my numbers again on the calculator, and it looks like I'm pretty close for most all of it. My firebox will be just slightly oversized at 105%, but most say to go 103-108% on the sizing(I should have probably undershot considering my design will utilize more of the heat). Planning on an 18.5"X3" opening out of the firebox for 55 cubic inches of volume, and the calculator says I need 52 but with the 180 degree change in direction I want to be al ittle over. My calculations come out to 58 cubic inches of volume for the reverse flow baffle chamber so it should flow planty and not bottle neck there. And I'm planning on a 30" tall 4" ID stack which is a bit taller than what the calculator calls for, but I want to keep the smoke away from me as best as possible. Hopefully this thing works out good as all the math says it should be sized right, and I will have a good 36" long, 23.5" wide, X 12" tall half circle cooking chamber to work with(may drop the cooking area down a tad deeper, will finalize my decision on that shortly.

Link to BBQ Pit Calculator

[bradford]

Sounds like its gonna be perfect! Next V20 get together at Ferm's place!



Phat, that is some straight up country right there! Your Cracker image has increased yet again.

[THEFERMANATOR]

Starting to take shape. Fell short of where I wanted to be at, but it is starting to look like a smoker(just upside down at the moment).

Shot of the front.


And of the end where the smoke chamber is being built to route the smoke back through the smoker.

[willy]

I smoke all the time on my WSM 22.5 Ferm and all I can say is Git her Done.
Looking forward to it

[THEFERMANATOR]

Got a bit furthur along today, I sure hope I can get it done by Tuesday so I can burn it in and season it for Thursday. Got the firebox all welded on, sealed up, and the door on it(still have to build a latch for it). Got it upright, so it is looking like a smoker now.

Heres the smoke chamber before I closed it up.


And here it is all closed up.


The legs are all welded on, and supports welded in.


Got it upright, firebox door on, and the wooden skids for it to sit on bolted on.


Firebox door open, still have to decide how to build a latch for it and straighten the door out some as it pulled during welding.

[smokeonthewater]

Lookin awesome!
I think it would be hella cool to make the latch like an old wood stove latch with the spring coils on the end

[smokeonthewater]