Many backyard barbecue enthusiasts love to serve up smoked pork at family outings and get-togethers, but doing so wouldn't be possible without the use of a good smoker. Commercial smokers can often come with a hefty price tag, but making a homemade smoker is a doable undertaking with easily acquired materials. Realize there are some safety issues in regards to building the smoker that need to be addressed first. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Take the empty propane tanks to an authorized dealer and have them clean the interior to remove any remnants of propane that may still be lingering on the tank's walls. Since these pieces will be the main tanks of the smoker and will be subjected to heat, highly flammable propane must be completely removed.
2. Wrap the tape measure around the diameter of each tank; take the resulting number and divide by 4. Measure out this number on one side of each tank to make a square and mark the dimensions with painter's tape. This will be the smoker's door that will allow you access to the cooking racks and wood. Measure a circle the circumference of the tank onto the side of the first tank. Cut the openings with a handsaw outfitted with a metal cutting blade.
3. Lay one tank horizontally on a set of metal sawhorses and secure the tank from rolling by wrapping heavy duty chains around each end of the tank and threading the chain ends through cinder blocks or iron exercise weight plates.
4. Drill into the top lip of the door opening to create holes for installing the barrel hinges. Do so for placement of hinges on the top left, right and center of the lip. Drill matching holes into the top of the door. Bolt the hinges to the smoker and secure them with nuts; hold the door horizontally in place over the opening and bolt the door to the hinges. Secure the door bolts with nuts.
5. Don your welding safety gear and lay the steel stock strips on the inside or outside (either is a matter of preference) of the tank. Weld each piece of stock to the tank's surface; you can use C clamps to hold the strips in place as you work if necessary. Do the same to the other tank. Use the torch to remove the cap on either side of the horizontal tank.
6. Stand the second tank vertical and flush to the open end of the horizontal tank. Slide the end of the tank into the opening to connect the two tanks together and use steel stock to secure the joint. You now have the smoker and the firebox. Weld iron or steel grills into the smoker for placement of the pig. Use the torch to cut a small 1 foot-by-6-inch opening in the base of the firebox for wood placement.
Tags: each tank, horizontal tank, into door, steel stock, with nuts